Sample Victories

Arrow v. McCauley, Heppy, et al.: Defense verdict
(federal trial) (Trials Digest summary – PDF file)

Lanza & Smith successfully defended a $6.5 million lawsuit, on behalf of 3 defendants, pursuant to a unanimous jury trial verdict in federal court. The lawsuit was premised upon federal RICO (Racketeer Influenced & Corrupt Organizations Act) and related business torts.

Harmoni v. Bai, et al: Defense judgment in RICO Suit
(federal motion to dismiss)

Lanza & Smith successfully defeated a federal lawsuit filed by the largest importer of Chinese garlic against Lanza & Smith’s clients: several garlic farmers in the US. The RICO lawsuit was filed by a garlic importer called Harmoni Spice International in federal court in Los Angeles. Due to Lanza & Smith’s efforts, the case was dismissed as to 7 defendants by Judge Beverly O’Connell on a motion to dismiss (later reversed in part on appeal in the Ninth Circuit). Upon return to the trial court in 2020, after appeal, the case was dismissed in its entirety due in part to Lanza & Smith’s work. The circumstances surrounding the lawsuit became the subject of a Netflix documentary called “Rotten” (Episode 3, “Garlic Breath”), which in turn was covered in various news outlets such as: Gilroy Press article. The lawsuit, and Lanza & Smith’s work, were also discussed in two published books: The Garlic Papers – a Small Garlic Farm in the Age of Global Vampires, by Stanley Crawford, and Fallout of U.S. Trade Policy: the Garlic Contradictions, by Robert Theodore Hume.

Fipps v. Western Tax Services: $700,000 result
(class action settlement)

Lanza & Smith negotiated a $700,000 settlement award for a class of 275 victims of accounting fraud scheme by acquiring proceeds seized by federal prosecutors in resolution of 4 separate lawsuits (federal and state).

Kern Delta Water District v. Lopez: Dismissal judgment
(judgment of dismissal)

Lanza & Smith defeated the government’s efforts to condemn a client’s land through an eminent domain lawsuit, including an award for legal fees & costs, pursuant to summary bench trial filings and notice of abandonment, thereby preserving a 77 acre family farm valued at roughly $2.5 million.

Beaudet v. Western Pacific: $700,000 award
(settlement)

Lanza & Smith earned a $700,000 settlement award for several victims in sophisticated real estate non-disclosure, fraud, and unfair competition lawsuit relating to a hazardous waste facility.

Martin v. Arrow Electronics: $1.5 million jury verdict
(federal trial) (Trials Digest summary – PDF file)

Lanza & Smith obtained a $1.5 million jury trial verdict on behalf of its client, plus award for recovery of attorney fees and legal costs, which ultimately resulted in a $1.74 million judgment. It was the second largest federal trial verdict in all of Orange County in 2006, and has been published in multiple jury verdict sheets.

J&L Grace L.P. and McCauslan v. Kennihans, et al.: Defense judgment
(summary judgment)

Lanza & Smith obtained a judgment in favor of its clients (defendants), plus award for recovery of attorney fees, defeating $1.6 million lawsuit in sophisticated real estate litigation premised largely on breach of purchase & sale contracts.

Kesiraju v. 3PL Warehousing & Distribution LLC, Makker, et al.: Dismissal with Prejudice Without any Payment (RICO Dismissal)

Lanza & Smith obtained a dismissal, without payment, for all 7 of the firm’s clients (defendants), in a case where the plaintiff had sought over $1 million in damages. This dismissal resolved business litigation filed under the RICO (Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act. The case, a dispute among competing warehouse and distribution companies, had been litigated both in federal court and superior court in Los Angeles.

Confidential Settlement

In recent years, Lanza & Smith obtained a $1.5 million settlement recovery for it clients in resolution of civil litigation under a confidential settlement.

Confidential Settlement

Lanza & Smith also obtained a $1.35 million settlement recovery for its client, in recent years, in resolution of a business litigation dispute in federal court in the Central District of California, Southern Division (Santa Ana), under a confidential settlement.