HON. JAMES A. STEELE (RET.)

LOS ANGELES SUPERIOR COURT, JUDGE (RET.)

HON JAMES A. STEELE

Breach of Contract & Commercial 

Dispute involving upscale resort’s termination of long term contract with provider of linen (bed linens, towels, employee uniforms) due to alleged failure to adhere to industry standards and claim by linen provider of substantial liquidated damages based on unexpired term of contract.

Dispute involving claim that TV/film producer/actor breached employee’s written consulting contract for services as dialectician.  Contract had been entered into incident to immigration requirements to permit employee to enter country.  Employee further claimed he was required to perform unrelated domestic work for which employee contended his employer engaged in various violations of wage and hour laws.

Dispute involving breach of contract and common counts re sales of large-scale manufacturing equipment. 

Dispute between health insurance broker and former employees of brokerage who formed competing enterprise regarding claims of misappropriation of customer lists.

Dispute involving secured lender’s claim against medical professionals for breach of contract for non-payment of medical equipment leases and corresponding claims of medical professionals as to alleged breaches of implied warranties including unfitness of equipment for uses intended, etc.

Dispute between car rental company and automobile mechanical servicing company which performed allegedly unnecessary repairs and otherwise billed for work never performed on car rental fleet.

Dispute between forensic accounting firm and party, as well as party’s counsel who had retained accounting firm, arising out of non-payment for significant pre-trial and trial services in connection with dissolution of marriage matter.

Dispute involving purported loans of over $500,000 made on oral agreement of the parties.  Borrower asserted the monies were not loans but were instead for joint business dealings in investments which were ultimately proven unsuccessful.

Dispute involving breach of a long-term real property lease for commercial auto body shop and action on guaranty against principals of tenant corporation. 

Dispute between and among a California corporation and various foreign entities pertaining to the development, distribution and sale of certain plastics products in home improvement stores throughout the U.S.   Plaintiff claimed it had been instrumental in developing the product for the subject application within the U.S., had developed the business including the market for the product but through conspiracy and collusion between and among the foreign entities and its principals the parties had usurped Plaintiff’s business and opportunities.  The matter also involved a claim for money owed on sales of product distributed by the California corporation.

Dispute between established East coast corporation and California start up corporation each competing against the other in a defined market pertaining to the manufacture and sale of certain industrial products.  Established corporation alleged that start up had misappropriated trade secrets, improperly interfered with established corporation’s product sales/marketing representatives’ relationships and otherwise engaged in unfair trade practices associated with entry into the market.  Start up corporation alleged that established corporation initiated litigation in an effort to prevent entry into the market, disparaged start up corporation and its principals and sought to improperly interfere with start up’s contractual arrangements with its newly engaged network of product sales/marketing representatives.

Dispute between retail customer of high-end luxury vehicle and dealer as well as manufacturer alleging defects in the air conditioning, alarm and suspension systems of vehicle.  Plaintiff further alleged various oral representations by the sales management personnel that the vehicle was in "perfect condition.”   Causes of action including Song-Beverly and other claims.

Dispute involving the sale of an ethnic supermarket and a carry-back loan extended by seller, allegedly materially defaulted upon by buyer and seller/lender’s subsequent efforts to reassume possession of the business and premises. 

Dispute between initial and successor attorney over allocation of attorneys’ fees following settlement of catastrophic personal injury suit.

Dispute involving secured lease of resort’s fitness equipment to a tenant who later failed to pay rent on the premises and ultimately lost possession.  Landlord notified former tenant that equipment would be sold at a public sheriff’s auction.

Dispute focused on priority of security interest and issues re alleged defects in perfection of secured lessor’s interest.

Dispute involving alleged reciprocal breaches of contract in connection with parties' agreement to develop and build multiple solar power projects for Canadian public entity. 

Dispute involving alleged breach of contract, securities violations, fraud and financial elder abuse in connection with investors’ participation in allegedly speculative investment program.

Dispute involving claim by assignee of majority interest in real estate secured construction loan made by over 20 participating non-institutional lenders as well as claims against personal guarantors on the loan.

Dispute between owners involved in corporate dissolution of entity engaged in business of ATM machines, transfer of pending accounts, cash balances and business records.

Dispute between plastic surgeon and friend of surgeon who allegedly guaranteed payment for friend’s then-fiancée.

Dispute involving corporation engaged in executive placement services and former corporate employees who allegedly set up competing enterprise while still employed by corporation, alleged misappropriation of customer contact lists and other information and materials claimed by corporation to be confidential and proprietary.

Dispute involving claim by on-line seller of entertainment event tickets that venue, which had exclusively engaged on-line seller, sold tickets to multiple events outside of agreement terms thereby denying on-line seller of substantial ticket revenue for such events.

Dispute involving claim by automobile finance company flooring and financing dealer’s inventory was left with non-recourse, uncollectable paper through dealership’s allegedly fraudulent practice of claiming customers, who had defaulted at inception of the transactions, defaulted only after non-recourse period had commenced.

Dispute involving claim by financing entity purchasing lease rights/income stream from computer equipment/software vendor against medical clinic pursuant to “hell or high water” payment provisions notwithstanding alleged breaches of warranties of fitness for a particular purpose, etc. by vendor.  Dispute included various indemnity and contribution cross-claims.

Dispute involving claims for fraud and misrepresentation by students at a vocational school alleging the school’s advertising and personnel led them to believe that they would be qualified and eligible to work within a specified technical field and claiming a certain average starting salary of graduates from the program.  Plaintiffs alleged that the specific technical field required certain specialized training and a specific certification they could not receive given the school’s curriculum and that due to their inability to obtain the necessary licensing and certification they could never qualify for the jobs paying the amounts represented.

Dispute involving a complaint against manufacturer of high-end luxury vehicles for various alleged non-conformities and defects pertaining to Plaintiff’s vehicle.

Dispute involving claims against the maker of a documentary film about a former beauty queen alleging common law and commercial misappropriation of likeness, defamation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.   Plaintiff alleged the documentary was based on falsehoods under the guise of revealing the truth about an incident that happened in which she was alleged to have essentially enslaved a man with whom she had been involved for sexual purposes.

Dispute between trucker and trucking company on the one hand and insurance agent/broker on the other, arising out of theft of valuable cargo and insurance policy requirement requiring trucker to never leave loaded truck and trailer unattended.

Dispute involving claim between private, non-profit, “no-kill” cat shelter and individual arising out of shelter’s refusal to return cats to individual and her publication of false and defamatory statements that shelter had tortured, experimented on, and murdered cats resulting in very significant drop-off in shelter’s charitable contributions.

​Dispute involving alleged victims of scheme involving life settlement policies whereby numerous investors bought interests therein however insufficient resources resulted in significant losses.  Insureds also alleged lost opportunities in that once their policies were canceled for non-payment, they were unable to reinstate any such coverage.  Additional disputes involved corporate shareholders who alleged controlling director/officer usurped opportunities and pocketed proceeds from various transactions.  Matter had been pending in 5 related actions in both probate and civil courts.

​Dispute regarding sale of entire residential/commercial electrical subcontracting business (including pending work, equipment, tools and goodwill).  Buyer ceased making payments based on alleged breaches by Seller in not adequately working during transition period, not timely surrendering phone numbers or client lists, in continuing to work in competition with the Buyer and in intercepting payments due Buyer claiming payments pertained to prior, pre-sale work.