Daniel Alberstone co-chairs the firm’s Real Estate, Project Finance and Construction Litigation Group. He has many years of experience prosecuting and defending major commercial and complex business litigation matters. He has represented both institutional and individual clients in a wide variety of disputes, including General Electric Capital Corporation, American Skiing Company, J.E. Robert Companies, Ocwen Federal Bank, Albion Pacific Property Resources, Bayview Financial, Screen Actors Guild and Highland Capital.
- Successfully defended Screen Actors Guild in the early stages of an action brought by the union’s president and three board members against the union and 41 other members of its national board. The members had voted to oust the union’s executive director and chief negotiator in order to prevent a newly appointed task force from taking over negotiations for a contract between the union and the major Hollywood studios. The court denied the plaintiffs’ application for a temporary restraining order that would have derailed negotiations.
- Successfully arbitrated a multimillion-dollar breach-of-contract case on behalf of a major real estate developer and property manager, owner of the Edison, the popular downtown Los Angeles bar and lounge located in the basement of the historic Higgins Building. The respondents were two entities controlled by real estate developer Barry Shy which the arbitrator found had breached an agreement in connection with the sale of the building. The arbitrator awarded in excess of $8 million, which included all attorneys’ fees incurred, rejecting the respondents’ challenges to our fees.
- Successfully prosecuted case on behalf of American Skiing Company, owner of the Canyons, a ski resort in Park City, Utah, in an action to compel its landlord to consent to an assignment of ground lease to a subsidiary of Talisker Corporation in a $123 million transaction. This represented one of the largest deals in Park City history, overcoming challenges by Vail Resorts and other interested parties.
- Successfully defended the Estate of Johnathan Ritter in an action brought to compel specific performance of a contract to purchase three citrus ranches owned by the estate. At trial, the court found in favor of the estate on all causes of action.
- Successfully defended a major metals recycling company in a partnership dispute in which a former partner was seeking millions of dollars in profits from the company. The arbitrator found in favor of the firm’s client on all causes of action and awarded all attorney fees incurred in defending the action.
- Successfully prosecuted a multimillion-dollar arbitration on behalf of a major real estate developer in connection with the purchase and sale of an historic bank building in downtown Los Angeles. The arbitrator awarded more than $14 million in compensatory damages and attorney fees.
- Represented court appointed receiver in a number of civil actions brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission involving Ponzi schemes
- Obtained complete defense verdict at jury trial on behalf of client, Ocwen Federal Bank, in defeating borrower’s claims of fraud and wrongful foreclosure
- Represented numerous lenders in judicial foreclosure and receivership actions involving various commercial properties located throughout California
- Faculty, Taking and Defending Depositions 2010, Practising Law Institute (June 2010)
- Los Angeles County Bar Association
- Association of Business Trial Lawyers
- Century City Bar Association
- Financial Lawyers Conference
- California Bankers Association
- Southern California Tennis Association, Junior Tennis Council
- Admitted to practice in California
- Southwestern University School of Law, Juris Doctor, 1982
- University of California, Los Angeles, Bachelor of Arts, Economics, 1979