Stuart Kane Partner and Donald Hamman Hit Homerun on Two Related Appeals
Stuart Kane LLP is pleased to announce that partner Donald J. Hamman recently won two related appeals. After Hamman won dismissal of the underlying matter at the pleadings stage and recovery of almost all fees and costs on behalf of their client (the defendants) in the trial court, the plaintiff appealed the merits of the dismissal, and (in a separate appeal) the fee award.
Hamman then successfully moved for dismissal of the merits appeal. On the fee appeal, the Fourth District Court of Appeal (Justices Thompson, Moore, and Ikola presiding) affirmed the underlying award. In its written opinion on the fee appeal, among other things, the appellate court agreed that the plaintiff was guilty of forum shopping and found that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in awarding fees to the defendants after dismissal at the pleadings stage.
Mr. Hamman is a successful trial and appellate attorney, with extensive experience in mediation, binding and non-binding arbitrations, settling cases, and handling writ, jury and bench trials and appeals in complex business litigation, real estate litigation, employment litigation and environmental disputes. He acted as lead appellate counsel in Havasu Lakeshore Investments, LLC v. Fleming (2013) 217 Cal.App.4th 770, as well as a number of other appeals.