Laura Petrie

Laura Petrie is Senior Counsel on the firm's Litigation team.

Laura's practice specializes in civil litigation consisting of trials and arbitrations of business, commercial, and real estate matters. She has over 25 years of courtroom experience.

Laura has represented numerous nationally recognized companies and institutions as well as individuals in complex commercial business litigation and real estate matters. She has successfully represented clients in matters involving claims of breach of contract, disputes between members/shareholders/partners, corporate governance disputes, unfair business practices, commercial and real estate fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty by managers and directors, tortious interference and business, alter ego claims, and trade secret misappropriation.

In the real estate arena, she has over 25 years of experience representing secured and unsecured lenders and real estate finance litigation companies in preserving and protecting collateral, loan origination fraud, construction lending disputes, and obtaining pre-judgment provisional remedies for clients such as writs of attachment, writs of possession, and appointment of receiver.

Laura has represented clients in cases throughout the United States, including state and federal courts of Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Connecticut, Florida, and Iowa.

Clients and counsel have commented that she is innovative and relentless in readying cases for trial, but whenever possible, she exhibits a pragmatism to reach resolution short of trial.

Laura is admitted to practice in California since 1996 as well as:

• U.S. District Court for Central District of California
• U.S. District Court for Southern District of California
• U.S. District Court for Eastern District of California
• U.S. District Court for Northern District of California

She obtained her Jurisprudence degree from Southwestern University of Law where she received the Dean's Outstanding Achievement Award and Moot Court Oralist Award. Laura was also a visiting student at the University of Houston Law Center in the advanced LLM degree program in Texas focusing her coursework on partnership taxation and pass-thru entities.

Complex Commercial and Business Litigation

Defense of several doctors induced to sign loan agreements as part of a fraudulent Ponzi scheme against $15 million breach of guaranty claims by equipment finance lender.

Prosecuted and defended fraudulent transfer actions  

Fraud and breach of fiduciary duty representing minority member of LLC in a dispute over misappropriation of funds and self-dealing by managers/members

Corporate governance dispute between deadlocked members of LLC and shareholders of corporation

Litigation to remove director of corporation and petition for appointment of a provisional director

Defended independent insurance agents in fraud/breach of contract action by insurer relating to chargeback of commissions

Represented appliance manufacturer in dispute with warehouse company holding inventory and assertion warehouseman’s lien

Amended judgment to add additional debtors to $5 million judgment based upon alter ego reverse veil piercing

Defended promoter against tenant in common owners’ claims of breach of fiduciary duty and promoter liability

Represented companies making Code of Civil Procedure §496 claims for receiving stolen property in civil matters.

Real Estate and Finance

Represented REITS and developers with regard to easement disputes

Foreclosure of mechanic’s lien held by solar energy company

Represented contractors in workmanship/failure to pay disputes

Real estates disputes involving seller’s failure to disclose and buyer’s remedies

Appointment of receiver for contaminated commercial properties, and actions against borrowers for failure to maintain real estate and for waste

Defense of lenders in wrongful foreclosure actions

Prosecuted real estate fraud actions involving loan origination fraud and fraudulent recording of false deeds of trust, forged purchase and sale agreements

Represented landowners and lenders in quiet title and slander of title actions

Represented investors in action against promoter of commercial real estate developments

Represented warehouse lender in breach of warehouse loan agreements

Represented lender in hundreds of breach of loan purchase agreement and demands for repurchase

Represented lenders in obtaining hundreds of pre-judgment writs of attachment against loan guarantors

Appellate Work

Represented finance company in reversal of judgment awarding punitive damages

Represented lender in affirming summary judgment on appeal defeating sham guaranty defense

Represented lender in affirming judgment after trial defeating wrongful foreclosure

Represented Receiver in reversing judgment against receiver denying receiver’s fees

Represented lender in affirming summary judgment with regard to third party lien rights

Represented lender in affirming judgment of rescission of sale of contaminated property

Represented lender reversing award of attorney fees

Professional Affiliations

Orange County Bar Association-Business Litigation and Real Estate Law sections

Association of Business Trial Lawyers

Community Affiliations

Levi’s Legacy supporting water safety for children to prevent drowning

Auggie’s Quest supporting research of ALS