Glaser Weil Prevails in Important Ninth Circuit Appeal

San Diego, CA/Los Angeles, CA – A team of Glaser Weil attorneys, led by litigation partner Emil Petrossian, successfully defeated an appeal in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that sought to overturn a grant of summary judgment in favor of a leading California-based lender.

In 2021, the lender achieved a sweeping summary judgment victory in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, along with a substantial fee award, in a case brought by former borrowers challenging fees they incurred under various loan agreements. After the plaintiffs appealed, the Ninth Circuit issued a decision affirming in full the district court’s grant of summary judgment. Najarian Holdings LLC et al. v. CoreVest American Finance Lender LLC, 9th Cir. Case No. 22-15010, N.D. Cal. Case No. 4:20-cv-00799-PJH.

“This case was significant for several reasons, including that the plaintiffs were challenging the legality of late fees charged to borrowers in default,” said Petrossian. “It was important for us to deliver a good result and we’re thrilled we were able to do so.”

By guiding the case to a complete victory in the district court and subsequently achieving an affirmance in the Ninth Circuit, Glaser Weil was able to notch an early victory for its growing Financial Services Department, headed by partner Richard Gottlieb. The Department’s focus is to provide clients with strategic solutions and sound litigation and business advice regarding the complexities of state and federal banking and consumer-lending laws and regulations.

In addition to Petrossian, attorneys Jason Linger and Elizabeth Chilton rounded out the Glaser Weil team. Petrossian secured the summary judgment order and fee award while at his former law firm, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, with contributions from Manatt attorneys Benjamin Shatz and Catherine Noble.

About Glaser Weil

Glaser Weil is one of the country’s premier full-service midsize law firms, with offices strategically located in the economic centers of Los Angeles, San Diego, Newport Beach and San Francisco. The Firm is consistently chosen to represent diverse and industry-leading clients — including multinational corporations, high-profile individuals and disruptive startups — because of its unprecedented levels of service and commitment to its clients.