Author: Dan Zohar

ZLF client Molded Devices, Inc. (MDI) was sued by an investment banker in Orange County, California, claiming that MDI owed over $800,000 in merger and acquisition transaction fees.  Daniel Y. Zohar argued that the contract in question did not provide for such fees, and the jury agreed with him, awarding only nominal damages to the investment banker. 

In a hard-fought battle against one of Los Angeles’ largest law firms, a three week jury trial over $105 Million in real estate ended with a verdict in favor of Zohar Law Firm clients, Tal Hassid, Avraham Hassid, Alona Hassid, and ETO Doors Corporation.  

The gist of the case centered on claims by the Plaintiff that he was a 25% business partner with the Hassids and was entitled to 25% of various business and real estate holdings.  The jury disagreed and awarded him nothing.  Zohar counter-sued the Plaintiff and obtained a jury verdict finding that Plaintiff had committed fraud and must therefore pay compensatory and punitive damages, as well as attorneys’ fees.  

Todd Foreman and Daniel Zohar once again led the efforts to prevent illegal statewide rate hikes. This time, the culprit was State Farm – the largest insurance company in California and the United States. After litigating what is believed to be the longest rate hearing in the history of the California Department of Insurance, the Zohar Law firm secured yet another victory, saving consumers over $250 Million in annual homeowner’s insurance premiums, which included an order for over $100 Million in refunds to be given to over 1.7 million policy holders.

The Zohar Law Firm is representing, in Orange County Superior Court, the principals of one of Nevada’s most prominent real estate development companies against Pacific Western Bank.  In 2007, ZLF’s clients had entered into several loan transactions with PWB for a total of $45 million.  The case concerns whether the loans arose out of illegal lending practices, including violations of the “anti-tying” provisions of 12 U.S.C. Section 1972.

(THE FOLLOWING IS A PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE.  THE ORDER ISSUED BY THE COMMISSIONER ADOPTED A DECISION BY AN ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE AFTER WEEKS OF EVIDENTIARY HEARINGS.   DANIEL Y. ZOHAR PRESENTED THE CASE ON BEHALF OF THE SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND POLICYHOLDERS WITH MERCURY, AND THE DECISION AND ORDER LARGELY ADOPTED THE FACTUAL AND LEGAL CONTENTIONS ARGUED BY ZOHAR, SAVING CONSUMERS MILLIONS OF DOLLARS PER YEAR IN REDUCED PREMIUMS.)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, May 8, 2013 (#037)

SACRAMENTO – The Sacramento Superior Court has denied Mercury Casualty Company’s petition for a stay to delay implementation of Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones’ order directing Mercury Casualty to reduce its excessive homeowner insurance rates.

“This is a significant legal victory in our fight to ensure insurance rates are not excessive,” said Commissioner Jones. “The 8.18 percent rate reduction in my original order provides much-needed financial relief for homeowners and helps consumers keep more of their hard-earned dollars in today’s tight economy.”

This most recent court order is the latest event in an ongoing legal effort by Mercury Casualty to challenge the insurance commissioner’s authority to regulate rates. Mercury Casualty originally requested a rate increase of 3.91 percent in its rate application, but amended that to a 7.35 percent increase during the administrative law judge’s hearing on Mercury’s homeowner rate application.

Commissioner Jones ordered Mercury to reduce its maximum homeowners’ rates, approving a decision recommended to him by an administrative law judge following an extensive public hearing on Mercury’s original request for a rate increase. The reduced rates will benefit approximately 270,000 homeowners in California and save Mercury’s California customers more than $16.5 million.

“We vigorously opposed Mercury’s effort to deny consumers the benefit of a rate reduction while Mercury continues its meritless effort to challenge the insurance commissioner’s established authority to reject excessive rate hikes,” said Commissioner Jones. “The Court made the right decision in rejecting Mercury’s petition to stay the rate reduction. We will continue to fight against Mercury and the insurance industry associations’ efforts to challenge the long settled consumer protections in Proposition 103.”

Daniel Y. Zohar is currently representing. Surgical Solutions, LLC. in a trade secrets dispute with a competitor. Surgical Solutions,LLC has developed and owns the rights to various devices used in orthopedic surgery.

The Zohar Law Firm is currently representing Angelica Textiles, Inc. of St. Louis, MO in cross claims with one of its former suppliers. On October 21, 2013, U.S. District Court Judge Fernando M. Olguin granted summary judgment in favor of Angelica on all of the major claims.  ZLF is currently seeking the recovery of Angelica’s fees and costs.

$250 Million victory on behalf of California Allstate customers after Zohar proves auto insurance rates to be excessive. See press release

Allstate must lower statewide homeowner’s insurance rates by $255 Million. See press release

Allstate settles with California insurance commissioner on homeowners’ coverage. Read article

Article by Daniel Y. Zohar: Finding liability arising out of business dealings in the absence of a contract. Without a written contract, a business litigator must look for other claims; promissory fraud and/or breach of fiduciary duty can be fertile ground to build a case for fraud in many business deals. Read article

FTCR and Its Attorney Daniel Y. Zohar Instrumental in Compelling a Hearing against Allstate Insurance Company to Determine If Allstate Must Refund More Than $300 Million in Premiums to California Policy Holders.

Zohar seeks $305 million reduction by Allstate on all California auto policies.

Consumer Watchdog: Nation’s First Challenge to Medical Malpractice Insurance Rate Hike Saves CA Doctors $23 Million. Read news release

Consumer Watchdog: FTCR Stops ’04 Medical Malpractice Rate Hike By CA’s 2nd Largest Insurer, Saving Doctors $11 Million. Read original news release

Zohar Persuades Insurance Commissioner to Order Allstate to Lower Rates by 15.9% Under Prop. 103. Read the Consumer Watchdog Press Release

Letter to the Editor by Daniel Y. Zohar about One-sided coverage: Madison County Record

POLICYHOLDER ADVOCATE : A Case Study: California Insurance Regulation, Not Caps, Successfully Lowered Malpractice Rates. Read the Article

After successful challenge by Zohar, Allstate agrees, just prior to trial, to pull Your Choice Auto from California market; 150,000 consumers affected. See press release

The Zohar Law Firm was retained to represent Emmaus Life Sciences, Inc., a pharmaceutical company currently in clinical trials for a potential cure for sickle cell disease, in a dispute with financial consultant AFH Holding & Advisory over Emmaus’ Initial Public Offering, which was supposed to take place in 2011. Emmaus sued for fraud and breach of contract, among other things. On May 15, 2013, the Delaware Superior Court granted summary judgment in favor of ZLF’s client, Emmaus.

Read the Opinion »

Street artists sue AEG in dispute over lost artwork in penthouse: Read the Los Angeles Times Coverage