Securities & Consumer Fraud Lawyer

Investment Disputes

The Mauriello Law Firm represents investors in investment and securities disputes with brokerage firms, investments advisors, securities issuers, and others, often in FINRA arbitration. The issues include unsuitable investments, misrepresentations, breach of fiduciary duty, churning, negligence, and other issues.

These cases often involve complex and nuanced legal and securities issues. This is a specialized area. You should consult with a qualified lawyer who can provide an unbiased case assessment, discuss the legal process, and help determine your best course of action.

Contracts

Mr. Mauriello has extensive experience in drafting and negotiation of contracts, and litigation of contract disputes.

Business Litigation and Arbitration

Mr. Mauriello has heavy experience in contract, consumer, and investment disputes and other commercial litigation, including demands, negotiations, court hearing and trials and arbitrations, in state and federal courts throughout California.

Consumer Class Actions

The class action lawsuit is a mechanism to “level the playing field.” Class action lawsuits allow a group of individuals to band together and assert their rights against corporations or other entities, where an individual plaintiff’s injuries may not be sufficiently large to allow a lawsuit to be filed economically on his or her behalf. By combining with numerous other injured parties, that client’s claims may be economically and efficiently presented to the courts.

If you believe you may have a case that is suitable for treatment as a class action, please call us for a free initial consultation.

Whistleblower and False Claims Act (“Qui Tam”)

Originally enacted in 1863, the federal False Claim Act (also called the “Lincoln Law”) imposes liability on people or companies who defraud the federal government. It was originally enacted to combat the rampant problem of “war profiteering” during the Civil War. It remains as relevant today, although the uses of the statute have adapted to the expanded and complex aspects of modern government programs and new methods of fraudsters to take advantage of them.

Fraud on the government is theft on all taxpayers. If you are a whistleblower who has been employed by or otherwise has personal knowledge of a company that has defrauded the government, contact the Mauriello Law Firm to discuss whether you have a meritorious False Claims Act case. We would be pleased to discuss your potential case, confidentially and without obligation.

Administrative Law

Our federal, state and local governments contain a plethora of administrative agencies dedicated to regulating and permitting in the areas of professional licenses, health, safety, transportation, conservation, land use, safety, and many other areas. “Administrative law” is the law, processes, and procedures that govern administrative agencies and the persons and entities that they regulate.

These administrative agencies are an arm of the executive branches of our governments. They license, regulate, rule-make, and in general have a large measure of control over our lives. The administrative process is different than the court process, with specific rules and processes that apply to those proceedings.

Perhaps you have had a professional or vocational license suspended, revoked, or denied. Perhaps you have had a project approval denied. Perhaps a government agency has adopted regulations that are unfair or unlawful.

The Mauriello Law Firm is here to help. We offer a free no obligation consultation to discuss your legal matter and determine how e can best assist you.

Appeals

Trial judges and juries sometime just get it wrong. When you have an unfavorable trial court decision or jury verdict, that matter may be reviewable by appealing the decision to a higher court.

It’s important to have an attorney who understands the appellate process. It is also important to have an attorney with the judgment and legal abilities to spot winning issues on appeal.

Mr. Mauriello has handled many dozens of writs and appeals in California appellate courts in federal courts as well as states courts in San Diego, Orange, Riverside and San Francisco Counties. These appeals have involved business disputes, governmental issues, “SLAPP” suits, criminal matters, and environmental issues. His work in these appeals has involved reviewing trial court records, researching and drafting appellate briefs, and oral argument.

Mr. Mauriello also worked for a federal appeals court judge as a judicial clerk after law school and prior to law practice. This experience provided him the opportunity to review appellate briefs, conduct in depth legal research, draft legal opinions, discuss appellate issues with the judge, and listen to good (and sometimes not good) attorneys argue their appeals.

If you are considering appealing your case, it is critically important that you contact an attorney as soon as possible. There are short time deadlines in which you must file your notice of appeal. There are also deadlines for filing your appellate briefs.

The first thing an appeals attorney will want to review is a court opinion or the jury verdict being appealed from. Do not be surprised if the attorney also wants to speak with your trial counsel. You should welcome this, as it is often very helpful in allowing counsel to ascertain the strongest issues on appeal and the best appellate strategy.

Contact the Mauriello Law Firm to learn more about your rights and to discuss your appeal.

Environmental and Land Use Litigation

Environmental, planning, and zoning issues are governed by a host of Federal, State and local agencies and a patchwork of laws and regulations. The Mauriello Law Firm has successfully advised clients, as well as litigated with respect to, environmental and land use cases in state and federal courts and administrative agencies throughout California.

In addition to appearing before state and federal courts throughout California, he has appeared before the following agencies, among others: California Coastal Commission, San Diego City Council, San Diego Planning Commission, Oakland Planning Commission, California Air Resources Board, Huntington Beach Planning Commission, San Clemente Planning Commission, and San Clemente City Council.

He has litigated or advocated issues under federal statutes including the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”), Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, Federal Highways Act, and Administrative Procedure Act; various California statutes, incl. California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”), California Endangered Species Act, Planning and Zoning Law, Integrated Waste Management Act, and Air Toxic Hotspots Act; and California common law claims such as public trust doctrine, nuisance, trespass, and boundary issues.

His experience includes processing applications, providing comments and testimony before administrative agencies, developing the administrative record, arguing administrative appeals, litigating cases in the trial courts, and appellate court review

If you have an environmental or land use issue, please contact The Mauriello Law Firm.

Commercial Real Estate Transactions

Mr. Mauriello has represented sellers, purchasers, and borrowers in hundreds of commercial real estate transactions (purchases, sales, refinancings and loan defeasances) involving office buildings, apartments and other commercial properties in California, Texas, Colorado, Missouri, North Carolina, Florida, Arizona, Louisiana, Georgia, and other States.

Mr. Mauriello’s commercial real estate work has included formation/qualification of special purpose entities, preparation of organizational documents, negotiation and drafting of purchase and sale agreements, review and negotiation of loan documents, 1031 exchanges, complex loan defeasances, legal opinions, and various permitting and closing issues.

Please contact us to see if we can help you navigate your real estate transaction to a successful and productive resolution.

The Mauriello Law Firm is here to assist you in times of need. We offer a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your legal matters, in confidence, and to provide a candid assessment of your legal claims and issues.