Forty Years of Litigation Experience

Archbald & Spray LLP has established a statewide reputation for excellence, integrity, and innovation in civil litigation and appeals. Because litigation has been the cornerstone of our firm for more than 40 years, we excel in effectively handling trials and appeals, with an emphasis on civil litigation defense.

We work closely with clients to achieve their objectives through cost-sensitive legal solutions, whether by settlement, alternative dispute resolution, or trial.

Civil and Commercial Cases

We represent clients in most civil and commercial lawsuits, including cases arising in these practice areas: Employment and Labor (for Management) , Energy and Natural Resources , Environmental, Estate & Trust Litigation , Land Use , Insurance, Professional Liability, and Tort Law.

Our expertise encompasses all types of business disputes, such as those involving contracts, real estate, environmental issues, employment, and insurance coverage. We have experience in business tort litigation, including claims of commercial defamation, interference with contractual or economic relations, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud and misrepresentation, unfair and deceptive trade practices, and other conduct affecting the operation and success of a business.

We regularly handle appeals and writ petitions in California appellate courts and the United States Court of Appeal for the Ninth Circuit. These courts have issued landmark rulings on behalf of some of our clients. Below, we list representative matters we handle in civil litigation.

Our Standard of Practice

Vigorous, ethical, and cost-sensitive advocacy is our standard of practice. Litigation budgets, discovery authorization, and efficient staffing are all part of our firm culture. We take pride in offering superior client service—through clear communication, prompt response to calls and requests, and careful attention to each client’s unique requirements.

Our Trial-Ready Reputation

Because we have earned professional respect from the judiciary and other counsel, our attorneys are able to focus their talents on obtaining prompt, favorable results for our clients, rather than on establishing credibility. Our reputation for successful trial advocacy serves our clients’ best interests, whether in securing a good settlement or mounting an effective defense in court.

Our Geographic Focus

The firm concentrates its legal services on California’s Central Coast, including the counties of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura, although our practice extends throughout California. We handle cases in federal and state courts, and before administrative/regulatory bodies.

Our Litigation Clients

We represent individuals, public entities, nonprofit organizations, and corporate clients across the spectrum, from Fortune 500 companies to entrepreneurial enterprises. The firm is regularly selected to assist major corporations as local counsel in high-profile lawsuits. For example, we assisted a corporate client in obtaining a court judgment in a multi-million dollar dispute involving the right of our client, a major petroleum company, to terminate a gas supply contract. For more information, click here.

Typical matters we handle in Civil Litigation:

• Business torts: Click here for information on our Tort Law practice area.

• Civil rights: Discrimination, harassment, disabilities, and constitutional rights under state and federal laws.
  

• Commercial litigation: Arising out of contracts, commercial transactions, corporate/partnership agreements, disclosure of trade secrets, and distributorship and licensing arrangements.

• Construction: Construction defect, personal injury, and breach of contract, property damage, occupational exposure, contamination.

• Education: Representing school districts in cases involving personal injury, discipline, supervision, premises liability, employment, etc.

• Employment & Labor: Representing management in the full spectrum of employment issues. Click here for information on this practice area.

• Energy & Natural Resources: Click here for information on this practice area.

• Environmental claims: Toxic tort, air, water and soil contamination, and CERCLA and related cleanup cases. Click here for more information on this practice area.

• Estate & Trust Litigation: Proceedings before the probate court addressing issues of administration, accounting, instructions, and breach of fiduciary duty. Click here for more information on this practice area.

• Insurance: Representing insurers and re-insurers, handling bad faith, coverage issues, and casualty losses.

• Insurance defense: All types, including automotive liability, dangerous premises, vicarious liability for acts of others (criminals, employees, minors).

• Land use and property: Development and regulatory issues, easements, boundary disputes, landslides, nuisance abatement, soil subsidence, and water damage. Click here for information on our Land Use practice area.

• Personal Injury: Wrongful death and bodily injury, based on negligence and intentional torts such as assault, battery, sexual misconduct, fraud, and libel. Concentrating on defense with selective representation of injured parties.

• Premises liability: Slip and fall, recreation injuries, dangerous conditions.

• Product liability: Vehicles; equipment, including agricultural, industrial, and electrical; medical devices; consumer products; chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturers, etc.

• Professional negligence defense: Representing professionals, including attorneys, accountants, architects, engineers, health care providers, insurance professionals, real estate professionals, officers and directors, and other fiduciaries. Click here for more information on our Professional Liability practice area.

• Property damage: Personal and real property damage, including easements, boundary disputes, landslides, nuisance abatement, soil subsidence, and water damage

• Public entity liability: Representing public entities and special districts as general and special counsel, handling all claims and immunities, including school cases.
  

• School law: Representing school districts in cases involving personal injury, discipline, supervision, premises liability, employment, etc.

• Tort liability: All types, including negligence, intentional torts, and strict liability. Click here for more information on this practice area.
  

Attorneys in Civil Litigation:

Sr. Partners	Partners
Kenneth L. Moes Douglas B. Large	Marcus J. Kocmur Trevor D. Large

Litigation-related Practice Areas:

Dispute Resolution
Employment & Labor (for Management)
Energy & Natural Resources
Environmental
Estate & Trust Litigation
Insurance
Land Use
Professional Liability
Tort Law
Trial Practice Consulting