Manuel Martinez is a senior litigation partner specializing in complex business and real estate litigation. He has a strong track record of successful jury trials, bench trials, arbitrations and summary judgment motions in State and Federal Courts. He represents real estate developers, commercial landlords, financial institutions, lawyers, accountants, publicly traded corporations, closely held companies and individuals. Mr. Martinez sits on the Board of Directors of, and is General Counsel for, a privately-held corporation with over $50 million in annual revenues.

Mr. Martinez graduated cum laude from Yale University in 1981 with a B.A. in History and Highest Honors in his departmental major. He earned his law degree from Yale Law School in 1984. Mr. Martinez was recognized in 2005 and 2006 as one of the "Top Lawyers in the Bay Area" by Bay Area Lawyer Magazine.

Representative Matters/Published Cases

• Represented United Savings Bank, F.S.B. in jury trial in Contra Costa County Superior Court against claims of negligence and breach of Uniform Commercial Code provisions arising from deposit of cashiers checks.

• Represented The Southland Corporation (7-11 Stores) in jury trial in San Mateo County Superior Court prosecuting claim for future lost profits against landlord for breach of exclusive sale provisions in lease.

• Represented Probate Estate in bench trial in San Francisco County Superior Court, Probate Division, against claim to obtain home which had remained on record as a joint tenancy and claimed by surviving joint tenant after surviving joint tenant had sold his interest to decedent.

• Represented real estate developer in binding American Arbitration Association arbitration against claim that developer had wrongfully terminated joint venture agreement to build condominium complex.

• Argued before Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that general partnership interest in horse breeding partnership did not constitute securities under federal securities laws.

• Represented property owner in San Mateo County Superior Court to extinguish recorded easement by adverse possession so that property could be commercially developed.

• Represented commercial tenant in San Francisco Superior Court in breach of contract and equitable indemnity claim arising from build-out of tenant improvement project.

• Represented individual developer in San Francisco Superior Court against claim that he was the alter ego of a limited liability company and personally liable for limited liability company obligations arising from failed high rise construction project.

• Represented individual in San Francisco Superior Court, Probate Division, to force transfer of real property to Probate Estate by proving that individual who held record title to property had sold the property to the decedent 30 years prior to Probate proceeding.

• Represented accounting firm in United States District Court for the Northern District of California, San Jose Division, against alleged breaches of contract of separate business owned by two former partners of the accounting firm based on alter ego allegations.

• Represented landlord in hearing before administrative law judge, in Appeal to Oakland Rent Board, and in Writ Petition in Alameda County Superior Court against claims that 59-unit rental property was subject to Oakland Rent Control Ordinance.

• Holden v. Hagopian, 978 F.2d 1115 (9th Cir. 1992)