Dedicated and Experienced Representation In Family, Real Estate, Business, and Criminal Law, And For Victims of Personal Injury And Professional Malpractice

Following are just a few of our recent and ongoing accomplishments:

FEDERAL COURT

United States District Court, Northern District of California

The Law Office of Richard Sax:

• Filed an action against a Native American Tribe on behalf of several members for breach of contract and other torts. The Tribe asserted the defense of sovereign immunity. The Tribe was represented by an international law firm that specializes in Native American Law. The Court upheld plaintiffs' complaint, referring the case to the Tribal Council. At the same time, the matter proceeded through formal mediation conferences in the District Court. After numerous Tribal Council meetings and mediation conferences, the matter was put up to a vote of the Tribal Council. Plaintiffs prevailed, obtaining a very high percentage of the Tribal Council's vote and a seven-figure settlement

• Is effectively defending a local construction company against claims by two internationally known labor unions, in a dispute involving wages and benefits allegedly due under labor union contracts

• Prosecuted a Civil Rights action, on behalf of the widow of a prisoner who died while incarcerated in the Sonoma County jail, which settled after mediation in Federal Court

• Is effectively prosecuting a product liability case against a major pharmaceutical company, alleging that the pharmaceutical company and its product caused a client to become addicted and disabled

• Is fighting for benefits on behalf of a disabled client in an ERISA action against a major insurance company

STATE OF CALIFORNIA

Court of Appeal

The Law Office of Richard Sax:

• Filed an action in a homeowners' association case on behalf of homeowners against the Board, which led to a six-week court trial and post-trial motions. A major law firm, which specializes in HOA litigation, represented the Board. The law firm demanded $600,000 in attorney fees from the HOA. The Sax Law Firm persuaded the Court to reduce the attorneys fees claim to $300,000 due to alleged malpractice by the law firm. After an appeal and mediation, the Sax Law Firm persuaded the HOA Board to accept $180,000 in full settlement, subject to the vote of all of the homeowners. The HOA Board and its attorneys said that the Sax proposal would never be accepted by the homeowners, but it ultimately passed by a vote of 40-3.

SONOMA COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT

The Law Office of Richard Sax:

Civil

• Achieved a $1.350 million dollar settlement arising out of a motor vehicle accident involving a major transportation company

• Successfully resolved a substantial action against a major energy corporation, after obtaining relief from a bankruptcy court and resolving esoteric issues involving mining claims. The action arose out of a catastrophic wildland fire that burned over 12,000 acres

• Successfully represented a member of a well-known local family in a real estate quiet title action involving claims of civil harassment and complicated issues of conservatorship

• Is prosecuting a products liability action against a major pharmaceutical retailer as a result of the inadvertent overdose of our client, who sustained serious traumatic brain injury when a pharmacy employee failed to fill a prescription in accordance with the orders of a physician, and entered erroneous data onto the label of the medication bottle

Family Law 

• In a recent guardianship action, convinced the court to return a natural son to his father after only one emotional court hearing

• Brought about the resolution of complex, highly contested child custody and visitation issues at the commencement of trial

Criminal

• Persuaded the District Attorney to dismiss false charges of theft against a client after several days of jury trial. The Sax Law Firm is now proceeding on a civil lawsuit for malicious prosecution, libel, and slander against the persons who made the false charges

• Effectively defended a client who was charged with assault with a deadly weapon, a 20-pound rock, which hit the head of a bystander, causing serious injuries

• Effectively defended a client charged with narcotics possession

• Convinced the court to dismiss all charges against a client charged with domestic violence

• Won a two-day court trial on Christmas Eve, obtaining a dismissal of kidnapping charges

• Is effectively defending a client charged with a gang-related shooting

• Is effectively defending a client against charges of voluntary manslaughter, arising out of an auto accident in which one person died and two others were seriously injured

MARIN COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT

The Law Office of Richard Sax:

Civil

• Is effectively defending a client against claims involving partnership dissolution, trade name infringement, and bankruptcy issues

Criminal

• Is effectively defending a client charged with an alleged two million-dollar embezzlement

Family

• Convinced the court to award a victim of domestic violence sole physical and legal child custody, with child visitation to the other parent only after the completion of anger management rehabilitation

LAKE COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT

The Law Office of Richard Sax:

Civil

• Successfully defended a client in a complex real estate partition action

Criminal

• Effectively resolved a case in which a minor was charged with assault with a deadly weapon, after successfully resisting a District Attorney's action to have the minor tried as an adult. The minor is now successfully rehabilitated

Family

• Obtained a reversal of a temporary restraining order in a domestic violence action

MENDOCINO COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT

The Law Office of Richard Sax:

Civil

• Successfully defended a client in a complicated real estate partition action

Criminal

• Effectively defended a client against gang-related charges of weapons possession

Family

• Convinced the court to return custody of a child to a parent who had been the victim of domestic violence

HISTORICAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Hundreds of successful resolutions of family law cases through settlement and trial
• Successful settlement in a family law case involving two estates, a partnership real estate dissolution and accounting, and the partition of eleven properties
• Successful representation of over twenty plaintiffs in a commercial slumlord action with multiple parties, arising out of the most catastrophic fire in Mendocino County history
• Successful appeal to the California Supreme Court in a termination of parental rights case
• Successful appeal to the California Supreme Court in a major personal injury case
• Successful resolution of a wrongful death action involving a husband who furnished his mentally ill wife with a loaded handgun
• Successful resolution of a wrongful death/medical malpractice case involving a psychiatrist who gave his client access to a loaded handgun
• Successful appeal against an attorney who claimed the defense of litigation privilege when charged with slander, defamation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress
• Successful prosecution of three medical malpractice claims against Kaiser
• Award of punitive damages against a major insurance company and its attorneys in a slumlord case with over twenty plaintiffs
• Award of civil penalties and attorney fees against a major insurance company and its counsel in an ERISA action
• Successful settlement in an action involving the dissolution and reorganization of a multi-million dollar shopping center partnership
• Civil Rights jury trial against the City of Oakland Police Department
• Civil Rights action against a police department in Marin County that resulted in the reorganization of the department
• Defense of a winery in a complex antitrust and alcohol distributor termination case
• Complicated products liability action against Ford Motor Company, successfully resolved after a lengthy jury trial
• Defense of Annadel Corporation after the collapse of an eight million dollar real estate mortgage company
• One of the first whistle-blower cases against the City and county of San Francisco and its Department of Public Works
• $250,000 punitive damage jury verdict against a major retailer

Contact a Santa Rosa real estate attorney at the Law Offices of Richard Sax for an initial consultation.