Managing Partner
Send Greg an email:
greg@scklegal.com
Education
- J.D., Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California, Berkeley, 1994
- A.B., Economics, magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, Dartmouth College, 1991
Bar Admissions
- California
Overview
Greg specializes in complex business litigation, including contracts and business fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and legal malpractice, intellectual property disputes, consumer class actions, real estate disputes, estate and trust litigation, and products liability. He has represented clients in state and federal court trials, appellate hearings, and other complex proceedings, as well as binding arbitrations and mediations.
Prior to forming Shopoff & Cavallo LLP, he practiced with Jeffer, Mangels, Butler & Marmaro, and Sedgwick, Detert, Moran & Arnold from 1994 to 2002.
Representative Cases
- Successfully terminated $4 million testamentary trust (by settlement) where disabled client’s friend had cajoled client’s mother into establishing trust with friend as trustee; successfully challenged no contest clause in the trust.
- Represented gaming consulting company in multiple lawsuits against California Indian tribe for $15 million breach of contract, where primary issue was the tribe’s waiver of its sovereign immunity. (Fresno County Superior Court; U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California; Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal.)
- Successfully settled malpractice action against attorney who misrepresented his fees to the opposing party in litigation, and exposed client to subsequent lawsuit. (Alameda County Superior Court.)
- Won $7.4 million jury verdict in breach of contract action relating to sale and development of mining property, and succeeded in post-judgment collection in face of fraudulent property liens. (Solano County Superior Court; Contra Costa County Superior Court.)
- Successfully settled attorney malpractice action against major national law firm relating to failure to maintain international patents. (San Francisco County Superior Court.)
- Reached substantial settlement after six months of representation of plaintiff in decade-old attorney malpractice action against major California law firm relating to failed trial strategy in environmental contamination case. (San Francisco County Superior Court.)
- Recovered substantial assets on behalf of client defrauded by former friend and financial advisor where all assets were subject to superior and actively enforced $3 million Internal Revenue Service liens. (Marin County Superior Court.)
- Won arbitration against contractor who reduced value of the project by improperly removing grandfathered stairwell whose permitted replacement obscured valuable bay views.
- Successfully settled malpractice claim against estate planner who facilitated client’s mother’s establishment of trust with $4 million in assets controlled by personal friend and attorney.
- Protected copyright, trade secret, and trademark rights of owners against infringement by counseling, negotiation, and litigation.
- Represented San Francisco-based national specialty retailer in series of intellectual property, trade libel, and class actions.
- Recovered damages in action against franchisee for misappropriation of franchisor’s proprietary materials.
- Represented alleged copyright infringers in establishing defenses and opposing damage analysis.
- Obtained injunctions to prevent unfair business practices and copyright infringement.
- Successfully settled employment action against entertainment and sports agency for fraud and wrongful termination. (San Francisco County Superior Court.)
- Assisted franchisee in terminating franchise agreement, continuing independent operations, and defending against franchisor’s claims of infringement and breach.
- Defended chain of auto dealerships in class action for overcharging in service departments; defeated class certification.
- Defended multi-level marketing firm in federal securities class action alleging pyramid marketing scheme.