JEFFREY W. KRAMER

Mr. Kramer, chair of the firm's Litigation Department, specializes as a trial lawyer, handling a broad spectrum of business litigation in California state and federal trial and appellate courts. This experience includes employment, trade secrets, unfair competition, securities, financial institutions, real estate and commercial litigation.

Representative Cases

• Representation of real estate company in breach of contract action against national home builder relating to Coachella Valley golf course and related residential development
• Representation of start-up manufacturing company and its management employees in defense of an action for misappropriation of trade secrets, unfair competition, interference with prospective business advantage and other business torts arising out of the management employees' former employment with and departure from a rival manufacturing company
• Representation of general partners and affiliated companies in defense of class action and derivative suit brought by limited partners of three publicly traded real estate limited partnerships alleging breaches of contract and breaches of fiduciary duties
• Representation of 23 basic science professors in prosecution of action against a major university for breach of employment contracts and age discrimination affecting tenure, compensation and academic freedom
• Representation of national security guard company and management employee in defense of wrongful termination and sexual harassment claims brought by a terminated security officer
• Representation of bank in prosecution of breach of lease action against real estate partnerships and their general partners arising out of bank's foreclosure of a loan secured by a shopping center
• Representation of commercial lender in foreclosure proceedings and enforcement action against guarantors and defense of lender liability claims relating to equity participation loan to corporate developer of a shopping center
• Representation of major designer label in trademark infringement and unfair competition action against a Los Angeles leather goods manufacturer
• Representation of shareholder and Chairman of the Board of bankrupt airline parts and service business in defense of an action by the trustee of the bankrupt estate alleging fraudulent conveyances of company assets before the bankruptcy
• Representation of four minority shareholders and employees in prosecution of action against the majority shareholder of a manufacturing company to enforce a shareholders' agreement regarding ownership and control of the company
• Representation of limited partner in prosecution of action against the general partner of a syndicated real estate partnership alleging breaches of contract and breaches of fiduciary duty in the operation of an apartment complex in the San Francisco Bay area
• Representation of municipality in breach of contract action regarding an exhibit conference center and hotel development and in related action alleging illegal conflicts-of-interest by city council members

Honors

Rated AV^® Preeminent^TM  by Martindale-Hubbell; Southern California Super Lawyer, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004 (Los Angeles Magazine/Law & Politics Magazine); National Register's Who's Who in Executives and Professionals (2005-2006 Edition).

Publications

Co-author, "New Risks for California Businesses in Drafting and Enforcing Customer and Employee Non-Solicitation Agreements," Business Law News, State Bar of California (Issue 4, 2006); author, "The Risks of Recruiting At-Will Employees," Los Angeles Lawyer (February 2005); "How Misuse of the Uniform Trade Secrets Act Can Be Countered," Los Angeles Lawyer (November 2002); "California's New Definition of Unfair Competition," Century City Lawyer (June 1999).

Civic Activities

Mr. Kramer was the Mayor of the City of Malibu from 1994-1995 and served a four year term on the Malibu City Council from 1992-1996.

Education

Indiana University (A.B., with honors, 1973); Elvis J. Stahr Distinguished Senior Award (1973); Phi Beta Kappa; Stanford Law School (J.D., 1976); member, Stanford Law Review (1975-1976).