Garcia Rainey Blank & Bowerbank LLP, Attorneys in Orange County

In The News

MARCH 2023
Attorney Norma García Guillén and law clerk Ashish Verma obtained Arbitration Award recovering on breach of contract claim for Claimant and Cross-Respondent

After a three-day Arbitration hearing, closing briefs, and oral argument, the Arbitrator found in favor of Claimant awarding her damages for breach of contract, including prejudgment interest, and entirely denied Respondent's counter-claim on all four causes of action.

September 2023
Attorneys Norma García Guillén, Jeffrey M. Blank, and Bernadette Stafford and law clerk Ashish Verma obtained summary adjudication in favor of Respondent in a pending arbitration

The Arbitrator summarily adjudicated two causes of action where Claimant sought over a million dollars in damages in favor of Respondent and barred three causes of action by the statute of limitations.

September 20 2023
Partner Norma García Guillén appointed to the CalOptima Health Board of Directors on May 23, 2023 by the Orange County Board of Supervisors. CalOptima Health is a $4 billion publicly funded health insurance plan for low-income residents of Orange County serving nearly 1 million members.

August 18 2023
Attorneys John E. Bowerbank, Jimmy Chen, and Hugo A. Lopez Obtain A Dismissal Of A Lawsuit Where The Plaintiff Sought Substantial Monetary Damages Against the Firm’s Reseller Clients Involving An Allegedly Defective Pipe That Was Sold in the Stream of Commerce

John Bowerbank, Jimmy Chen, and Hugo Lopez represented clients who were U.S. resellers of plumbing pipes that were manufactured in China and Taiwan. One of the clients’ pipes was allegedly sold and installed in a homeowner’s residence in Southern California. The pipe allegedly burst causing over a half of million dollars in water damage at the homeowner’s residence.
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August 14 2023
Join us in congratulating our partner, John Bowerbank, for being selected as a Super Lawyer for the eighth consecutive year

Super Lawyers
Join us in congratulating our partner, John Bowerbank, for being selected as a Super Lawyer in 2023.   Mr. Bowerbank has been awarded the distinction of being on the Super Lawyers list for eight consecutive years starting in 2016. 
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February 28, 2023
EIGHTH CIRCUIT AFFIRMS DISMISSAL OF LAWSUIT AGAINST FIRM’S CLIENTS IN DISPUTE OVER 9,000 ACRES OF LAND
Plaintiffs sought an interest in over 9,000 acres of land in South Dakota owned by GRBB’s client. In 2022, GRBB successfully argued that Plaintiffs failed to show they suffered an injury in fact and therefore lacked standing.
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December 20, 2022
Partner Norma Garcia Guillen recognized as Attorney Coach of the Year in 2022 by the Constitutional Rights Foundation–Orange County.

December 15, 2022
GRBB SUCCESFULLY DEFEATS MOTION TO EXPUNGE RECORDED LIS PENDENS ON 7.3 ACRE MALIBU PROPERTY
GRBB’s seller and real estate developer client sold a 7.3-acre parcel in Malibu to a buyer. The buyer promised to pay GRBB’s seller client for, among other things, the development of medical office buildings. The buyer refused to perform. The buyer claimed fraud and sought rescission of the land purchase.
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December 1, 2021
The Press-Enterprise: San Bernardino City Council censures Mayor John Valdivia, saying he misused public funds, resources
All council members favored the move. San Bernardino leaders censured Mayor John Valdivia on Wednesday, Dec. 1, saying he misused public funds and resources for political and personal purposes.
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November 30, 2021
CaliforniaCityNews.org: INVESTIGATION FINDS SAN BERNARDINO MAYOR MISUSED PUBLIC FUNDS
San Bernardino Mayor John Valdivia is facing likely censure after an investigation concluded he improperly billed the city for several trips along with invitations to a private event.
The investigation was commissioned by the city council and conducted by law firm Garcia Rainey Blank & Bowerbank. Their report found Valdivia commingled campaign fundraising and city business by requesting reimbursements for political events. 
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November 24, 2021
LA Times: San Bernardino mayor misused public funds, investigation finds
The investigation by the law firm Garcia Rainey Blank & Bowerbank found that Valdivia printed more than 2,000 postcards for a private event on June 15 at the Hilltop Collection restaurant, billing the city $2,500.
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November 24, 2021
John Bowerbank prevails in arbitration over disputed settlement agreement.
In a highly contentious dispute spanning several years, John Bowerbank negotiated a favorable settlement agreement during a mediation with Hon. Gail Andler, a former Orange County Superior Court judge who now works for JAMS ADR services.
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October 11, 2021
Attorneys John E. Bowerbank And Hugo A. Lopez Obtain A Dismissal Of A Lawsuit Where The Plaintiffs Sought Significant Monetary Damages For Breach Of Contract And Fraud Involving A Dispute Over 9,000 Acres Of Land
The Plaintiff buyers tried to forum shop by filing their lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District in San Diego even though the subject dispute related solely to land deals for 9,000 acres in South Dakota.
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October 2021
GRBB Attorneys Obtain A Writ Of Attachment In A Business Dispute
Trial attorneys Norma García Guillén, Jeffrey M. Blank, Maya S. Kapadia, Hugo A López obtained a writ of attachment in a business dispute. The Los Angeles Superior Court found probable validity of success on Plaintiffs' implied in fact contract claim. The Court reaffirmed its holding after defendants brought a motion for reconsideration. As a result, Plaintiffs have successfully attached defendants' bank accounts holding nearly half a million dollars. This ensures sufficient funds exist to satisfy an eventual judgment. Bringing and obtaining a writ of attachment so early in litigation tilts the scales of justice in favor of the Plaintiff who provided services to defendants without proper compensation for nearly a year.

August 8, 2021
Long Beach Post: SHIPWRECKED: A series of special reports on Long Beach and the Queen Mary.
In a federal suit filed last October, two doctors accused Woods and Wu of theft and securities fraud in connection with their $750,000 investment in two hotel projects in early 2020. They say they were promised a 30% return on the purchase of a Hilton hotel in Seattle and a 70% return on the purchase of the Wagner Hotel (formerly Ritz Carlton Battery Park) in New York City.

The doctors—Clifford Rosen of Ontario, Canada, and Ronald Christensen of Scottsdale, Arizona—allege that Woods and Wu failed to disclose that their parent company, Eagle Hospitality, had defaulted on its Bank of America loan and that the trust had come under investigation in Singapore for potential securities violations. Both those issues, they said, would have been red flags for entering a business relationship.

“Our clients have not received the promised returns, let alone any return on their investment, and believe the membership interests in the hotel properties were never even acquired,” the doctors’ attorney, Norma García Guillén, said in a statement to the Post. “They fear they have been victimized by a type of Ponzi scheme.”
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June 2021
Trial attorneys Norma García Guillén, Jeffrey M. Blank, and Hugo A. Lopez obtained writs of attachment in a securities fraud litigation pending in the United States Central District Court.
The Court found probable validity of success of Plaintiffs' claims. The Court denied defendants' motion for reconsideration. Plaintiffs have attached bank investment accounts totaling almost $800,000. As a result, Plaintiffs have ensured funds are available to satisfy an eventual judgment.

March 8, 2018
GRBB Tackles Employee Fraud and Racketeering in the Cosmetic Industry
Cosmetics industry manufacturing giant, HCT Packaging, Inc. (“HCT”), chose Garcia Rainey Blank & Bowerbank (“GRBB”) to handle a high-stakes international litigation matter against three of its former executives. 
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Super Lawyers
Join us in congratulating four of our partners, John Bowerbank, Norma García Guillén, Laura Noroski and Tabitha Rainey Pullara, for being selected as Super Lawyers for 2017. Super Lawyers is a highly acclaimed lawyer-rating service which selects lawyers based on peer evaluations and independent research. While up to five percent of the lawyers in the state are named to Super Lawyers, no more than 2.5 percent are named to the Rising Stars list. Our attorneys have been consistently nominated to the Super Lawyers rankings since 2009.
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July 19, 2017
Verdict Obtained By García Guillén And Blank For Their Clients Ranks Among The Top Ten Bench Verdicts Reported In CA In 2017
Trial attorneys Norma García Guillén and Jeffrey M. Blank obtained a decisive victory on behalf of their clients after a three-and-half-week bench trial where a Los Angeles Superior Court Judge awarded Plaintiffs over $2.7 million in damages and ordered the involuntary dissolution of the corporate defendant. Specifically, the Court found the defendant shareholders breached their fiduciary duties to minority shareholders and usurped corporate opportunities, and the defendants wrongfully terminated the founding president of the corporate defendant. The verdict obtained by García Guillén and Blank for their clients ranks among the top ten bench verdicts reported in CA in 2017.

December 19, 2016
Congratulations to partner Jeff Blank, attorney coach for the Trabuco Hills High School mock trial team, which won the Orange County championship on December 19, 2016.
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June 1, 2016
Partners John Bowerbank and Laura Noroski achieved a hard-fought, successful result for the firm's client in a recently-released arbitration decision.
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February 3, 2016
Partners Jeff Blank and Laura Noroski obtained a major victory on behalf of the City of Long Beach in a case involving cutting edge constitutional issues concerning the City of Long Beach's ban on medical marijuana collectives.
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November 24, 2015
Congratulations to partners Norma Garcia Guillen and Jeffrey Blank on their trial victory! Ms. Garcia Guillen and Mr. Blank defended their clients against an aggressive partition action that threatened their clients' ownership of residential rental property.
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November 5, 2015
Partner John Bowerbank Recognized As A 2015 Top Attorney by Coast Magazine
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August 18, 2015
Garcia Rainey Blank & Bowerbank, LLP's growth continues with Jimmy Chen joining our corporate practice group as partner.
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August 15, 2015
Partner John Bowerbank Obtains A Complete Defense Trial Victory In Contentious Dispute Between Adjacent Landowners
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May 1, 2015
Partner John Bowerbank Obtains An Important Appellate Court Victory On Behalf Of Client The Regents Of The University of California
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Super Lawyers
Join us in congratulating partners Norma García Guillén and John Bowerbank for being named as Rising Stars by Super Lawyers for the sixth year in a row. Super Lawyers is a highly acclaimed lawyer-rating service, and no more than 2.5 percent of attorneys in each state are selected as Rising Stars.

Orange County Register

Join us in congratulating our very own Jeffrey M. Blank who was named as one of Orange County's Most Influential People of 2014 by the Orange County Register!

Raising the Bar: All-Star Female Attorneys Partner to Break Glass Ceiling

Announcing the formation of Garcia, Sullivan & Lopez, LLP
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La Opinion

En defensa de su comunidad: Norma García Guillén trabaja para mejor el bienstar de las comunidades del Condado de Orange
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