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Scott Lee Shabel
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Scott Lee Shabel
The Law Office of Scott Lee Shabel
12400 Wilshire Blvd.
Suite 1300
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Phone: (310) 447-3277 | Fax: (310) 447-3288
http://www.labusinesslawyer.com
Legal Protection for the Business Owner
Legal Topic
Business Law
Preferred New Clients
Our firm assists entrepreneurs and business owners with all of their legal needs, including entity formation, contract negotiations, regulatory compliance, employment relations, financing and tax matters.
Sub-Categories
Business Law
- Mediation/Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
- Unfair Competition
- Commercial Banks & Loans
- Commercial Leasing
- Mortgages & Foreclosures
- Venture Capital
- Business Successions
- Buying & Selling
- Closely Held Businesses
- Corporations
- Directors' & Officers' Liability
- Franchising
- Joint Ventures
- Limited Liability Companies (LLCs)
- Mergers, Acquisitions & Divestitures
- Nonprofits & Tax-Exempt Corporations
- Partnerships
- Professional Corporations
- Shareholders' Rights
- Audit Defense
- Corporate Income Taxes
- IRS Disputes
- Negotiating Payments & Settlements
- Property Taxes (Ad Valorem Taxes)
- Sales Taxes
- Tax Filing & Compliance
- Breach of Contract
- Contract Disputes
- Contract Drafting & Review
- Employment Contracts
- Franchises
- International Transactions
- Non-Compete Contracts
- Secured Transactions
- Uniform Commercial Code
- Warranties
- Commercial Construction Contracts
- Construction Defects
- Construction Disputes
- Mechanics' Liens
- Bad Faith
- Casualty Insurance
- Commercial Insurance
- Directors' & Officers' Liability
- Errors & Omissions
- Insurance Malpractice
- Life Insurance
- Property Insurance
- Business & Trade
- Imports & Exports
- Creditor's Rights
- Garnishees
- Judgments
- Locating Funds
- Consumer Class Actions
- Debt Collection/Relief/Harassment
- Frauds, Scams, Hoaxes
- Repossessions
Bar Admissions
CA, Nov 1978
Bar Number: 82796
Other Court Admissions
All California state courts, United States District Court, Central District of California, U.S. Tax Court.
Association Memberships
State Bar of California, Los Angeles County Bar Association, Beverly Hills Bar Association.
Continuing Education
I attend in-person and online seminars regarding topics of interest to our business clients and regularly exceed the required number of hours required by the California State Bar.
Example Cases
We handle all phases of business owners' legal needs - entity formation, partnership/shareholder/operating agreements, contract negotiations, employer-employee relations, regulatory matters financial and tax advice. On the litigation side, we handle contract disputes, partnership/shareholder issues, employment matters and probate litigation.
In one recent case, we represented one of two brothers who could not agree on the division of a family business. We were able to utilize our mediation training to resolve the case without the need for an expensive trial.
In another case, we represented the purchasers of vacant land, who were told the land was suitable for building, when in fact it was not. We obtained a jury verdict for the full amount of the purchase price, plus interest.
In a third, well-publicized matter, we assisted one of our business clients in ousting a rogue Board of Directors who had wrongfully assumed control of more than a million dollars of cash and property belonging to the Buddhist temple attended by our client. The judge in the case appointed a receiver to take control of the missing assets, removed the board members who had misappropriated temple funds, and ordered the election of a new Board, elected by the full temple membership.
Education
Degree:
Juris Doctor
School:
University of Chicago
City:
Chicago
State:
IL
Year:
1978
Degree:
B.A.
School:
Cornell University
City:
Ithaca
State:
NY
Year:
1975
Number of Attorneys
1
State Licensed In
California
Firm Focus and History
Our firm was established in 1985.
For nearly twenty-five years, our firm has provided world-class transactional, planning and litigation support to the Southern California business community. We represent more than one hundred small and medium-sized businesses, whose owners know the security of having all of their business and financial legal needs serviced by our firm.
Previous Employment Summary
Prior to establishing my own firm, I was an associate at Silverberg, Rosen Leon and Behr, a boutique entertainment firm in Century City, as well as Antin, Stern, Litz and Grebow, a firm specializing in corporate, real estate and tax matters. My experience with these highly respected law firms included handling complex domestic and international transactions.
Activities and Awards
I am an active member of the Los Angeles County Bar and California State Bar Mediation and Arbitration panels. My mediation/arbitration experience has enabled me to bring unique negotiating skills to the bargaining table on behalf of our business and litigation clients.
I am a member of the Board of Directors of the Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los Angeles and the founder and President of People-First, Inc., a nonprofit organization which receives donations of children's books and distributes them to the needy.
What is your opinion regarding clients educating themselves on legal issues?
We want our clients to be proactive regarding the legal aspects of their business activities. On the theory that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," existing clients are encouraged to call and ask us questions before entering into business negotiations and signing contracts. Generally, we do not charge the clients for these calls.
Are you willing to review documents prepared by clients?
I will always review documents for our clients at their request, regardless of who prepared them, and will offer suggestions as to how the documents can best be implemented or improved.
Are you willing to coach clients who want to represent themselves?
I have often counseled and guided clients who desire to retain control of their legal negotiations and/or litigation. For clients who have the fortitude, and are sufficiently well-versed in the procedures and strategies required, such an approach can work well, while providing the client with experience which may avoid future mistakes.
Why did you decide to be a lawyer?
I have, since high school, been both a problem-solver and a champion of the underdog. My practice enables me to engage in both pursuits, while at the same time assist entrepreneurs and their families in achieving their life goals and protecting their hard-earned wealth.
What work experience and education helps you be a better lawyer?
During my college and law school career, I was active in a number of consumer rights groups, and won several major victories for the "little guy." The experience taught me that with careful research, hard work and persistence, even the toughest cases can be won.
Why did you decide on your primary area of practice?
I was born into a family of entrepreneurs, and have developed a keen sense of what it takes to survive in the world as a self-made individual. I have combined that sense with the knowledge and skill developed over thirty years of representing and protecting business owners when their legal needs arise.
What do you like best about your career?
My law practice and my lifestyle have become well-integrated and high functioning. I have developed close friendships with many of my business clients and consider myself to be a trusted member of their inner circles. I am committed to providing only the highest level of legal representation to my clients and assuring that they remain free from unnecessary legal entanglements.
Tell us about your law firm:
My firm includes two legal assistants and two paralegals, all of whom I have worked with for many years. We are an effective team of professionals, responsive to the needs of our clients and able to deliver work product of the highest quality.
What are your strengths and style?
My business acumen, experience and knowledge gained in over thirty years of practicing business law and my mediation training enable me to bring a unique set of skills to the bargaining table, in both the transactional and litigation settings. I zealously represent each and every one of my clients. However, the manner in which this can be accomplished will vary with the circumstances. I believe that an effective lawyer must at all times be aware of, and respond to, the changing environment in which he/she finds himself/herself.
Personal Interests:
I am an avid outdoorsman, and every weekend will find me biking, hiking, skiing, golfing or playing paddle tennis. I am also passionate about my charitable endeavors, which include directorships on the boards of Jewish Big Brothers and Sisters of Los Angeles and People-First, Inc., a nonprofit which collects children's books and distributes them to the needy.
Fax
(310) 447-3288
Office Hours
Monday through Friday
8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Emergency After Hours
Yes
Fixed-Price Services and Fees
Litigation matters are billed hourly, though we will occasionally take a case on a contingent fee basis if the case is meritorious and the client is undercapitalized.
Hourly Rates
$350.
Free Initial Consultation?
We offer prospective clients a free consultation for up to 30 minutes on the telephone or face-to-face, to determine whether our firm has the required expertise to handle the matter and if there is a good "attorney-client fit."
Typical Retainer
$500 to $3,500, depending on the case.
Nolo's Licensing Check
Attorneys have passed a licensing check. Nolo has confirmed that every member attorney has a valid license and is in good standing with the applicable bar associations upon joining the directory.
Directory lawyers are required to notify Nolo immediately if they become the subject of any disciplinary action by any bar association.
