Fresno Attorneys receive 2010 Super Lawyer and Rising Star Honors
August 18, 2010
Lang, Richert & Patch is proud to recognize its 2010 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars. Every year, the San Francisco publication, Law and Politics puts together a listing of outstanding lawyers in more than seventy practice areas. These attorneys are recognized for their uncompromising work and professional achievement. Only upon being nominated by their peers and evaluated by an independent source in a multi-phase process, do attorneys qualify for Super Lawyer honors. Top up-and-coming attorneys in the state who are 40 years old or younger, or who have been practicing for 10 years or less, and who are peer nominated and reviewed may qualify for Rising Star honors. Only 5 percent of lawyers in each state make the published list of Super Lawyers while no more than 2.5 percent are named as Rising Stars.
It is no surprise that in 2010, Lang, Richert & Patch was once again named “The Firm of Distinction.” With five attorneys earning the title of Super Lawyer and four more earning the title of Rising Star, nearly all of this firm’s practice areas are staffed by attorneys who have been rated by their peers as some of the best in the state.
Lang, Richert & Patch congratulates the following Super Lawyers: personal injury and wrongful death specialist Robert L. Patch II; construction and complex litigation attorney Val W. Saldana; bankruptcy and insolvency advocate Rene Lastreto II; employment and labor law attorney Charles T. Taylor; and construction law specialist Mark L. Creede.
Among Lang, Richert & Patch’s up-and-coming attorneys are Rising Stars: Matthew W. Quall, construction litigation attorney; Craig B. Fry, corporate and business transactions and bankruptcy specialist; Scott J. Ivy, business litigation, attorney; and Ana de Alba, business litigation attorney.
These 9 Super Lawyer and Rising Star honorees come from diverse practice areas and represent nearly half of all attorneys practicing with Lang, Richert, & Patch. Lang, Richert & Patch is proud to have among the largest contingent of Super Lawyer and Rising Star honorees in the Central Valley.
Peer Education provided by René Lastreto II
May 26, 2010
Lang, Richert & Patch shareholder and creditor’s rights attorney Rene Lastreto II has been and will be a faculty member in four separate lawyer education conferences this spring, summer and fall. On May 17, Mr. Lastreto was a faculty member for the National Business Institute’s “Negotiating Real Estate Loans and Workout Options” session at the Piccadilly Hotel in Fresno.
Mr. Lastreto was also a faculty member along with two other practitioners and two prominent Bankruptcy Judges at the California Bankruptcy Forum in Monterey from May 21 through May 23. Mr. Lastreto spoke on evidence issues confronting bankruptcy practitioners in Adversary Proceedings and Contested Matters for the panel discussion entitled “What Do You Mean I Can’t Get That in Evidence!”
On June 25, 2010 Mr. Lastreto will be a faculty member for the Central California Bankruptcy Association Fundamentals of Bankruptcy Law Seminar. Mr. Lastreto will be presenting the attendees with analysis of the Bankruptcy Discharge and Dischargeability of Debts.
On September 24, 2010 at the Radisson Hotel in Fresno Mr. Lastreto along with the Chief Judge of the Central District of California (effective January 1, 2011), Peter Carroll, will be presenting a panel discussion on Exemption Issues in Bankruptcy at the Central California Bankruptcy Association Annual Conference.
Lang, Richert & Patch has a long history of its attorneys participating in peer education further establishing its respected reputation for expertise in the legal community.
Fresno Attorneys receive Super Lawyer and Rising Star Honors
October 9, 2009
Super Lawyers and Rising Stars are honorary titles bestowed upon a select group of the most distinguished attorneys by the San Francisco publication, Law and Politics. Lang, Richert & Patch proudly recognizes its 2009 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars. Attorneys earn this distinction after being evaluated in a multi-phase process that involves peer nomination and third-party research, which rigorously evaluates the nominees. Renowned authorities esteem this complex process of selecting top lawyers and deem it legitimate. As a result of its selection criteria and in-depth research process, Super Lawyers and Rising Stars are among the most noteworthy, if not best, client representatives in the state and leaders in the legal community.
The Super Lawyers process is complex and recognized as a bona fide system of identifying the top lawyers in respective practice areas. The publication ensures quality selection by employing 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement, including verdicts, settlements, transactions, representative clients, experience, honors, awards, etcetera..Once the final selections are made, only 5 percent of lawyers in each state make the published list of Super Lawyers, and no more than 2.5 percent are named as Rising Stars.
Lang, Richert & Patch continues to maintain its reputation as “The Firm of Distinction”, with five attorneys earning the title of Super Lawyer and two others being named as Rising Stars. The Super Lawyers hailing from Lang, Richert & Patch include; personal injury and wrongful death specialist Robert L. Patch II, construction and complex litigation attorney Val W. Saldana, bankruptcy and insolvency advocate Rene Lastreto II, employment and labor law attorney Charles T. Taylor, and construction law specialist Mark L. Creede. LR&P further recognizes Rising Stars, Matthew W. Quall, construction litigation attorney, and Craig B. Fry, corporate and business transactions and bankruptcy specialist.
The selection of Super Lawyers and Rising Stars from Lang, Richert & Patch represents the broad and diverse set of skills and backgrounds the firm brings to litigation matters. The seven Super Lawyer and Rising Star honorees represent two thirds of the lawyers currently practicing with Lang, Richert, & Patch and is by far the largest contingent in the Central Valley. Attorney Val Saldana commented that the title is, “as much an honor for the entire firm, as it is for the individuals involved”. Saldana further noted, “we have always taken a collaborative team approach to our complex litigation matters.” The multiple Super Lawyer and Rising Star distinctions demonstrate Lang, Richert & Patch’s ability to provide aggressive and effective results to a wide range of client demands.
Lang, Richert & Patch has strived for more than 40 years to provide its clients with premier legal services through establishing an open and collaborative environment while maintaining a result driven mentality. The experience and expertise of the firm has earned the respect of both the local and legal communities. The firm also received the prestigious, Martindale-Hubbell AV-rating, which is the highest peer rating for ethics and ability. Looking ahead, Val Saldana notes that, “we have worked hard to achieve preeminent status in the business litigation and bankruptcy departments. And we intend to keep on building.”
Are You In Compliance With The New California Foreclosure Laws?
October 14, 2008
In an effort to “help even more Californians keep the American Dream of homeownership alive,” Governor Schwarzenegger signed SB 1137 into law on July 8, 2008. Taking full effect on September 6, 2008, the new laws have implications for lenders and borrowers alike.
US Supreme Court Decision Changes the Determination of Claims for Attorneys’ Fees in Bankruptcy Cases
August 8, 2007
By Christian D. Jinkerson
In Travelers Casualty & Surety Co. v. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (2007), the United States Supreme Court recently ruled that attorneys’ fees can be recovered in connection with an unsecured or undersecured claim pursuant to a contractual or statutory right in the context of a bankruptcy case. The Supreme Court’s decision overruled the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and changed the law with respect to all bankruptcy cases in California.
Unsecured Creditors – Challenges after Bankruptcy Reform
January 14, 2007
Bankruptcy reform is sure to have an impact on the debt purchasing industry for years to come. But what are the key points that debt buyers need to look at?
With the passage of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 (BAPCPA), fundamental changes in how distribution of a debtor’s income will be made during a bankruptcy case went into effect. Unfortunately, touted as a “creditor’s bill,” an analysis of BAPCPA has uncovered several examples of the law of unintended consequences. Indeed, credit card companies and other unsecured creditors, and those who purchase this type of account, should proceed with caution when making projections based on media hype and rumor.
When analyzing and anticipating the net result of BAPCPA for a creditor or debt buyer’s bottom line, it is one thing to make general predictions about recoveries, but another to understand why the changes will occur and what can be done by unsecured creditors to make a positive difference for recoveries. This article will focus on some of the major changes made by BAPCPA and their effects on unsecured recoveries.
Securing Multiple Debts by One Deed of Trust: Maximize Recovery with Dragnet Clauses
January 3, 2007
By René Lastreto, II
Lang, Richert and Patch
A “dragnet clause” is a contract provision stating that a mortgage secures all the debts that the mortgagor may at any time owe to the mortgagee. California courts have upheld the general validity of dragnet provisions. Union Bank v. Wendland, 54 Cal.App.3d 393, 398 (1976). They also recognize the risk that such provisions may be included in a trust deed or mortgage without the debtor’s knowledge or understanding. “Clauses such as this are often termed ‘dragnet’ or ‘anaconda,’ ‘as by their broad and general terms they enwrap the unsuspecting debtor in the folds of indebtedness embraced and secured in the mortgage which he did not contemplate… ‘….” Wong v. Beneficial Savings & Loan Association, 56 Cal.App.3d 286, 292 (1976) emphasis in original.
Bankruptcy Reform Act Aids Creditors in Claims
August 14, 2005
By René Lastreto, II
Lang, Richert and Patch
In April 2005, President Bush signed into law the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 (“Reform Act”). Most of the provisions go into effect on October 17, 2005. While the Reform Act contains many changes to consumer bankruptcy law, it also contains significant provisions applicable to business bankruptcy issues.