By: R. Sebastian Gibson, Attorney At Law

It is January 21, 2008, and not only is the word ARecession@ being used more and more frequently by analysts, we are now starting to also hear the word ADepression@ as a possible outcome of this economic crisis facing the United States and possibly the rest of the world.

As this article is being written, the stock markets around the world have started to fall more precipitously with most of the markets in Europe, Asia, China, Latin America and Canada falling from 5% to 8% overnight. U.S. markets are expected to fall over 500 points when the U.S. markets open again for business on the Tuesday following the Martin Luther King holiday. (more…)

Construction defect lawsuits in California are usually brought as a result of the negligence or incompetence of a builder or other workmen employed in the construction industry.
A home with a construction defect can suffer from problems in the foundation, water intrusion and/or resultant toxic mold, paint, stucco or any number of other construction problems. (more…)

Advertising law cases in California can be filed under a multitude of different causes of action. This article seeks to discuss just some of the ways in which advertising cases can be filed, and the type of cases which, to a large extent, have not yet been pursued as fully as one would expect. (more…)

Antitrust law in the United States and in California includes laws which prohibit altogether and regulate actions which can constitute, among other things, price fixing, monopolization, exclusionary practices, tying agreements, vertical restraints, group boycotts, and agreements among competitors to divide up markets geographically.
The purpose of this article is not to discuss either the laws in general or the governmental enforcement agencies which enforce the laws, but rather certain types of cases which offer opportunities to clients in California to use these laws to protect themselves against such practices by their competitors. (more…)

You are required as a matter of law in the State of California to maintain liability insurance with limits of no less than $15,000/$30,000 if you are operating your motor vehicle on public roadways. Your failure to maintain liability insurance could not only impact your ability to register your vehicle with the Department of Motor Vehicles, it could subject you to significant monetary fines in the event your are cited for driving without insurance. An additional, little known consequence of driving without liability insurance is that you forgo your right to pursue damages for pain and suffering in the event you are involved in an accident caused by another. (more…)

Many who confront the legal system for the first time, voluntarily or
involuntarily, are faced with having to decide the forum in which their
dispute will be resolved. In some instances, the forum in which a
dispute will be resolved has been pre-selected by the parties however,
more often than not, litigants will make their forum selection only
after a dispute has actually arisen. It is therefore important to have
an understanding of the difference between mediation, arbitration and
trial and the benefits and drawbacks of each. Often times, the forum
selected will dictate how quickly and effectively the dispute is
resolved. (more…)

Unlike other types of injury cases, one claiming to have been seriously
injured as a result of a healthcare provider’s negligence will rarely
receive full compensation for their injury. This is because California,
long before President Bush’s call for nationwide tort reform in the
area of medical malpractice, enacted legislation limiting your recovery
against medical providers. (more…)