First Admitted: 1997, California

Professional Webpage: https://www.buffingtonlawfirm.com/Attorneys/Roger-J-Buffingt...

Bar/Professional Activity:

California, 1997 U.S. District Court Central District of California, 1997 U.S. District Court Eastern District of California, 1997 U.S. District Court Northern District of California, 1997 U.S. District Court Southern District of California, 1997 U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 1997
Member, Orange County Bar Association, 2020

Verdicts/Settlements (Case Results):

Represented University of Southern California in an eight million dollar financial elder abuse claim and trust dispute. Recovered assets valued at nearly eight million dollars pursuant to a formal mediation after two years of litigation., 2022
Resolved large Homeowner's Association dispute representing homeowner through professional mediation process., 2023
Resolved large multi-family Trust litigation matter through settlement process. , 2022
Tried 4 week jury trial in employment and discrimination dispute., 2023
Resolved multimillion dollar breach of contract dispute via professional mediation settlement., 2022
Resolved multi-million dollar Trust dispute through mediation settlement., 2022
Represented trust beneficiaries in over a dozen high-dollar lawsuits, all of which resolved in Mediation during 2022., 2022
Represented University of Southern California in a multi-million dollar inheritance dispute in which the firm recovered a seven-figure settlement pursuant to mediation., 2023
Tried a Financial Elder Abuse case representing plaintiff in Orange County Superior Court. Recovered over $400,000 in damages as well as attorney's fees for the client., 2021
Represented a client a high-dollar shareholder's claim case at mediation and achieved a high-dollar settlement for the client., 2022
Successfully mediated a multi-million dollar financial elder abuse, fraud, and quiet title action such that the Petitioners (opposing side) took nothing in their claim. , 2022
In a breach of contract case, represented a corporation in a high-dollar dispute in the context of the purchase and sale of the business. Successfully negotiated a settlement that exceeded the client's best expectations., 2022
Successfully negotiated a "walk away" zero dollar settlement in a trust and elder abuse case, representing defendant, in which Plaintiff recovered nothing., 2022
Negotiated closure in a small inheritance dispute among Trust successor-trustees and beneficiaries resulting in the Court's approval of the terms of our proposed Petition., 2021
Negotiated a settlement in a shareholder's dispute for a large California corporation., 2021
Handled and settled numerous high-dollar trust estate litigation matters in favor of our client, a major California university, 2021
Settled a high-dollar employment claim against our client, a major California biomedical corporation for a nominal settlement., 2021
Recovered high-dollar damages for a client who had been victimized by a professional advisor., 2021
Recovered a large estate for a client who had been victimized by undue influence., 2021
Recovered a multi-million dollar estate for a client who had been victimized by a financial predator., 2021
Represented an elderly woman (petitioner) who had been defrauded out of most of her approximately $15 million estate. Causes of action included financial elder abuse and undue influence. After settlement petitioner recovered most of her estate., 2019
After prevailing at trial, won an appellate decision affirming such, dealing with a dispute concerning ownership of a California single family residence., 2019
After prevailing at trial, won an appeal as lead counsel in Orange Catholic Diocese v. Arvizu that resulted in a published opinion clarifying an important area of California trust law concerning fiduciary duty liability for trustees of California revocable ("living") trusts., 2019
Lead counsel in a trust litigation case representing three beneficiaries (petitioners) seeking to dissolve and force distribution of a $20 million family trust and remove the trustees. After a three week bench trial petitioners prevailed on all major causes of action. (Matter now on appeal.), 2018
In an action contesting the ownership of an Orange County corporation, attorneys Roger J. Buffington (lead counsel) and Adam M. Foster (associate) won a declaratory judgment verdict which resolved all issues in favor of their client., 2016
Lead defense counsel in a business litigation case decided by a one-month jury trial concerning a dispute over ownership of a corporation and its subsidiaries valued at up to $100 million. Prevailed on all causes of action whereby the jury rendered a verdict in which the opposing side (plaintiff) took nothing on eight causes of action., 2018

Representative Clients:

Zapp Packaging Inc. Outside general counsel, 2022
Accident Attorney's Group Inc., 2023
University of Southern California. Primary outside counsel for most matters concerning trust and estate litigation for the past 20 years., 2020
Zapp Packaging, Inc., 2020
Hemosure, Inc. Outside general counsel. (Affiliate of WHPM Inc.). Mainly deals with employment claims and breach of contract disputes., 2020
WHPM Inc. A major California biomedical firm. Outside general counsel for all litigation matters primarily involving employment claims and contract disputes., 2020
Primary Color Systems Corporation Cosmo Nail Bar, Inc., 2016

Special Licenses/Certifications:

California Certified Public Accountant (inactive status), 2020

Pro bono/Community Service:

Lambda Chi Alpha, Pi Alpha Epsilon
Fountain Valley Chamber of Commerce, Member, 2012 - 2013

Honors/Awards:

Army Commendation Medal, 1975 - 1980
University of Southern California Interdisciplinary Law Journal, Editor-in-Chief 1997
Distinguished Military Graduate, UCLA, 1971 - 1975

Educational Background:

University of California, Los Angeles, California, A.B., Major: Economics
University of Southern California Marshall School of Business, California, Master of Business Administration - 1982, Major: Emphasis in Accounting and Finance

Scholarly Lectures/Writings:

A one hour class in which I was the primary instructor to the Orange County Bar Association trust and estates section., Primary instructor (Orange County Bar Association Webinar), Webinar: How Estate Planners Can Avoid Trust and Estate Litigation, 2022
A Proposed Standard of Liability for the Public Accounting Profession, USC Interdisciplinary Law Journal, Spring, 1997

Industry Groups:

Biomedical
Electronics and Computer
Legal
Printing
Universities/Higher Education

Roger Buffington