Summary of Representative Litigation

Citizens Against Rent Control v. City of Berkeley, 454 U.S. 290 (1981) [Successful constitutional challenge to a local ordinance which sought to limit contributions to ballot measure campaigns; established landmark First Amendment precedent in area of campaign finance.]

Brosnahan v. Eu, 31 Cal.3d 1 (1982) [Successfully defended against a pre-election challenge which sought to remove the Victims Bill of Rights initiative from the statewide ballot.]

San Francisco 49ers v. Nishioka, 75 Cal.App.4th 637 (1999) [Successfully sued to invalidate initiative for false representations to prospective signers.]

Pala Band of Mission Indians v. Board of Supervisors, 54 Cal.App.4th 565 (1997) [Successfully represented proponent of local land use initiative against post-election challenge to the validity of the initiative.]

Comstock v. Nishioka, California Court of Appeal, First Appellate District, Division One, AO84487 (12/98) [Represented San Francisco 49ers in obtaining dismissal of challenge to validity of election approving new stadium.]

Dept. of Alcoholic Beverage Control v. The Southland Corp./Tolentino, California Alcoholic Beverage Control Appeals Board No. AB-6981 (11/98) [On due process grounds, successfully obtained reversal of regulatory order revoking alcoholic beverage license.]

Stiesberg v. State of California, 80 F.3d 352 (9th Cir. 1996) [Affirmed the dismissal of civil rights claims against our client, the head of the CHP.]

Chemical Specialties Manufacturers Assn., et al. v. Deukmejian, 227 Cal.App.3d 663 (1991) [Represented plaintiffs in litigation declaring Proposition 105 violative of single-subject rule of the California Constitution.]

Potter, et al. v. The Firestone Tire and Rubber Co., 6 Cal.4th 965 (1993) [In landmark "toxic torts" case, Supreme Court adopted arguments urged in our amicus curiae brief.]

Digital Biometrics, Inc. v. Anthony, 13 Cal.App.4th 1145 (1993) [Successfully represented awardee of multi-million dollar state contract against claimed violations of state contracting and MBE/WBE statutes.]

Jarvis, et al. v. Regan, et al., 833 F.2d 149 (9th Cir. 1987) [Obtained dismissal of a complaint against the Legal Services Corporation which alleged violations of RICO and the First Amendment.]

Mandicino v. Maggard, 210 Cal.App.3d 1413 (1989) [Retained to handle this appeal, we obtained reversal of an attorney's fee award against signer of ballot argument on statutory and First Amendment grounds.]

Burns v. Wilson, U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, No. 95-16257 [In federal jury trial, successfully represented 1991 Inaugural Committee against civil rights claims brought by persons arrested for protesting; unanimously affirmed on appeal.]

Steinkamp v. Teglia, 210 Cal.App.3d 402 (1989) [Overturned a city ordinance which limited city councilmembers to two consecutive terms.]

Assembly v. Deukmejian, 30 Cal.3d 638 (1982) [Successfully defended the right to include referenda on the statewide ballot, establishing the judicial doctrine of substantial compliance.]

Wilson v. Eu, 1 Cal.4th 707 (1992) [Represented the State Board of Equalization in establishing redistricting criteria for state tax agency.]

H.E.R.E v. Davis/Cortez v. Davis, 21 Cal.4th 585 (1999) [Successfully represented amicus curae before California Supreme Court which ruled that Indian casino gambling initiative violated State Constitution.]

Rossi, et al. v. Brown, 9 Cal.4th 688 (1995) [The Supreme Court ruled that the initiative can be used to repeal or reduce taxes, the position we supported in an amicus curiae brief.]

Fisher v. Berkeley, 37 Cal.3d 644 (1984); 475 U.S. 260 (1986) [Represented land owners in establishing principle that rent control laws which indefinitely freeze owner's profits will cause confiscatory results.]

Strathern Park, et al. v. California Mortgage Bond Committee, Sacramento County Superior Court Action No. 361514 (1989) [Prevailed on behalf of developer who had been denied tax credits for a multi-million dollar low-income housing project.]

Colgate-Palmolive, Co. v. Franchise Tax Board, 512 U.S. 298, 129 L.Ed.2d 244, 114 S.Ct. 2268 (1994) [Upheld constitutionality of California's worldwide reporting system for allocating income of domestic-based multinational corporations, as we urged in an amicus curiae brief.]

Guthrey v. State of California, 63 Cal.App.4th 1108 (1998) [Affirmed dismissal of employment claims and award of attorneys' fees of $64,000 to firm's client.]

Morales v. Tulare County, U.S. District Court, Eastern District, CA, No. CV-F-93-5001 [The firm was retained after trial to represent Tulare County and Sheriff challenging million dollar jury verdict for civil rights violations, and obtained $500,000 reduction of award on post-trial motions.]

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