Joshua R. Mandell

People

With broad litigation experience in business and real estate disputes, Josh Mandell devotes his practice to all aspects of commercial litigation, including breach of contract matters, fraud claims, lender liability issues, and business torts. He represents financial institutions, secured lenders, commercial landlords, property owners, and real property receivers in real estate litigation. Josh also has extensive experience resolving matters in state and federal court through arbitration.

In addition to his litigation work, Josh is an active member of Akerman's Cannabis Practice, which provides counsel to clients on the complex legal and business issues impacting companies with interests in the medical and adult-use cannabis industries.

Notable Work

Developer:

Represented as co-counsel in a jury trial resulting in a verdict in favor of a prominent developer of adaptive reuse projects in downtown Los Angeles. The jury awarded the client compensatory damages of $9.7 million for claims of breach of oral partnership agreement, fraud, negligent misrepresentation, and breach of fiduciary duty. Additionally, the jury awarded punitive damages in the amount of $3.9 million.

Investor:

Represented an individual who was misled into investing $1 million in a company, including an agreement to repay, with interest, the client's entire investment. Obtained early settlement resulting in complete recovery of client's investment.

Judgment Enforcement:

Represented a creditor in obtaining and enforcing a $4 million judgment for alter ego liability, including enforcement against contents of a safe deposit box and multiple life insurance policies among other assets.

Receiver:

Represented a state-court receiver in multiple matters, including the management and eventual sale of a prominent shopping center in Orange County, California.

Receiver:

Represented a state-court receiver in multiple matters, including the management and eventual sale of a prominent shopping center in Orange County, California.

Developer:

Represented a prominent real estate developer in an arbitration matter where the claimant dismissed the proceeding seeking specific performance of a real estate purchase and sale agreement during the proceedings.

Pro Bono Client:

Represented a pro bono client before the Los Angeles County Assessment Appeals Board regarding the amount of property taxes he owed after he was scammed out of the title to his home by a conman.

Shopping Mall Owner:

Represented the owner of a prominent Los Angeles shopping mall in a complex construction defect case involving water intrusion.

Developers:

Represented multiple entities sued by a bank seeking to enforce its security interests in accounts receivable of its defaulted borrower.

Mortgage Lender:

Represented a national mortgage lender and federal agency as receiver over a failed thrift, in multiple residential foreclosure-avoidance lawsuits.

Partners:

Represented multiple siblings in a partnership dispute with a fellow general partner engaged in self-dealing.

Investment Fund:

Represented an investment fund that acquired bad loans from the FDIC by obtaining a $10 million judgment against the guarantor of a defaulted loan. Obtained a judgment authorizing the court clerk to execute the deed of trust in the name of the defaulted borrower.

Investors:

Represented investors, as buyers, in litigation concerning a complicated purchase and sale arrangement of a prominent commercial building in Los Angeles where the sellers refused to return a refundable deposit of $5 million.

Aircraft Parts Purchaser:

Represented a client sued for the alleged non-payment of a purchase order in California. Obtained dismissal for lack of jurisdiction on the client’s behalf.

Easement Dispute:

Represented a client in successfully upholding easement rights on a longstanding agreement between the original owner of the client's commercial property and the owner of the adjacent lot.

Pro Bono Client:

Represented a client facing eviction from his home, which he had conditionally transferred to his son. Obtained settlement that enabled the client to share equally in the profit from an agreed sale of the house.

Show all

California Receiver’s Forum, Loyola IX Symposia, Speaker, "In a World of Few Options, Receivership Becomes the Solution," April 29, 2022
Infocast, California Cannabis Control Virtual Conference, Moderator, "Civil Litigation and Criminal Issues in the Cannabis Industry," October 7, 2021
Los Angeles County Bar Association, Cannabis Section, Cannabis Litigation Salon, Speaker, "Updates and Insights from Industry Leaders," October 6, 2021
Los Angeles Times, Quoted, "The Business of Cannabis," August 17, 2021
Los Angeles County Bar Association, Cannabis Section, Banking and Service Provider Networking Showcase, Moderator, "Raising the Bar Higher," June 1, 2021
California Cannabis Control Summit, Moderator, "Civil Litigation and Criminal Issues in the Cannabis Industry," September 10, 2020
Los Angeles County Bar Association, Moderator, "Getting in the Weeds With Cannabis Litigation: Claims, Strategies, Challenges, Finding Resolution," May 26, 2020
The Bar Association of San Francisco & Los Angeles County Bar Assocaition, Speaker, "COVID-19 Advice & Counsel for the Cannabis Industry: A Few Weeks In - How's It Going? How Can We Help Our Clients Now?" April, 20, 2020
Law360, Co-Author, "Attys Should Stop Using 2 Common Cannabis Industry Terms," July 13, 2020
Law360, Co-Author, "How Sellers Can Avoid Price-Gouging For 'Essential' Cannabis," April 9, 2020
Bisnow SOCAL Cannabis CRE Evolution Conference, Speaker, "Legislation Driving Development & Shaping Investment: The Impact of Local, City, and State Legislation on Investment, Cultivation Campuses, and Co-working Spaces," January 23, 2020
Law360, Author, "2020 May Be The Year Of The Great CBD Market Correction," January 1, 2020
Law360, Quoted, "For Legal Pot, Grass May Be Greener On The Arbitration Side" December 20, 2019
Daily Journal, Co-Author, "New Law Roundup: California Cannabis Laws Continue to Grow and Evolve," October 2019
Marijuana Business Daily, Quoted, "Los Angeles Attorneys Group Creates Cannabis Law Practice Area," October 10, 2019
Marijuana Venture, Author, "Cannabis Advertising: What Businesses Need to Know," September 20, 2019
The Knowledge Group, Co-Presenter, "Cannabis Advertising: What You Need to Know," Webinar, June 21, 2019
North Bay Business Journal, Featured, "More California Attorneys Move into Cannabis Law, As State-Federal Tension Remains," March 12, 2019
Los Angeles Daily Journal, Quoted, "High Court OKs Guidance for Cannabis Attorneys," October 2, 2018
Los Angeles Daily Journal, Co-Author "New Growing Pains For California's Regulated Cannabis Industry," July 23, 2018
Law360, Co-Author, "DEA Hemp Rule Is Safe For Now, But That May Change," June 15, 2018
Los Angeles County Bar Association, General Real Property Subsection, Co-Panelist, "Ethics in the Representation of Cannabis Clients," January 26, 2018
Law360, Co-Author, "America's Shifting Views on Marijuana Post-Cole Memo," January 16, 2018
Law360, Co-Author, "The Future of Legal Marijuana: Post-Election Outlook," December 21, 2016
Law360, Co-Author, "Marijuana Tipping Point: California and Florida Lead The Way," November 10, 2016
Financial Lawyers Conference, Co-Presenter, "Notes: An Accident Waiting to Happen," January 7, 2016
Los Angeles County Bar Association, Remedies Section, Co-Presenter, "Nuts & Bolts, Post Judgment Collections- Do It Right, Do It Once!," April 2014
Daily Journal, Author, "Domestic Debtor, Foreign Assets," June 13, 2013

National Association of Cannabis Businesses, Member
Los Angeles County Bar Association, Remedies Section, Executive Committee, Member; Cannabis Section, Founding Member
California Receivers Forum, Member
Los Angeles Rotary Club "LA5," Board of Directors; Scholarship Committee, Co-Chair
National Cannabis Bar Association, Member

President's Lifetime Achievement Award, Presented by Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Recognized for Volunteer Service, 2022

Joshua R. Mandell

Notable Work

Published Work and Lectures

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