Recent Cases

Stein Wins Family Law Trial — Jan 2014

Jonathan won a trial before the Indio Family Law Court.  Jonathan represented the wife, who had been making substantial alimony payments and runs a property management company claimed as community property.  Before trial, Jonathan obtained a separate judgment against the husband in Sonoma County Superior Court (over 500 miles away) and leveraged that judgment.  The Indio Family Law Court judgment awarded no damages against the wife, despite 6-figure claims for past and future alimony; husband’s claims to the property management business; and his claims for breach of fiduciary duty owed by the wife.  Husband recovered nothing on any of these claims.

Law Offices of Jonathan Stein Blocks Foreclosure In $10-million Lender Liability Lawsuit

2013 construction picture  Jonathan represented a homeowner who was building his dream house on Newport Coast when the FDIC took over the construction lender.  Its successor, One West Bank, sought over $10 million in principal and interest, even though only $6.2 million in construction funds were released to the homeowner.  Jonathan filed the initial complaint, litigated successfully in federal and state court, and finally filed a motion for preliminary injunction against foreclosure by One West Bank.  Jonathan’s motion was granted after a long series of hearings on over 120 exhibits and expert declarations.  The construction loan was originally due to be repaid in November 2009.  The injunction obtained has allowed the homeowner to finish construction and provides ample opportunity for refinancing at competitive rates.

Stein Represents Activists Seeking To Close Santa Monica Airport

Jonathan represents Venice Environmental Alliance, a nonprofit public benefit corporation, in a larger dispute between City of Santa Monica and Federal Aviation Agency filed in Central District Court for California in October 2013.  VEA has an extensive membership among residents of affluent Los Angeles neighborhoods of Mar Vista,  West Los Angeles,  North Westdale, Westside and Venice, that are impacted by 110,000 annual flight operations from Santa Monica Airport.  Jonathan is also on the Board of Sunset Park Anti-Airport, a registered independent expenditure committee which helped elect two anti-airport candidates to the Santa Monica City Council in 2012.  Further activities are planned for the 2014 election cycle.

US $50 Million Financing For Licogi 16 Joint Stock Company, Vietnam.

Jonathan has been retained as US counsel to assist one of Vietnam’s foremost domestic real estate developers to secure financing from North America for a 600,000-ft mixed use development in Hanoi New City, the new governmental center for this high-growth country.

Jonathan completes a 6-month assignment restructuring a series of 7-figure Idaho real estate investment

Jonathan completes a 6-month assignment restructuring a series of 7-figure Idaho real estate investments for a leading director in the movie industry. The representation spanned work by the stunt coordinator on two of the largest budgeted film productions in history. Client phone conferences were conducted from Dubai, Prague, Seville, London and Coeur d’Alene, ID.

Jonathan wins an appeal to the California Second Circuit Court of Appeals, reversing a high-six-figure judgment against his client

Jonathan wins an appeal to the California Second Circuit Court of Appeals, reversing a high-six-figure judgment against his client. Upon remand, Jonathan gains the trial court’s approval to switch the case to another trial judge.

7-figure settlement of the claims of 660 gaming and non-gaming personnel

Jonathan represented and settled this federal class action in the Middle District of Florida USDC on maritime claims against Fortress Investments, a large private equity company and SunCruz, the largest “cruise to nowhere” casino company in the USA. The settling defendant was a $10-billion private equity fund represented by a 6-lawyer litigation team from the largest firm in Florida.

Two Business Trials in 2012

Jonathan spent over four weeks in trial during 2012. The first trial involved the personal liability of Tribal Councilmen who allegedly defrauded creditors of an Indian Tribe. The second trial was a contract dispute on behalf of one of Hollywood’s leading directors.

Intellectual Property and Employment Matters in Germany, Holland, Ohio, Virginia and Massachusetts.

Jonathan represents a well-known Massachusetts technologist in a fast-moving series of transactions surrounding the $450 million sale of one of Ohio’s largest companies. Jonathan negotiated a spider’s web of intellectual property rights, personal employment contracts, and IP agreements, allowing the technologist to move from a mid-six-figure salary, to a 7-figure compensation package, to a 7-figure termination payment, and finally to open a successful consulting practice in Europe and North America.