We represent clients in a wide breadth of business tort matters, including the defense of officers and directors, unfair business practices, trade secret misappropriation, fraud, contract violation, and anti-trust violations.
Fraud
Spanos & Gustafson LLP has successfully defended officers and directors in both state and federal courts. Theodore G. Spanos and James D. Gustafson have also defended fraud-based litigation regarding allegedly wrongful insurance practices, payment for order flow in the securities markets, business acquisitions, and alleged lender liability claims. We have also successfully prosecuted a civil action arising from fraud in connection with a major construction project. Mr. Spanos and Mr. Gustafson are experts on all aspects of the law regarding breach of fiduciary duty, and Business and Professions Code Sections 17200 and 17500.
- Fraudulent misrepresentation
- Interference with contractual relations
- Interference with prospective business advantage
- Wrongful insurance practices
Breach of fiduciary Duty
Unfair Competition, Antitrust and Trade Secrets
In today’s competitive environment, protecting proprietary information is often critical to a business’s future success. Mr. Spanos and Mr. Gustafson are experts in Unfair Business Practices and the Consumer Legal Remedies Act. Unfair competition includes “any unlawful, unfair or fraudulent business act or practice and unfair, deceptive, untrue or misleading advertising.” (California Business and Professions Code § 17200) A “trade secret” is a proprietary asset (such as a formula, program, data, device, method, technique, etc.) provides economic value and is not generally known or achievable by others.
The Spanos Law Firm handles complex business litigation involving unfair competition, antitrust and trade secret misappropriation claims. For example, during the California electricity crisis, The Spanos Law Firm was engaged to represent a major energy producer in litigation alleging unfair business practices under California Business and Professions Code Section 17200. The case was dismissed under the filed-rate doctrine and on the grounds of federal preemption. In other cases, The Spanos Law Firm has successfully defended a national petroleum marketer, and a telecommunications manufacturer in predatory pricing litigation.
We aggressively advocate our clients’ interests in State and Federal courts. We represent clients in unfair competition matters and trade secret misappropriation litigation matters involving:
- False advertising
- Unfair marketing practices
- Bait and switch selling tactics
- Unauthorized substitution of goods
- Confidential and protected information taken by former employees, or independent contractors
- Unfair solicitation of customers by a former employee
- Theft of trade secrets
- Breach of a restrictive covenant
- Trade libel
- False representation of products or services
- Disputes between suppliers and customers over sales and pricing issues
- Litigation between manufacturers and franchisees
While we are prepared to litigate complex business disputes, we also provide clients with antitrust advice to help them avoid litigation. Our attorneys regularly counsel clients on various aspects of their sales and marketing practices, and franchise and distribution agreements in an effort to assist them in complying with state and federal antitrust, consumer protection, and trade practice laws.