Lurie, Zepeda, Schmalz and Hogan

Shawn M. Ogle

Jon — Fri, 06 May 2011 23:15:48 +0000

Shawn M. Ogle
sogle@lurie-zepeda.com
(310) 274-8700 ext. 110

Shawn M. Ogle is an associate at Lurie, Zepeda, Schmalz & Hogan. Mr. Ogle was a summer associate at the firm in 2008. Mr. Ogle received his Juris Doctor in May 2009 from the University of Southern California School of Law where he was the Executive Notes Editor for the Southern California Interdisciplinary Law Journal. While attending USC Law, Mr. Ogle was the recipient of the Institute for Corporate Counsel Scholarship. Mr. Ogle also participated in the Employer Legal Advice Clinic at USC Law where he advised clients on employment law matters.

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Ogle externed for the Honorable Rita Miller of the Los Angeles Superior Court in downtown Los Angeles. Mr. Ogle received his B.A. in Political Science from the University of California, San Diego. While attending U.C. San Diego, Mr. Ogle was a Special Assistant to Governor Schwarzenegger in the San Diego Governor’s Office. Mr. Ogle is admitted to practice before all state courts in California, the U.S. District Court – Central District of California, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Test

Jon — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 01:59:10 +0000

A. Representation of creditors and debtors, as special litigation counsel appointed by the court. Responsible for putting together a creative and complex settlement of bankruptcy litigation brought by creditor client, a large commercial airline, in which the client received a judgment against the debtors and valuable rights to insurance proceeds.

B. Represented shareholder of health care provider, placed into conservatorship by State of California and then into Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Debtor thereafter sued the shareholders for, among other things, fraudulent transfers and aiding and abetting breach of fiduciary duties. Case eventually settled as to shareholder without out-of-pocket payment of any money by shareholder and with the right to recover an uncontested and unsecured claim exceeding $282,100 from the bankruptcy estate.

C. Represented bank in objecting to discharge of debtor who made material misrepresentations on construction loan application. Case settled with portions of debtor’s outstanding obligations to bank being made non-dischargeable and with debtor making payments to bank for extended period.

D. Handled bankruptcy aspects of litigation for various clients. These included relief from stay motions, objections to proposed settlements, motions to approve compromise of controversy, and appeals before the Ninth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel.

Payton E. Garofalo

admin — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 01:47:14 +0000

Payton E. Garofalo
pgarofalo@lurie-zepeda.com
(310) 274-8700 ext. 128

Payton E. Garofalo earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Southern California, Gould School of Law in 2010. While in law school, Ms. Garofalo was a senior editor for the Interdisciplinary Law Journal and a recipient of the USC Law Merit Scholarship. She was also an extern for the Honorable Judge Gregory Alarcon in the Los Angeles Superior Court. Ms. Garofalo received her Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from Pepperdine University in 2007, where she graduated magna cum laude. As an undergraduate, Ms. Garofalo was a recipient of the Dean’s Scholarship and was elected to the Dean’s List and the Lambda Pi Eta honor society. Ms. Garofalo is admitted to the State Bar of California.

M.Damien Holcomb

admin — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 01:45:12 +0000

M. Damien Holcomb
dholcomb@lurie-zepeda.com
(310) 274-8700 ext. 104

Mr. Holcomb received his J.D. degree in 2005 from Southwestern University School of Law, where he graduated magna cum laude and was an Articles Editor for the Southwestern University Law Review. While a staff writer for the Law Review, Mr. Holcomb wrote “Congressional Intent Rebuffed: The Federal Communications Commission’s New Perspective On 47 U.S.C. § 315(a)(2),” published at 34 Sw. U. L. Rev. 87 (2004). Mr. Holcomb received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from California State University, Fullerton, graduating magna cum laude.

Mr. Holcomb’s Representative Cases

I. Partnership Disputes

A. Mr. Holcomb represented an insurance agency against a former officer and shareholder for claims of embezzlement, breach of fiduciary duty, and against the former officer and shareholder and her new employer for misappropriation of trade secrets relating to the misuse of customer lists to improperly solicit clients. After a two month jury trial, Mr. Holcomb obtained a judgment totaling more than $1 million.

B. Mr. Holcomb represented an employer in claims for unfair competition against a competitor that induced employees to quit client’s business and misappropriate the client’s trade secrets. The claims were settled after mediation.

C. Mr. Holcomb represented a client who owned a 50% interest in a company which manufactures make-up products. Mr. Holcomb successfully negotiated the redemption of all remaining shares, leaving the client as the sole shareholder of the company.

II. Probate and Estate Litigation

A. Mr. Holcomb represented a father whose minor daughter held a multimillion dollar interest in a company that was being sold. Mr. Holcomb successfully sought appointment of the father as guardian to represent the daughter in the transaction.

B. Mr. Holcomb successfully opposed co-executors’ efforts to freeze and/or block financial accounts of a decedent in an attempt to prevent the client, who had been designated as a beneficiary on a $250,000 account, from obtaining funds.

C. Mr. Holcomb represented a beneficiary of trust against trustee for claims of breach of fiduciary duty relating to failure to administer trust according to its terms. Mr. Holcomb negotiated a settlement in which his client obtained ownership of real property, one of the most significant assets of the trust, and one-half of all other assets.

D. Mr. Holcomb represented a beneficiary and co-trustee in a petition for removal of a co-trustee for breaches of trust relating to the co-trustee’s refusal to pay income and principal to the client as required by the trust instruments. Mr. Holcomb received an order removing the co-trustee, denying the co-trustee’s petition to remove the client as co-trustee, and requiring the trust to reimburse over $100,000 in trust expenses paid by the client and pay $11,000 per month to the client.

III. Professional Liability Litigation

A. Mr. Holcomb represented a paralegal who had been sued for practicing law without a license. After receiving a significant sanction award for the plaintiff’s discovery abuses, Mr. Holcomb levied on plaintiff’s prized automobile. The matter settled shortly thereafter in exchange for the vehicle’s return.

VI. Employment Litigation

A. Mr. Holcomb represented an employee who had a contractual relationship with employer pursuant to which employee, in the event of termination before expiration of the term of employment, would receive generous severance benefits. Upon the employee’s termination without cause, employer refused to pay employee the contractual severance benefits. Mr. Holcomb contributed to a successful settlement that was reached shortly before trial.

B. Mr. Holcomb represented a consultant who sued the company for which he provided consultant services for payment for the services provided over a period of years. The consultant performed services at a severely discounted rate with the expectation that the consultant would receive a significant commission upon the sale of the company. The consultant was terminated without further compensation when a sale was imminent. Mr. Holcomb contributed to a settlement following mediation.

V. Anti-SLAPP Litigation

A. Mr. Holcomb represented two parties who were sued after dismissing one party from an underlying action after settling and/or obtaining default judgments against the remaining defendants. The defendant who was dismissed from the underlying action subsequently filed a malicious prosecution action. Mr. Holcomb contributed to an anti-SLAPP motion and successfully opposed the malicious prosecution plaintiff’s attempts to take discovery pending the hearing on the motion. The anti-SLAPP motion was granted and the clients were awarded their fees.

Lawrence J. Imel

admin — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 01:43:06 +0000

Lawrence J. Imel
limel@lurie-zepeda.com
(310) 274-8700 ext. 127

Lawrence J. Imel received his J.D. in 2001 from Loyola Law School , Los Angeles , where he was a staff writer for the Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review and a Moot Court participant. For the Law Review, Mr. Imel wrote “Substantial Compliance with the Contractors’ State License Law: An Equitable Doctrine Producing Inequitable Results”, published at 34 Loy. L. Rev. 1539 (2001). He twice received the Loyola Law School First Honors Award. Mr. Imel received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of California , Los Angeles .

Mr. Imel has represented clients in a wide variety of civil actions involving fraud, breach of contract, and real property claims. Mr Imel also has significant experience handling probate litigation and estate administration matters. Mr. Imel is a member of the litigation section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and was a member of the Editorial Board for the Los Angeles Lawyer magazine from 2004 through 2010. Mr. Imel was also a volunteer attorney for the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Domestic Violence Project from 2008 through 2010.

Mr. Imel was recognized by Los Angeles magazine as one of Southern California ’s Rising Star Super Lawyers in 2007, 2009 and 2010.

Articles Written by Lawrence J. Imel:

“Substantial Compliance with the Contractors’ State License Law:
An Equitable Doctrine Producing Inequitable Results”
Loyola Law Review
June 2001