Val W. Saldana

Education

University of California, Davis
Juris Doctor, 1977

California State University, Fresno
B.A., magna cum laude, 1974

Awards & Recognition

Super Lawyer: Selected as Northern California Super Lawyer for 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 representing the top 5% of Lawyers in Northern California.

Employment

Lang, Richert & Patch, August 1977 – present

Illustrative Cases

Trial attorney specializing in complex civil litigation in both state and federal court with an emphasis in:

Construction Law (public and private projects); Defense of Construction Design Professionals; Lender Representation (including secured and unsecured transactions, extensive experience in provisional relief such as the appointment of receivers, injunctive relief and personal property foreclosure, and lender liability; Insurance Law (including bad faith litigation and declaratory relief); ERISA litigation.

With over twenty-nine years of experience, Mr. Saldaña has participated in the following significant cases, including active participation in various alternative dispute resolution mechanisms such as arbitration and mediation.

Construction Law:

• 30 Million Dollar Stadium Construction Dispute
• 35 Million Dollar Airport Construction Dispute
• 30 Million Dollar School Contruction Dispute
• Dispute involving a ten million dollar waste water treatment facility for the City of Fresno.
• Two million dollar dispute involving a parking garage in the City of Fresno.
• Dispute involving a thirteen million dollar remodel and new construction of the Tulare County courthouse and jail facility.
• Dispute related to an eighteen million dollar apartment complex in the City of Fresno.
• Litigation related to the construction of schools in Fresno and Tulare County.
• Disputes related to the construction of an eight million dollar waste water treatment and gas utilization facility in Fresno.
• Forty million dollar co-generation facility in Madera County.
• Disputes related to a two million dollar post office construction and asbestos abatement in San Francisco.
• Several disputes involving the General Service Administration at Castle Air Force Base, Vandenberg Air Force Base, and Lemoore Naval Air Station, Veteran Administration Federal Court House Renovation.
• Disputes related to a three million dollar remodeling of the Veterans Administration Hospital in Fresno.
• One million dollar dispute involving construction at the San Joaquin Community College District.

Lender Representation:

• Successfully resolved a twenty million dollar lender liability case in the Eastern District of California (Sacramento).
• Successfully resolved a thirteen million dollar loan work out transaction and receivership litigation in Kern County.
• Successfully litigated an eight million dollar receivership proceeding in Tulare County.
• Successfully litigated a fourteen million dollar receivership proceeding in the Eastern District of California (Fresno).
• Several disputes involving obtaining the appointment of receivers and preliminary injunctions on behalf of lenders and litigation in the State, Federal and Bankruptcy Court ultimately resulting in favorable work-out agreements.
• Environmental litigation under CERCLA and RICRA involving contamination on acquired property (both with regulatory actions and indemnity regarding clean-up cost).

Insurance Defense:

• Representation of design professionals in an eight million dollar dispute related to the renovation of all elementary schools in Fresno Unified School District.
• Representation of architects regarding design defects on a one million dollar project for the City of Fresno.
• Defense of ERISA cases in Federal Court (failed health benefit plan involving a twenty million dollar claim).
• ERISA defense in State Court regarding fiduciary liability and denied benefits.

Professional

Admitted to practice in:

• Supreme Court of the United States (1989)
• All courts of the State of California (1977)
• Martindale-Hubbell Rating: AV

Also admitted to practice in the U. S. District Courts for the:

• Northern District of California
• Eastern District of California
• Central District of California
• Northern District of Texas
• Ninth Circuit of the Court of Appeals

Associations

• State Bar of California
• President, Fresno County Bar Association 1996-1997
• President-Elect, Fresno County Bar Association 1995-1996
• Director, Fresno County and City Historical Society 1999-2000
• Director, Fresno County Bar Association
• Association of Trial Lawyers of America
• Northern California Magazine SuperLawyer for the past four years.
• Association of Business trial lawyers
• Lawyers’ Representative to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
• Member of Steering Committee for the Construction Law Subsection of the Fresno County Bar Association
• Member of the Steering Committee for the Business Litigation Subcommittee of the Fresno County Bar Association
• American Bar Association
• La Raza National Lawyers Association
• Fresno County La Raza Lawyers Association
• Associated General Contactor Legal Advisory Committee

Lectures

• Guest lecturer at San Joaquin College of Law on Constitutional Issues related to First Amendment.
• Lectured on Construction Remedies at Fresno County Bar Real Property Round Table.
• Panelist at Rutter Group Seminar on California Civil Procedure.

Community

• Participated as Teaching Coach and Scoring Judge for Fresno City Mock Trial Competition.
• Speaker for Law Day at various Fresno High Schools.
• Board of Directors for San Joaquin Memorial High School – 1993
• President of the Board of Directors for San Joaquin Memorial High School – 1994