The Law Office of Eric-Douglas Johnson endeavors to provide the highest quality of legal services in a timely fashion.  We assist individuals and small to mid-sized businesses with legal transactions and dispute resolution principally in matters of real estate, bankruptcy, intellectual property, civil litigation and business formation.

Nestled in the vibrant, centrally located community of Culver City - convenient to Downtown, LAX and the Westside - our office has ready access to courts throughout Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside Counties.

Real Estate Litigation

Our attorneys specialize in the litigation of matters of zoning, conveyancing, eminent domain, trespass and nuisance.  Unlawful foreclosure and detainer are among the types of cases we most frequently handle.

Unlawful Foreclosure

Unlawful foreclosure is approaching near-epidemic proportions in California.  A deed of trust, which secures the underlying mortgage note with the subject property, almost invariably contains a provision granting the beneficiary (or lender)  the power to sell, by and through the trustee, the property at a  private (i.e., nonjudicial) sale in the event the loan goes into default.  Lenders anxious to jettison delinquent burrowers often fail to observe all the statutory requirements of foreclosure, causing burrowers with the means to bring their mortgage loans current to lose their homes because, among other reasons, they did not receive proper notice of the sale.      

Our office represents individuals who have lost their homes to unlawful foreclosure.  We are skilled at identifying defects in the foreclosure process and moving quickly to to set aside the sale and secure monetary damages for the injured burrower. 

Unlawful Detainer (Eviction)

The masses of renters in Los Angeles' grossly overpriced real estate market have generated an overwhelming demand for attorneys expert in matters of unlawful detainer.  An action for unlawful detainer, or eviction, is brought against a tenant who has unjustifiably retained possession of real property.  In the interests of removing the holdover tenant at the earliest possible date, the Superior Court of California has instituted a procedure for accelerated adjudication of eviction cases, pursuant to which the defendant-tenant typically has 5 days, instead of the usual 30, to reply to the complaint, and the matter is disposed of usually within 45 days.

Our firm represents both landlords and tenants in commercial and residential evictions.  To expedite the process of retaining our services, kindly fill out our Unlawful Detainer Questionnaire and fax it to our office at 310.215.0208.

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Real Estate Transactions

In addition to real estate litigation, our firm represents real estate buyers, sellers and developers in transactional matters of contract, estate planning, taxation, land use, financing, zoning and conveyancing.  We work closely with a team of allied real estate professionals, including accountants, realtors, lenders, contractors and title companies, to ensure that all the bases have been covered and that the deal goes through to the client's satisfaction.    

Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy is initiated by an insolvent individual or business (termed a voluntary bankruptcy) or by creditors (termed an involuntary bankruptcy).  It exists for the purpose of (1) distributing the debtor's remaining assets among the creditors and discharging the debtor from any further obligation or  (2) reorganizing the insolvent's debt structure.  Our firm represents clients principally in Chapter 7 (liquidation of assets to pay off creditors and the discharge of debtor from remaining debts) and Chapter 13 (repayment of a fraction of the total debt over 3 to 5 years and the discharge of residual debt at the expiration of the repayment period) cases in the Central District of California.  We have had considerable success challenging creditor claims in adversarial proceedings within the bankruptcy court.    

Business Formation, Planning and Litigation

Concerns about taxation, personal liability, management, planned growth and financing will determine the type of business entity one adopts.  Our attorneys advise in the selection of the appropriate template (e.g., sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation or limited liability company) and the adoption of an effective business plan.  On the litigation side, we prosecute a wide range of business torts and contract claims, including the post-trial enforcement of judgments via garnishment, writ or lien. 

Intellectual Property

In addition to selecting the appropriate corporate entity, a successful company must take steps to protect its ideas, trade secrets, slogans, creative works, goodwill and other intangible assets that comprise its intellectual property portfolio.  Our attorneys assist in the protection of copyrights, trademarks, patents, ideas, publicity rights and trade secrets through the creation of licensing agreements and the aggressive prosecution of infringing behavior in state and federal courts.