Attorney Joel A. Goldman Senior Litigation Counsel, California Office

Landmark Corporate Dissolution Litigation

One of Mr. Goldman’s most significant representations involved one of the largest and most complex proceedings litigated in the Los Angeles Superior Court and California Court of Appeal.

Mr. Goldman represented minority shareholders in an action seeking the involuntary dissolution of a corporation based on alleged mismanagement. The defendant was a mobile-home-park developer, owner, and operator that also served as general partner of approximately 38 limited partnerships operating across seven states.

The case was filed near the end of 1996 and proceeded to trial in March 1997 without formal pretrial discovery. Mr. Goldman and his clients prevailed at trial and obtained an order directing that the corporation be wound up and dissolved.

The litigation ultimately generated:

• More than 200 collateral lawsuits
• Approximately 35 appeals and appellate writ proceedings
• Approximately 38 Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases
• Proceedings involving thousands of limited partners throughout the United States
• Litigation over an attempted hostile takeover conducted through a tender offer

Mr. Goldman and his clients persuaded the court to appoint agents to wind up the corporation. The resulting process included the sale of most of the defendant’s assets for approximately $350 million, payment in full of all approved creditor claims, and a meaningful return to investors.

The matter demanded command of corporate governance, shareholder rights, insolvency, appellate procedure, creditors’ remedies, fiduciary obligations, and the coordination of litigation across multiple courts and jurisdictions. It ended in victory for Mr. Goldman’s clients.

Financial, Insurance and Insolvency Litigation

Mr. Goldman has prosecuted and defended matters involving alleged violations of federal and state securities laws, civil RICO, fraud, banking disputes, creditor claims, and insolvency.

He has represented financial institutions in a wide range of matters and has pursued complex enforcement remedies against judgment debtors and protected assets. His work has included successfully reaching assets held through a Cook Islands trust and obtaining the appointment of a post-judgment receiver authorized to litigate a judgment debtor’s cross-complaint.

Mr. Goldman also has substantial experience in insurance litigation. He has prosecuted and defended insurance-coverage and bad-faith claims involving:

• Disputes between insurers and their insureds
• Disputes among insurance carriers
• Reinsurance issues
• Insurance regulators
• Fiduciaries appointed by the California Department of Insurance
• Coverage and contribution claims involving subcontractors and liability carriers

His work has included obtaining defense judgments in insurance bad-faith matters and favorable judgments in disputes between insurance carriers.

Trial Experience and Representative Results

Mr. Goldman’s representative matters include:

• Obtaining a defense judgment in a civil RICO action
• Obtaining defense judgments in insurance bad-faith cases
• Securing a plaintiff’s verdict in an intellectual-property dispute
• Obtaining favorable judgments in disputes between insurance carriers
• Trying and obtaining defense judgments in legal-malpractice actions
• Defending developers in construction-defect litigation brought by a homeowners association
• Obtaining insurance coverage and contributions from subcontractors and their liability carriers
• Reaching assets maintained through a Cook Islands trust
• Obtaining the appointment of a post-judgment receiver to pursue a judgment debtor’s cross-complaint
• Successfully representing Los Angeles County Bar Association officers and trustees in litigation concerning an attempt to set aside or invalidate the association’s 2017 election
• Obtaining claim-and-delivery relief that returned a herd of elephants to its rightful owner

Mr. Goldman’s cases illustrate the breadth of remedies available to a litigator who understands not only how to obtain a judgment, but how to protect assets, secure control, enforce obligations, and produce a practical result.

Professional Leadership and Teaching

Mr. Goldman has contributed extensively to California’s legal profession as an educator, lecturer, section leader, and arbitrator.

He has served as a professor of Contracts, Legal Reasoning, and Ethics at the California College of Law. He has lectured to attorneys, certified public accountants, and other professionals on the use of expert witnesses, damages, and lost-profit analysis.

His speaking engagements have also included numerous lectures, panels, and professional presentations concerning:

• Civil procedure
• Prejudgment and post-judgment remedies
• Creditors’ rights and judgment enforcement
• Litigation under Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code
• The strategic use of expert witnesses
• Damages and lost-profit calculations
• Ethics and professional responsibility

Mr. Goldman was a founder and the first chair of the Remedies Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He has also served as an arbitrator in at least 100 attorney-client fee disputes over approximately four decades.

Professional Philosophy

Mr. Goldman believes effective litigation requires more than familiarity with legal doctrine. It requires creativity, procedural command, practical judgment, and the willingness to pursue the remedy that will actually solve the client’s problem.

He brings the perspective of a lawyer who has spent decades trying cases, defending institutions, pursuing concealed or protected assets, navigating insolvency proceedings, resolving business conflicts, and managing litigation whose scale extended far beyond the original complaint.

At Law House PC, Mr. Goldman provides clients and the firm’s litigation team with the benefit of that experience. He approaches each case with a clear objective: identify the decisive issue, select the strongest available remedy, and move the dispute toward a result.

Areas of Concentration

• Complex Civil Litigation
• Business and Commercial Litigation
• Corporate, Shareholder, and Partnership Disputes
• Commercial Law and Insolvency
• Creditors’ Rights and Remedies
• Insurance Coverage and Bad-Faith Litigation
• Real-Estate Workouts
• Prejudgment and Post-Judgment Remedies
• Professional Responsibility and Ethics
• Complex Financial and Family-Law Matters

Education

University of Southern California
Juris Doctor, 1967

Grinnell College
Bachelor of Science in Economics, 1964
Younker Scholar
Intercollegiate football and track

Professional Recognition

• AV Preeminent® rating from Martindale-Hubbell, 1985–2020
• Southern California Super Lawyers recognition
• Recognized by Law & Politics and Los Angeles Magazine, 2007–2017

Professional Affiliations

• State Bar of California
• Los Angeles County Bar Association
• Founder and First Chair, Remedies Section, Los Angeles County Bar Association