Family Law

• Divorce

Criminal Law

• Criminal Defense
  Prior to joining TroyGould, Miss Azizi was an associate at DLA Piper. In law school she completed a dual degree program, receiving a L.L.M. in International Criminal Law and was selected as an inaugural Google Legal Scholar.
• Fraud
  Represented a financial institution in a wire fraud action arising out of an e-mail compromise scheme—successfully demurred to the complaint by arguing the California Uniform Commercial Code displaced the plaintiffs’ common-law claims and obtained a favorable settlement at mediation.
• Embezzlement
• Restraining Order
  Represented a film production company, which was sued for alleged copyright and trademark infringement days before the worldwide release of a theatrical motion picture. The plaintiff immediately sought a temporary restraining order to prevent the release of the film. We successfully defeated the ex parte TRO, and shortly thereafter successfully moved the court to dismiss the lawsuit pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6) (failure to state a claim).

Business and Corporate Law

• Corporate Law
  Mr. Cheng’s practice focuses on providing corporate and securities counsel to emerging growth and middle-market companies, ranging from start-ups to public companies, executives and investors in a wide range of industries, including technology, digital media, life sciences, medical devices, and food & beverage in a diverse set of matters, including numerous acquisitions, early to late stage financings, and public offerings. He has extensive experience advising investors and acquirers on cross-border transactions, having advised on and completed deals in the U.S., China and the EU, among other jurisdictions.
• Mergers and Acquisitions
  Bill was a pillar of the Los Angeles legal community. He was named by Best Lawyers in America as the “2012 Los Angeles Mergers and Acquisitions Law Lawyer of the Year.”  He was a rising star from the moment he arrived in 1986 from O’Melveny, where he had been the youngest-ever attorney on that firm’s management committee. Bill’s specialties included, among other things, advising boards of directors of public companies. He and other members of our Firm authored the book, “Advising and Defending Corporate Directors and Officers.”
• Business Disputes
  Christina Kroll is an associate in TroyGould’s Litigation department. Ms. Kroll’s practice encompasses a broad range of complex civil and commercial litigation matters, and she has represented clients in a variety of industries across the United States at various stages of litigation. Ms. Kroll also has experience conducting highly-sensitive and confidential internal investigations. Prior to joining TroyGould, Ms. Kroll was an associate at Proskauer Rose LLP, where she worked on complex civil and commercial litigation matters, including contract disputes, product liability defense, and employment-related disputes. During law school, Ms. Kroll served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Alex Kozinski of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. She also participated in the Scott & Cyan Banister First Amendment Clinic, where she drafted merits and amicus briefs filed in state and federal appellate courts.
• Business Transactions
  We represent Internet-based businesses, software developers and users, and other technology-driven entities and individuals, in transactional and litigation matters, as well as in connection with various corporate and strategic ventures. Our intellectual property experience extends to a broad spectrum of IP-driven commercial transactions, with particular emphasis on the protection, exploitation and licensing of copyrights, trademarks, patents and trade secrets.
• Limited Liability Companies
  Structured the reorganization of multiple limited liability companies owning industrial, office and retail properties with an aggregate asset value in excess of $575 million.
• Construction Contracts
  We have successfully represented both owners and tenants in structuring, negotiating, documenting and resolving disputes related to construction contracts and related matters.
• Trade Secrets
• Intellectual Property
  Mr. Kim practices corporate, securities, mergers and acquisition, and intellectual property law. His experience includes mergers, stock and asset acquisitions, initial public offerings, venture capital and private equity investments, cross-border transactions, and software and other intellectual property license transactions. He serves as the outside general counsel for companies, counseling and advising their businesses in an array of industries, including navigating through SEC and other regulatory requirements. Mr. Kim’s clients are in software, hardware, Internet, ecommerce, security, semiconductor, online gaming, rich media, manufacturing, retail and other intellectual property focused businesses.
• Unfair Competition
  Benjamin Clements is a Member of TroyGould’s Litigation Department. He second chaired a two-week arbitration hearing in a complex breach of contract dispute between a retailer and manufacturer, securing a $7.1 million award for the client. His practice focuses on business and commercial litigation, including disputes involving partnership and business divorce, franchise and dealer relationships, trade secrets and other intellectual property, unfair competition, and employment matters. He enjoys working collaboratively with his clients to solve complex problems.

Employment Law

• Wrongful Termination
  Retained by an employer after a jury returned a verdict for a million dollars for an employee in a wrongful termination case; filed and won a motion for a new trial, which vacated the verdict, and the case settled on favorable terms
• Employment Discrimination
• Employment Contract
  Represented a live entertainment company in a jury trial in an action by a former officer who sued the company and its chief executive officer for breach of an employment contract.
• Employment Litigation
  Navigating employment issues, including employment agreements, wage and hour disputes, employee/independent contractor classification, and tip pooling
• Severance Agreement
  Work with business owners and managers on managing their business; provide counseling and advice, as well as negotiation and drafting of contracts involving all aspects of business operations; software license agreements, distribution agreements, sales representative agreements, employment and severance agreements, confidentiality and non-solicitation agreements, phantom stock agreements, hardware acquisition agreements, computer servicing and maintenance agreements, shareholder agreements, operating agreements
• Sexual Harassment
  Represented a chain of restaurants and its managers and employees against claims of sexual harassment, wrongful termination, and retaliation

Property Law

• Real Estate Litigation
  Areas of Practice Mr. Hurst specializes in business and real estate litigation, including construction defect, contract, real estate, and corporate matters. Mr. Hurst has handled matters before courts in the state and federal system, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Ninth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel, the Supreme Court of California, and various California Courts of Appeal and Superior Courts. Mr. Hurst has extensive litigation experience, and has successfully prosecuted or defended claims in the following areas...
• Construction Litigation
  Obtained a settlement amounting to close to one-million dollars on behalf of individual homeowners, in an exclusive development, against major developers, contractors and product manufacturers for defective construction and products liability in connection with construction defects causing water intrusion and damage.
• Real Estate Transactions
• Eminent Domain
  Advise as to general municipal issues, including zoning, eminent domain, prevailing wage, street dedications, and miscellaneous city issues
• Easement
• Land Use and Zoning
• Landlord-Tenant Disputes
  Successfully prosecuted and defended numerous other actions, including numerous real estate disclosure matters and commercial landlord-tenant disputes.

Health Law

• Disability Discrimination
  As an attorney in the Litigation Department, AnnMarie Mori practices in the areas of entertainment, employment and general business litigation. Her entertainment experience includes royalty disputes and copyright infringement actions. In the employment area, she has defended employment claims of all types, including race, sex, age and disability discrimination. Ms. Mori’s general business litigation practice includes breach of contract, fraud, trademark infringement, secured transactions and real estate disputes.

Trusts and Estates

• Estate Planning
  He is an AV-rated attorney by Martindale-Hubbell. Robert A. Briskin is a frequent speaker and has spoken before accounting and CPA groups, the California CPA Education Foundation, the USC Probate and Trust Conference, the USC Tax Institute, Bar groups, and estate planning groups.
• Probate

Finance Law

• Bankruptcy
• Foreclosure
  Represented a lender and loan servicer in an action alleging mortgage fraud and wrongful foreclosure—removed the case to federal court and obtained dismissal of the lawsuit via a motion to dismiss pursuant to FRCP 12(b)(6).
• Tax Law
  Assisted client in tax planning for the acquisition of a retail shopping center consisting of space in excess of 1 million square feet, for a purchase price of approximately $110 million.
• Debt Collection
  Representation of lender in wrongful foreclosure action for claims for Fair Debt Collection Practices, breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing, injunctive and declaratory relief, fraud, unfair competition, and quiet title.