A primary
area of specialty is commercial real estate and
construction law. The firm represents owners,
design professionals and contractors in
construction disputes. It handles professional
liability cases for engineers, architects, and
other like professionals. The firm handles all
types of leasing disputes, including commercial
evictions and actions for breach of lease,
partnership and other entity dissolution matters
and cases involving breach of fiduciary and
other duties among shareholders, partners or
other members of business entities. Straight
construction defects and like litigation is also
an area of expertise. We have tried to judgment
change order cases and construction defects
cases of all types. Mechanics’ lien litigation
is a familiar area of practice.
The firm handles a wide array of commercial
transactional matters.
Common engagements include incorporations and
formation of entities in both California and
Nevada, mergers, 1031 Exchanges, and drafting of
loan documents on commercial secured real
property transactions. The firm provides opinion
letters to lenders on such matters. Leasing
transactions are a primary specialty. The firm
is familiar with the rules of tax law which
drive these areas. Often, we represent brokers
and owners in the formulation of listing and
sale documents.
The firm has a niche in insurance coverage
matters involving the foregoing issues. Mr.
Swanson and Mr. Ashley have written hundreds of
coverage opinions in matters involving coverage
for construction defect matters as well as
matters involving business tort claims.
Locations and Geographic Range:
The firm is based in
Fair Oaks,
California, in the
Sacramento
metropolitan area.
Mr. Ashley is based in
the Los Angeles area and provides coverage in the
Southern California area.
Historically, the firm has handled matters all over the State of
California, and where issues of
insurance coverage are involved, it has extensive experience with all of the
Western states.
Qualifications:
Mr. Swanson and Mr. Ashley are both graduates of the
Law
School at the University of
California
at Berkeley
(Boalt Hall). They have served as coverage and defense counsel for major
insurers in the Western United States.
