Great law firms get great results. Their track record matters. At Brown & Charbonneau, LLP our results speak for themselves. Here are just a few of the outstanding results obtained for our divorce and family law related clients.
Orange County Superior Court (Trial)
Result: $921,115 / $613,000 Attorneys Fees in Family Law Dispute
Gregory G. Brown, Brown & Charbonneau, LLP obtained a $921,115 trial award in a dispute over the terms of a divorce judgment. The award included $613,000 in attorneys’ fees and $100,000 in Family Code 271 sanctions against the other party. In the divorce, wife received the home and was to keep the mortgages. In 2014, Wife stopped paying. In early 2015, the court ordered that Husband take over the sale of the property and filed action for damages. Husband sold the home in April of 2015. Wife then claimed that husband breached his fiduciary duties in selling the property “under market”. The case involved two trials, two appeals and two fraudulent transfer cases involving approximately $4,000,000 in real estate.
Orange County Superior Court (Trial Award)
Result: $5.6 Million Award in Family Law and Trust Dispute
B&C obtained $5,600,000 for its client in first phase of
a bifurcated trial which dealt with community property v. separate property over a family business. This was a long battle over ownership of a $157,000,000 company between family members, after husband had passed away. The second phase was to deal with breach of fiduciary duty, violation of Family Code Section 1101 and a shareholder derivative action….Continue Reading.
Orange County Superior Court (Trial)
Result: Husband Awarded Businesses and Wife Pays CPA Fees
In a divorce trial that spanned twelve days, the court ruled in favor of B&C’s client. The case involved a multi-million dollar marital estate. After dozens of unsubstantiated claims by wife that husband was spending community money, hiding money, running personal charges through his business, the court found all of wife’s claims were without merit. The court awarded support in the amount sought by B&C’s client. During the case, wife inappropriately increased the costs of litigation in the case by sending the CPA’s on wild goose chases, to the tune of $250,000 in CPA fees. In the court’s Judgment, wife was assessed ALL of the CPA fees.
Orange County Superior Court (Trial/Appeal)
Result: Husband Keeps His 1/2 of Assets
After a litigation, trial and an appeal, the Court ruled in favor of B&C’s client that he was entitled to keep his half of the marriage assets. The Court of Appeal ruling was a published opinion and has been cited in many family law practice guides since then. The case was also featured on the cover page of the Los Angeles Daily Journal. In an all or nothing case, wife claimed that husband had agreed in writing to transfer his share of all marital assets to her.
Orange County Superior Court (Trial)
Result: Court Awards Wife 1/2 of Husband’s House
An Orange County Family Law judge agreed with Wife’s claim that she was tricked into signing a deed (inter spousal grant deed) in connection with Husband’s purchase of his house (all with his separate property funds). The case was handled by Michele M. Charbonneau and Gregory G. Brown. Wife claimed that husband breached his fiduciary duties to her. As a result, wife was awarded 1/2 of the family residence which otherwise would have been Husband’s separate property.
Orange County Superior Court (Trial)
Result: Court Finds Community Has Minimal Interest in $900K Stocks
Brown & Charbonneau, LLP divorce lawyer prevailed in unique case where date of separation was alleged by husband to be 17 years before trial, while wife maintained the date was much more recent. This resulted in B&C’s client (husband) getting almost all of the $900,000 in stock holdings. The case spanned a multi-day bench trial with complex issues including . . . Continue Reading
Orange County Superior Court (Settlement)
Result: Plaintiff business receives $180,000, attorneys fees and permanent injunction against competitor restaurant
Irvine business litigation attorney Gregory G. Brown again represented the owners of one of Orange County’s most successful restaurateurs against their former partners. The ownership group split up back in December 2012, where each group took 2 of the 4 restaurants – a $4,000,000+ transaction. This was after the other side unsuccessfully tried to take over the chain of restaurants. Shortly after this settlement negotiated by Mr. Brown, the Defendants violated the agreement, including improper use our clients name, likeness and proprietary recipes. Days before trial, the defendants agreed to a court ordered Permanent Injunction, damages and disgorgement of their wrongfully obtained profits. Plaintiffs also recouped all of their attorneys’ fees.
Orange County Superior Court (OSC Hearing)
Result: Court Finds Wife Cannot File Divorce in California
Irvine, CA divorce attorney Eileen M. Solis represented Husband, a Texas resident, to challenge Wife’s divorce action filed in Orange County and to quash the Summons served on Husband. The Court found in favor of Husband. Husband was the Chief Marketing Officer for a company with multiple offices throughout the United States. Wife claimed California was the proper state for the divorce proceeding. . . Continue Reading.
Orange County Superior Court (Trial)
Result: Court finds business is community property
After many weeks of trial in a community property case, an Orange County judge found in favor of B&C’s client ruling that husbands business had, over time, become 94% community property. In this hotly contested trial, defendants had argued that the wildly successful business was husbands separate property.
Orange County Superior Court (Settlement During Trial)
Result: Parties Reach Settlement in Complex Family Law Trial
Irvine family law attorney Michele M. Charbonneau handled this 5 day complex dissolution of marriage bench trial which involved numerous complex legal issues, including: 1) The enforceability of an oral prenuptial agreement and 2) the enforceability of a grant deed from sole title to joint title during marriage. The issue regarding the oral prenuptial agreement was a novel and difficult issue involving several family law statutes and the common law statute of frauds. The case ultimately settled during trial.
Riverside Superior Court (Settlement)
Result: Seven-Figure Settlement in Molestation Case
Irvine, CA trial lawyers Gregory G. Brown, Michele M. Charbonneau and Eileen M. Solis obtained a confidential, seven-figure settlement in a case against a church and its senior pastor for the rape of a minor female parishioner, Jane Doe, by the church’s music minister. The victim was raped in April 2011. In filing suit, Jane Doe alleged sexual battery, false imprisonment, and intentional infliction of emotional distress against the perpetrator. Jane Doe alleged…Continue Reading.
United States District Court (Bench Trial)
Result: Reinstatement of $750,000 in Disability Benefits and Attorney Fees
Irvine trial attorney Gregory G. Brown obtains rare $750,000 federal trial win in a wrongful termination of long-term disability benefits case. On behalf of its client, Brown & Charbonneau, LLP prevailed in bench trial against one of the largest insurance companies, MetLife, in an ERISA case. Judge David O. Carter ordered the reinstatement of Davidson’s benefits and awarded attorney fees and costs to be recovered from MetLife.
Orange County Superior Court (Pre-Filing Settlement)
Result: Six-Figure Settlement in Dispute with Family Members
Brown & Charbonneau, LLP obtained a substantial six-figure confidential settlement in a claim involving wrongful termination, sexual harassment and contract fraud against a celebrity who was related to B&C’s client and was also one of the employers. B&C’s client was a long-time employee who was fired for refusing to have sexual relations with her boss. A relationship had developed, and when the employee refused…Continue Reading.
Los Angeles Superior Court (Settlement)
Result: Seven-Figure Settlement in Church Molestation Case
Irvine trial attorney Gregory G. Brown obtained a confidential 7 figure settlement in molestation case. Brown & Charbonneau, LLP represented a minor child client, who was sexually abused as a minor by Sylvester Laudermill, Jr., a pastor of Ward A.M.E Church (“Ward”), a church belonging to the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Inc. (“AMEC”). Suit was filed against Ward, AMEC and Bishop John Richard Bryant alleging among other things sexual battery, breach of fiduciary duty and negligence in the hiring, supervision and training of pastors…Continue Reading.
