Peter Catalanotti defends licensed California professionals in civil lawsuits and administrative claims, including real estate brokers, appraisers, lawyers, insurance agents, accountants, engineers, architects, contractors, subcontractors, and miscellaneous professionals and quasi-professionals (principally health care workers). In addition, Peter provides risk management lectures and acts as a private discovery referee for civil cases.
Peter is a licensed real estate broker. He has specialized experience representing real estate brokers over the past decade in residential and commercial property disputes. Peter’s cases include defending brokers in cases involving nondisclosure, negligent misrepresentation, intentional misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty, title issues and zoning problems. He also represents property managers and leasing agents in disputes with tenants and landlords.
Peter also represents employers in discrimination, wage and related lawsuits in state and federal court, as well as employers in administrative claims through the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the EEOC, and the Department of Industrial Relations (Labor Commissioner).
Finally, Peter represents engineers, architects and general contractors in construction defect cases and lawyers in legal malpractice cases.
Areas of Focus
Lawyers Malpractice
Peter’s defense of attorneys is a growing practice area that begins with an immediate and comprehensive assessment of the underlying matter and the malpractice claim, with a focus on early dismissal through pre-answer dispositive motions. While these motions frequently are successful, he formulates early resolution strategies such as ADR, consistent with the clients’ objectives. Suits initiated by attorneys to collect fees can be especially perilous, and Peter often seeks early “global” resolution by informally “mediating” the fee claim through a review of the quality of service provided, the results obtained and the total fees outstanding.
Beyond the courtroom, Peter represents attorneys in countless disciplinary proceedings before local grievance committees, disciplinary committees and licensing boards as well as regulatory bodies, such as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Representative Matters
Obtained affirmance without leave to amend in the Court of Appeal of the State of California, First Appellate District, of a Marin County Superior Court judgment in favor of a demurrer filed on behalf of our insureds based on a statute of limitations defense.
Defended a hotly contested legal malpractice lawsuit with a demand of more than $1 million in arbitration in early 2019; recovered attorney’s fees and costs in excess of $200,000.
Tindell v. Bradley, et al., 2018. Published California Court of Appeal decision in an appraiser liability matter.
Rogelio Palacios et al., 2011 Unpublished California Court of Appeal decision in a real estate broker matter.