- Divorce
- FraudAt a bench trial, Sweeney Mason Wilson & Bosomworth successfully defends Silicon Valley executives accused of securities fraud by former investor.
- Corporate LawMila’s practice is focused primarily on corporate and business law. She is an active member of State and local Bar associations.
- Mergers and AcquisitionsWe work with businesses to guide them through the difficult process of closing mergers, acquisitions and other similar transactions. Our team is heavily involved in mergers and acquisitions transactions representing both buyers and sellers of relatively simple “main street” acquisitions and complex middle-market transactions up to $35,000,000 in value.
- Business DisputesRomin enjoys working with businesses in a wide variety of industries. Prior to joining Sweeney Mason LLP, Romin was an associate attorney with HiTech Law, LLP and Silicon Valley Law Group. Romin is well versed in multi-state entity formation issues and co-authored “ How did Delaware Get So Popular? ” for the California Business Law Practitioner (Winter 2013) published by the Continuing Education of the Bar, University of California. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Business Law Section of the Santa Clara County Bar Association, a board member of the Construction Financial Management Association and a member of the California Society of CPAS, Attorneys Bankers and CPAS Committee. Romin was featured in the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal as one of the Silicon Valley’s “40 Under 40” rising stars in 2008.
- Business TransactionsOur attorneys regularly assist our clients with the negotiation, structuring and implementation of a wide variety of commercial transactions including manufacturing, development, supplier, consulting and distribution agreements.
- Limited Liability CompaniesWe specialize in advanced estate planning strategies to handle the transfer of business interests and real estate. We ensure that families can save taxes, increase wealth, and control assets. Many of our clients are particularly interested in developing a plan that ensures the orderly continuation of their business or of other substantial assets. A good succession plan must not only minimize income tax, property tax and estate and gift tax, but it must address the important issue of governance; who will be in charge and how decisions will be made within the family. We have the skills to handle advanced estate and gift tax planning techniques for high net worth individuals in addition to the basic estate planning needs of all individuals. Sweeney Mason prepares wills, revocable trusts, irrevocable trusts (including charitable trusts, trusts for minors, life insurance trusts, generation-skipping trusts or dynasty trusts, grantor retained annuity trusts (“GRATs”), and qualified personal residence trusts (“QPRTs”) as well as family limited partnerships (“FLPs”), limited liability companies (“LLCs”), and private foundations on a routine basis.
- Construction ContractsWe regularly assist our clients with the preparation and negotiation of a full range of construction contracts, including Owner-Builder Agreements, Design-Build Agreements, Subcontracts, Home Improvement Contracts and Material Purchase Orders. Our lawyers are not only familiar with major professional and industry forms, including those of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Associated General Contractors (AGC) and the Design Builders Institute of America (DBIA) but are also experienced in drafting project specific agreements unique to the particular needs of our clients. We are available for guidance not only during the course of negotiations but also during the project itself as needed to preemptively eliminate or mitigate disputes.
- Trade Secrets
- Intellectual PropertyCum laude from Santa Clara University with a degree in Biomedical Biology and a minor in French. She earned her J.D. from Santa Clara University School of Law, earning a High Tech Law Certificate in Intellectual Property Law. During her time in law school, Rachael served as Assistant Director of the Internal Moot Court program, helped revitalize Equality SCU, a group dedicated to advocating and advancing LGBT issues, served on the board of the Women and Law group helping promote the advancement of women in the legal field, and also worked as a law clerk at a local law firm. Prior to joining Sweeney Mason LLP, Rachael worked at the firm of Ropers Majeski Kohn Bentley PC.
- Unfair CompetitionA binding arbitration award in a breach of contract / unfair competition lawsuit against our client for less than one tenth of the Plaintiff’s demand.
- Wrongful TerminationSweeney Mason’s employment law team, Partner Roger Mason, Partner Kurt Wilson, and Senior Counsel Rachael Brown, achieved an excellent result for SM’s client, a local painting contractor, in a difficult employment lawsuit. The Plaintiff and his lawyer demanded $385K to settle claims of harassment, wrongful termination and failure to pay wages and provide rest or meal breaks. Through discovery, SM was able to prove that Plaintiff’s claims were largely false. Along the way, the Court issued decisions sanctioning Plaintiff’s lawyer for bad faith discovery tactics. In the end, the Plaintiff and his lawyer settled for less than $20K.
- Employment ContractWe assist clients with the formation and dissolution of various forms of entities and the establishment of the appropriate legal infrastructure depending upon the business’ needs. We regularly prepare and implement shareholders agreements, buy-sell agreements, employment agreements, stock option plans, intellectual property licenses, distribution, manufacturing and marketing agreements, sales representative agreements and trademark and service mark applications.
- Employment LitigationKurt Wilson is a founding member of the firm. He is a Cal Berkeley graduate, and has specialized in commercial and employment litigation since graduating Magna Cum Laude from Hastings College of the Law in 1985. Kurt represents corporations and individuals in commercial, employment and trade secret disputes, including through jury trial, court trial, binding arbitration and/or mediation.
- Sexual HarassmentCalifornia employers have been granted a one-year reprieve from the expanded sexual harassment training requirements implemented by Senate Bill 1343. Employers now have until January 1, 2021 to provide at least two hours of sexual harassment training to all supervisors and one hour of sexual harassment training to all non-supervisory employees. Further, employers who trained supervisors in 2018 do not need to retrain them in 2019. SMWB offers both one- and two-hour trainings for its clients. Please contact SMWB to schedule a training or if you have any questions about the new requirements.
- Real Estate LitigationWe have assisted our clients with a number of easement and license related real estate disputes both through successful verdicts at trial and negotiated resolution.
- Construction LitigationSince its formation, Sweeney Mason LLP has had an active full service construction law practice. We represent individuals and businesses at all levels of participation in construction projects, including owners, developers, lenders, general contractors, subcontractors, material suppliers, and design professionals involved in both public and private works of improvement. Sweeney Mason LLP represents clients involved in both commercial and residential projects ranging in size from home remodel disputes of less than ten thousand dollars to commercial disputes involving millions of dollars. Our construction attorneys have extensive experience assisting and advising clients in all aspects of construction law from contract review and negotiation through project real time assistance and ultimately through dispute resolution whether litigation, mediation or arbitration.
- Real Estate TransactionsThe firm’s real estate practice is supported by multiple attorneys from the litigation, construction and business practices. Our extensive experience allows us to effectively represent businesses and individuals regarding real estate transactions. We have developed a special expertise with respect to ADA compliance and defense matters. We have attorneys with considerable experience in mediation, arbitration and litigation of matters throughout the Bay Area and California.
- Easement
- Land Use and Zoning
- Landlord-Tenant DisputesWe represent landlords and tenants in all types of commercial leasing transactions including negotiating and drafting real and personal property leases (including space leases), ground leases, equipment leases, retail leases, office leases, industrial leases, warehouse space leases and leveraged leases as well as handling assignments, landlord-tenant issues and broker-related transactions.
- Personal InjurySince 1978, Joe has focused on construction and real estate law, both transactional and litigation. He has successfully represented owners, developers, general contractors, subcontractors, material suppliers and design professionals in multiple aspects of construction law issues through negotiations, disputes, mediations, arbitrations and trials. His successful jury verdicts and arbitration awards include recovering damages for fraud, breach of construction contract claims, lost productivity claims, defense of a multi-million dollar personal injury claim, and successful defense of liquidated damages claims in the millions.
- Estate PlanningAlthough a large part of estate planning concerns minimizing tax and avoiding probate, for most of us it starts with the simple idea of how you want to distribute your assets upon death.
- Wills
- TrustsWe advise fiduciaries (which includes trustees, executors and conservators) in regard to their administrative tasks and fiduciary duties as well as beneficiaries in regard to their rights to estate and/or trust property. Upon death we assist our clients in the efficient transfer of assets whether through probate or private trust administration and ensure that all of their duties are properly carried out.
- Power of AttorneySweeney Mason’s goal is to make the estate planning process easy. We educate our clients as to all their options and guide them in choosing the ones most appropriate for them. In creating an estate plan, you shouldn’t just end up with a fancy binder full of trust, powers of attorney and healthcare directive documents, but rather a well thought out estate plan that will ensure your wishes and directions are followed.
- ProbateWithin the areas of Estate Planning, Trust and Probate law and litigation, we provide the following full range of services...
- Tax LawWe advise sellers, buyers and brokers on all issues related to the purchase and sale of real estate, including contract negotiations associated with purchases and sales of land, office buildings, apartment complexes, storage facilities and shopping centers; disclosure requirements and due diligence, title diligence, title examination, physical condition of properties, zoning and regulatory matters, transfer and other tax issues, and liquidation of businesses with real property assets.