Business and Commercial Litigation Practice Areas

Reiser Law is a litigation firm with offices in the San Francisco Bay Area and on Brickell Avenue in Miami. We represent individuals, founders, businesses, investors, property owners, and community associations in California and Florida state courts, in federal courts nationwide, and in arbitration.

Business and Commercial Litigation

When a business dispute threatens revenue, control of a company, or a major asset, the outcome turns on preparation and trial credibility. We litigate commercial disputes from pre-suit strategy through trial, arbitration, and appeal, for plaintiffs and defendants alike.

Breach of contract and business tort claims
Fraud, misrepresentation, and concealment
Unfair competition claims under California Business and Professions Code section 17200 and the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act
Arbitration, including petitions to compel, confirm, or vacate arbitration awards
Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) claims

HOA, Condominium, and Condo-Hotel Litigation

Community associations control budgets, reserves, rental programs, and access to shared property. When boards, master associations, developers, or hotel operators overreach, owners and associations need litigators who understand how these structures work. We have represented condominium and condo-hotel purchasers at Hard Rock Hotel San Diego, Westin Verasa Napa, and the Ritz-Carlton Residences San Francisco.

Master association and sub-association disputes over assessments and cost allocation
Director fiduciary duty claims and books-and-records enforcement under California's Davis-Stirling Act and Florida's condominium and homeowners' association statutes
Construction-defect settlement proceeds and reserve accounting
Hotel rental-program and management-agreement disputes
Receiverships and injunctive relief

Real Estate, Easement, and Co-Ownership Litigation

Property rights often rest on a deed recorded decades ago. We litigate disputes over what owners bought and what they are entitled to use.

Easement and access rights, including rights to use subdivision amenities
CC&R enforcement
Co-ownership and fractional ownership disputes
Lis pendens, quiet title, and partition
Purchase contract rescission, including claims under the Interstate Land Sales Full Disclosure Act

Class Actions

Reiser Law has served as class counsel and co-lead counsel in state and federal class actions involving hotel-condominium sales, fractional interests, and insurance products, including Beaver v. Tarsadia Hotels in the Southern District of California, which resolved with a $51 million settlement for Hard Rock Hotel San Diego condominium purchasers. We also work with other firms as co-counsel.

Related reading: What to do after you receive a class action notice. See also our representative cases.

Investor Fraud, Ponzi Scheme, and Auditor Liability

When a fund collapses, the fraudster is rarely the only source of recovery. Auditors, valuation firms, administrators, and banks may be liable for failing to do their jobs. We represented more than 150 investors in claims against EisnerAmper LLP and Duff & Phelps, LLC arising from the Direct Lending Investments Ponzi scheme; both matters resolved by confidential settlement. We also handle cryptocurrency fraud and securities claims.

Related reading: Recovering losses after a Ponzi scheme. See also our representative cases.

Partnership, Shareholder, Founder, and Fiduciary Duty Disputes

When co-founders, partners, or co-owners fall out, control of the company and the value of each owner's stake are on the line. We represent founders, partners, minority and majority owners, investors, and companies in these disputes, including:

Breach of partnership, operating, and shareholder agreements
Breach of fiduciary duty, self-dealing, and diverted opportunities
Founder equity, vesting, removal, and buyouts
Withheld distributions and books-and-records access
Dissolution and valuation disputes
Arbitration of these claims, including petitions to compel, confirm, or vacate awards

Related reading: Minority shareholder rights in California. More on this practice: partnership, LLC and shareholder disputes in California.

Timeshare and Fractional Interest Litigation

We represent fractional and destination-club owners against developers and operators whose conduct devalues their interests, including more than 300 members in the Ritz-Carlton Destination Club litigation and the Hyatt Grand Aspen owners' association in G.A. Resort Condominium Association v. ILG in the District of Colorado.

See our representative cases for timeshare and fractional interest matters.

Discovery in Aid of Foreign Proceedings (28 U.S.C. § 1782)

Section 1782 allows an interested person to ask a U.S. federal court to order discovery from a person who resides or is found in the district, for use in a proceeding before a foreign or international tribunal. We prepare and litigate section 1782 applications for clients involved in proceedings abroad. See Section 1782 discovery in Miami.

To discuss a dispute, call (925) 256-0400 (San Francisco Bay Area) or (305) 726-2003 (Miami), or contact us. See our representative cases.

Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Each matter depends on its own facts and law.