Mergers and Acquisitions

• Merged with Maldonado Leyva y Asociados, S.C., 2005

Languages

• Spanish
• English
• French

Law Firm Overview

We are a firm of attorneys who provide a broad array of legal services in the greater San Diego-Tijuana region to companies and individuals from the local area and around the world. We keep offices in both San Diego and Tijuana, and our attorneys are admitted to practice in California and Mexico as well as Washington, D.C. and New York.

We provide superior work in legal matters that arise on each side of the border or that straddle both sides of the border. For cross-border transactions and legal disputes that concern both U.S. and Mexican law, there is perhaps no firm better placed than us to perform the work with the highest possible degree of skill and expertise. In particular, we perform the following kinds of work:

• Commercial Transactions/Real Estate Transactions
• Commercial Litigation/Real Estate Litigation
• Antitrust Litigation and Counsel
• International Transactions/NAFTA Matters/Customs
• Immigration Law
• Other Legal Services

OUR WORK

Business Transactions and Government Matters. We prepare and analyze commercial and real estate transactions of all kinds on both sides of the border. We handle U.S. transactions, with an emphasis on local San Diego matters, as well as Mexican transactions, with an emphasis on Tijuana and Baja California matters. We also handle transnational U.S./Mexican transactions, relying on our expertise in both jurisdictions. Antonio Maldonado maintains a superb network of business and government contacts in Mexico, and he has considerable experience working on cross-national transactions of all kinds. William Markham, who used to work in a major international law firm, has expert knowledge in American law on the following matters: Partnership law, commercial contracts, real estate law, and antitrust law. Working together and with others, Mr. Maldonado and Mr. Markham can help your business to set up shop, conduct its operations, and sort out its different legal problems in the greater San Diego-Tijuana region.

Litigation and Trial Work. We litigate civil and administrative disputes in California and Mexico for both plaintiffs and defendants in large and small cases. Our principal California trial lawyer is William Markham, who since 1988 has litigated more than one-thousand cases, often with notable success. He specializes in real estate and business litigation and handles a wide array of large and small matters. In certain cases brought on behalf of plaintiffs, he has obtained some very substantial recoveries, two of which were well into the seven figures. In other cases, in which he has acted for the defense, he has defeated or greatly lessened major claims brought by serious litigants who at first glance appeared to have strong cases. He can personally handle your civil dispute or assemble a team of litigators for larger matters. Mr. Markham is widely regarded by his peers as a first-rate litigator of difficult commercial disputes and real estate controversies.

Our firm also litigates civil disputes and administrative claims in Mexico. Our Mexican litigation practice is managed by Luis Alfonso Leyva-Castro, who is one of the best courtroom attorneys in Tijuana.

Immigration and Nationality Matters. Our immigration specialist is Antonio Maldonado, who practices before administrative agencies, immigration courts, and consular posts in both the United States and Mexico, and who has expertise in the immigration laws of both countries. Mr. Maldonado regularly obtains immigration visas and permits of every description from the United States Department of Homeland Security (formerly, the Immigration and Naturalization Service). He also provides counseling and guidance on immigration law, and he handles deportation/removal matters as well as other contested immigration matters. Using state-of-the-art software, and relying on a thorough command of the rules and procedures in effect in both the U.S. and Mexico, Mr. Maldonado offers first-rate immigration advice and representation in this difficult, constantly evolving field of law.

HOW WE PERFORM OUR WORK

We are always mindful that our clients hire us to look after serious legal matters that urgently require our close attention, dedication, and expertise. We are here to help our clients with their most difficult or important legal problems, no matter how formidable the task. We have many times successfully resolved matters that our clients initially feared were hopeless. We also offer ongoing guidance and "preventive advice", helping our clients to avoid pitfalls and accomplish their goals.

Our contracts and conveyances are expertly done and comprehensively address all the relevant concerns in the manner most helpful to our clients. Our immigration work is the best on offer in the region.

We also offer inspired representation in the courts and administrative tribunals. We take special care at the very outset to develop a superior statement of the case. We fully analyze the controversy, prepare our theory of the case, and promptly decide upon the best course of action. We then set out to compile the necessary proofs and defeat the various counter-measures that we anticipate our adversary will employ. If along the way we cannot reach a proper settlement, we show up at trial, not shy away from it, and, better still, we show up prepared to win. We strive in each litigation to take the initiative, not merely respond to what the adversary does. We aim at every stage and particularly at trial to state our client's best possible case in light of the evidence and prevailing laws. We tell our client's story as well as it can be told and explain how the applicable laws should be applied to the case at hand. This is how we provide expert representation for our clients. This is how we have many times obtained superb results for them, often in exceedingly difficult matters.

Above all, we understand our work thoroughly and offer superior legal counsel and advocacy, and we take enormous pride in our work and know that practical results are what matter the most.

OUR SPECIAL LANGUAGE SKILLS

Our attorneys and staff can assist you in English, Spanish, and even French, doing so with total fluency in all three languages. Hablamos espanol! Nous parlons le francais!

To find out more, please contact us. You can also learn much more about our work and our firm elsewhere on this site.

Areas of Practice

• Business Transactions
• Business Disputes Litigation
• Real Estate Transactions
• Real Estate Litigation
• Business Formations
• Condemnation Law/Eminent Domain
• Whistle-blower/"Qui Tam" Litigation
• Business Immigration/Business Visas

Honors and Awards

• SDDT Top Attorneys 2005 Semi-finalists
• SDDT Top Attorneys 2006 Semi-finalists

West Practice Categories

Antitrust Law, Unfair Competition, Business & Commercial Law, Commercial Leasing, Contracts, Franchising, International Transactions, Joint Ventures, Secured Transactions, Transactions, Business Organizations, Closely Held Businesses, Corporate Governance, Dissolution, Formation & Business Planning, Limited Liability Companies, Partnerships, Eminent Domain, Entertainment, Immigration & Naturalization Law, Immigration, Naturalization & Citizenship, Visas, Copyrights, International Intellectual Property, Trademarks, International Law, Business & Trade, Customs, Foreign Investment, Litigation & Appeals, Complex Litigation, Federal Trial Practice, Multidistrict Litigation, State Trial Practice, Premises Liability -- Plaintiff, Property Damage -- Plaintiff, Real Estate Law, Commercial Real Estate, Condemnation, Condominiums & Cooperatives, Conveyancing, Land Use & Zoning, Landlord/Tenant, Foreclosure & Alternatives, Residential Real Estate, Title Insurance, Securities Law, Private Placements, Whistleblower/Qui Tam