Andrew is a business trial lawyer. He has been a partner at JMBM since 2019 and is a member of the Firm's Appellate and Professional Liability Defense Groups. He litigates complex commercial disputes, specializing in cases relating to corporate governance, management, and ownership, including breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, and related claims. Andrew also routinely litigates legal malpractice and commercial lease disputes.
Whether litigating aggressively through trial or negotiating settlements before or after litigation is filed, Andrew strives to resolve cases in the most beneficial and cost-efficient manner for his clients. He has obtained wins for his clients at the pleading stage, on summary judgment, and after trial in both state and federal courts and in arbitration.
Andrew has first- and second-chaired several trials and arbitrations, and has briefed and argued appeals that have resulted in published opinions from California's Second District Court of Appeal and the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Ninth and Federal Circuits.
- Ninth Circuit issued a published opinion affirming summary judgment in favor of our client on a Fair Housing Act claim, and creating new law on the interactive process favorable to landlords. Howard v. HMK Holdings, LLC, 988 F.3d 1185 (9th Cir. 2021)
- Second District Court of Appeal affirmed award of $1.37 million in attorneys’ fees for our client. Preservation Finance Rehabilitation and Development LP v. Associated Financial Corp.
- Second District Court of Appeal affirmed grant of summary judgment and award of attorneys' fees in Unruh Act/racial discrimination case. Harris v. Save the Queen LLC, Harris v. Save the Queen
- Second District Court of Appeal affirmed judgment after demurrer was sustained without leave to amend in $10 million wrongful foreclosure and fraud case. Goldenpark LLC v. Urban Commons LLC
- Second District Court of Appeal issued a published opinion affirming a judgment confirming an arbitration award in favor of our client in a professional negligence and breach of fiduciary duty case.
- Second District Court of Appeal reversed denials of motions to compel arbitration in multiple professional negligence cases.
- First-chaired a multi-week bench trial and won a total defense judgment on breach of an alleged oral agreement, breach of fiduciary duty, and related claims seeking over $16 million in damages.
- First-chaired a two-week bench trial and won a total defense judgment on breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, and related claims seeking several million dollars in damages.
- Won summary judgment on Fair Housing Act claim in California federal court, which was affirmed on appeal.
- Won summary judgment and award of attorneys' fees on behalf of an event hosting facility in class action alleging claims of racial discrimination. All rulings affirmed on appeal.
- Defeated class certification in class action filed against manager of thousands of residential housing units.
- Prevailed on motions to dismiss claims for breach of fiduciary duty under ERISA in California and Minnesota federal courts.
- Obtained dismissal at pleading stage of legal malpractice lawsuit filed in federal court against international law firm.
- Prevailed on demurrer of a $10 million wrongful foreclosure and fraud lawsuit, and won a judgment of attorney's fees and costs against the plaintiff and its alter egos. Affirmed on appeal.
- Defended a law firm from multi-million dollar cross-claims for indemnity until we obtained the dismissal with prejudice of all claims.
- Defended against a petition for writ of mandate seeking to overturn our client’s purchase of real estate from a public agency. Resulted in the dismissal with prejudice of all claims prior to trial.