Longevity & Excellence – S&W Celebrates Its 28th Anniversary And Its Trial Winning Streak
Our Anniversary
As time marches on, Sauer & Wagner LLP is thrilled to achieve another milestone – the 28th year of its founding. The firm was formed on May 1, 1997 based on the core commitment of providing exceptional legal representation. Hard work, creativity and experience are the keys to S&W’s success and stellar reputation in the Los Angeles legal community. The firm is thankful for the support of its clients, colleagues and friends, and its length of service would not be possible without that support.
Our Winning Streak
S&W is proud of the results that its trial attorneys, Gerald Sauer, Robert Chapman, Gregory Barchie and Amir Torkamani, continue to enjoy in the courtroom. The firm has been victorious in five consecutive trials for its clients. When representing plaintiffs, S&W has recovered compensatory and punitive damages, and when representing defendants, S&W has gutted the other side’s case by obtaining evidentiary rulings excluding expert damages opinions.
A brief summary of S&W’s string of “wins” is as follows:
- In a construction defect/fraud dispute that went to trial earlier this year, Gerald Sauer and Amir Torkamani represented two well-known Hispanic actors against the developers/builders of a high-end, single-family residence in Los Angeles. The jury awarded 100% of the compensatory damages sought by S&W’s clients in the amount of approximately $2 Million, plus an additional $3 Million in punitive damages. The recovery in that case is expected to increase in the future upon the granting of an award for attorneys’ fees and costs.
- After the $120 Million sale of a family-run business that manufactures and distributes branded ethnic cheese and dairy products, the plaintiff, a minority shareholder, sued several family members, who oversaw and operated the business. Gerald Sauer and Gregory Barchie defended the family members and utilized a multi-day evidentiary hearing to obtain a ruling from the trial judge that prevented plaintiff’s damages expert from proffering any opinions at trial. This ruling eviscerated plaintiff’s case and resulted in a judgment in favor of the family member defendants. Recently, the trial court awarded approximately $1.6 Million for attorneys’ fees and costs incurred by S&W’s clients.
- Due to a fraudulent scheme orchestrated by the defendant, an equestrian expert, Robert Chapman and Gregory Barchie obtained a unanimous jury verdict for S&W’s client in the amount of $900,000 in compensatory damages. On appeal, the jury’s finding of liability was affirmed, and the case was remanded back to the trial court for a new trial solely on damages. The new trial resulted in an increased damages award of approximately $1.3 Million, plus costs of approximately $71,000.
- In a dispute arising out of the opening of a competing fertility laboratory, the plaintiffs, three doctors, sued their former colleague, S&W’s client, for providing consulting services to the owner of that facility. At trial, Gerald Sauer and Gregory Barchie persuaded the trial judge to convene an evidentiary hearing that led to the exclusion of testimony from plaintiffs’ damages expert. The end result was a complete victory for S&W’s client in light of plaintiffs’ inability to prove that they sustained any damages. The Court of Appeal recently affirmed that judgment.
- As a result of fraudulent conduct by a co-managing member involving the sale of an accounting/bookkeeping back office business, Gerald Sauer and Amir Torkamani obtained a jury verdict on behalf of S&W’s client, the other co-managing member, for compensatory damages in the amount of $2.5 Million and punitive damages in the amount of $1 Million.
Our Gratitude
The firm’s success would not be possible without the contributions of our employment attorneys, Cara Robin Sherman and Michele Desoer. They provide counseling and advice to employees and employers concerning local, state and federal laws.
Last, but not least, S&W is thankful for the support of its staff, Candace Yang, S&W’s Legal Administrator, and Diana Olivo, S&W’s Paralegal/Legal Assistant. They are integral members of the S&W team, and the firm’s attorneys and clients benefit from their daily effort and commitment.
***
If you have any questions concerning a civil litigation matter, please do not hesitate to contact Gerald Sauer, Robert Chapman, Gregory Barchie or Amir Torkamani. For employment related questions, please contact Cara Robin Sherman, Michele Desoer or Gerald Sauer.