Practice Areas
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS/EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS
Farmer & Ridley enjoys a national reputation in the area of pension and profit sharing plans and employee benefit programs of all kinds. The firm has been involved in this particular field of expertise since the early forties and acts as consultant and legal counsel to a large number of employers and benefit plan administration companies. The firm’s expertise encompasses both single employer and multi-employer plans.
The firm has acted as counsel for both management and labor in the context of multi-employer health and welfare and pension plans and has developed considerable depth in acting as counsel for plan sponsors and plan fiduciaries in the context of benefit and ERISA litigation. In addition, the firm provides expert testimony in employee benefit litigation, and, as noted below, litigates employment related matters including wrongful termination, harassment and discrimination cases.
LITIGATION
Farmer & Ridley handles a broad range of litigation matters for its business clients in all California and Federal trial and appellate courts, including the United States Tax Court.
The firm specializes in representing clients involved in contract and related real estate matters, wrongful termination disputes, employment-related harassment and discrimination claims, errors and omissions and other insurance litigation, unfair competition and related business torts, toxic torts, and general corporate, partnership and commercial law problems.
The firm has considerable expertise in handling director and officer liability issues in matters involving banking and mortgage disputes, errors in management decisions, as well as related Federal and State regulatory issues.
The firm also handles Federal Court actions involving tax, securities, creditors’ rights, ERISA and pension and employee benefits disputes.
TAX AND ESTATE PLANNING
Farmer & Ridley advises corporations, partnerships and individuals on a wide range of tax matters. Such advice includes analysis of tax consequences of business acquisitions and sales, and tax advantaged investments.
In the areas of estate planning and probate, the firm works with clients to conserve personal and family assets by minimizing estate taxes as well as the delays and expenses of probate. The firm’s services include wills and trusts, estate and gift tax planning, estate administration, conservatorships and guardianships.
BUSINESS AND COMMERCIAL LAW
The firm serves the general business needs of clients ranging from sole proprietorships and small privately held corporations and partnerships to large exchange-listed companies, including manufacturing, real estate, financial, high technology and service businesses.
The firm has developed special expertise in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, debt and equity financing, corporate restructurings and commercial law, representing the interests of both creditors and debtors.
Farmer & Ridley also advises companies with regard to individual liability of their directors and officers in making management decisions.
REAL ESTATE
The firm represents a wide variety of clients engaged in construction, development, engineering, leasing, lending, and other aspects of the real estate industry in Southern California.
The firm’s real estate practice includes the purchase and sale of commercial, industrial, investment and residential properties, as well as financings, lease negotiations and representation before all regulatory commissions.