Pratt & Associates is proud to welcome attorney Kyla Holcomb Piramoon to the firm. Prior to joining Pratt & Associates, Ms. Piramoon served as corporate counsel for Seascape Beach Resort and The Holcomb Corporation Group of companies, a Santa Cruz area real-estate brokerage firm and development/construction company. She specializes in business, real estate, construction, land-use, employment, hospitality, and HOA law and litigation. Ms. Piramoon received her J.D. and Master’s Degree in Dispute Resolution from Pepperdine University School of Law, and her B.A. with Honors in Political Science and Business from UCLA.

Pratt & Associates is pleased to announce the association of Pierce Gore as Of Counsel.  Before starting his own practice in 2003, Pierce was a partner with Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein LLP in San Francisco.  Pierce’s career has spanned the gamut of litigation relating to class actions, real estate development, and business disputes.  Pierce also focuses on employment litigation, and homeowner association and property management litigation.  He has practiced for 25 years in both state and federal courts in San Francisco and Los Angeles.  Sharon Pratt, Founding Partner commented:  “It is with great pleasure that we welcome Pierce to the firm.  He brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience that will benefit not only clients, but other attorneys at the firm.”

Sharon Glenn Pratt of Pratt & Associates has successfully obtained a one year restraining order protecting her client, in a neighbor harassment case in Santa Clara County.

During the past 6 months, Attorneys Susan Bishop, Rosalia Tapia, and Sharon Pratt of Pratt & Associates have successfully obtained collection judgments in favor of their homeowner association clients in six cases, for a grand total exceeding $100,000, including the recovery of attorney’s fees.

On March 24, 2011, the Court of Appeal ordered the case entitled “Country Side Villas Homeowners Association v. Susan Ivie” 2011 Cal. App. LEXIS 338 to be published in the official reports for the State of California. Pratt & Associates successfully defended its client in the case from what the trial court and appellate court both found to be a SLAPP case (strategic lawsuit against public participation) in the context of a homeowners association. The appellate briefs were prepared by attorneys Sharon Glenn Pratt, Rosalia Burgueno Tapia, and Patricia Wendleton.

Pratt & Associates wins appeal in Homeowner Association anti-SLAPP case. Attorney Sharon Glenn Pratt presented oral argument on February 15, 2011 before the California Sixth Appellate District Court in San Jose, California. On February 25, 2011, the Appellate Court upheld the trial court’s decision granting a motion to strike in favor of Pratt & Associates’ client Susan Ivie, based on the anti-SLAPP statute. The case involved issues of constitutionally protected activity in the context of homeowner associations, proper parties for declaratory relief actions based on homeowner association governing documents, and timeliness. The appellate briefs were prepared by attorneys Sharon Glenn Pratt, Rosalia Burgueno Tapia, and Patricia Wendleton.

Attorney Elena Rivkin Franz recently presented a class for the California Apartment Association on Limiting Bed Bug Liability for Landlords and Property Managers.

Attorney Elena Rivkin Franz was quoted by Fox News regarding liability issues concerning bed bugs while travelling.  Read the full article at:

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2010/11/17/avoid-bedbugs-vacation/

Sharon Glenn Pratt of Pratt & Associates was recently quoted by HOALeader.com regarding her opinions on various issues.  Read the full articles at:  

http://www.hoaleader.com/public/464.cfm 

http://www.hoaleader.com/public/463.cfm 

http://www.hoaleader.com/public/462.cfm

 http://www.hoaleader.com/public/461.cfm

http://www.hoaleader.com/public/459.cfm

 http://www.hoaleader.com/public/456.cfm

 http://www.hoaleader.com/public/455.cfm

 http://www.hoaleader.com/public/454.cfm

 http://www.hoaleader.com/public/453.cfm

 http://www.hoaleader.com/public/451.cfm

Attorney Elena Rivkin Franz was quoted for the Credit Union Times publication on the new Fannie Mae regulations lending to homeowners who have strategic defaults.  Read the article here:  http://www.cutimes.com/Issues/2010/July-7-2010/Pages/Fannie-Mae-to-Target-WalkAways.aspx