Legal Expertise

Civil litigation before state and federal courts with an emphasis in partnership disputes, probate and trust, real estate and general commercial litigation, unfair competition, copyright, trademark, and other business torts. Substantial experience resolving cases through alternative dispute resolution techniques including arbitration, mediation, and reference.

Representative Matters

• Member of the litigation team representing the record company plaintiffs in their copyright infringement actions against Napster, Aimster, KaZaA, Grokster and Morpheus. 
• Member of the trial team that successfully represented the family of Fred Goldman in the wrongful death suit against O.J. Simpson (Mr. Gelblum handled the photographic expert witnesses and all of the punitive damage witnesses and evidence resulting in a punitive damage award of $25 million).
• Successfully defended individual and corporate clients against a $5 million-plus claim for trade secret misappropriation and breach of fiduciary duty that arose when plaintiff's president left plaintiff's employ and joined the corporate defendant.  Jury verdict for our client followed a three week trial in Riverside Superior Court. 
• Obtained a judgment after trial surcharging the Executors of the Estate of Mark Hughes, founder of Herbalife, for breaches of fiduciary duty for their negligent and grossly negligent handling of creditor's claims.
• Successfully defended trust department of national bank against breach of fiduciary duty claims brought by heirs of Burt Lancaster, and recovered all of trust's attorneys' fees from heirs. 
• Lead counsel in a trial regarding the mental capacity of a client resulting in his recovering $15 million in real property.
• Successfully represented a partner in a major west coast resort in a lengthy arbitration seeking over $10 million in partnership distributions. 
• Litigated through appeal a case of first impression in California involving the use of derivative actions by beneficiaries of trusts holding corporate stock. 
• Successfully represented Los Angeles City Ethics Commission in first appellate test of its investigative powers. 
• Through injunction and settlement, successfully halted the "roll-up" of real estate partnerships worth hundreds of millions of dollars. 
• Obtained a jury verdict resulting in distribution to clients of half of estate of Alberto Vargas, creator of the Vargas Girl, consisting of artwork and copyrights valued at over $10 million. 
• Obtained jury verdict of almost $2 million, including punitive damages, for commercial tenant against landlord who had failed to allow tenant to open nightclub.