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Who We Are

The lawyers at WJH offer clients both local and statewide representation in a wide range of practice areas. Whether you need representation in State or Federal Court, WJH is an effective advocate able to handle any civil litigation or criminal matter. WJH is the ‘trial lawyer firm’ other attorneys turn to when in need of litigation or trial assistance.

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Our Mission

Wanger Jones Helsley PC’s mission is to provide high quality representation and advice to the firm’s clients in a timely and cost-effective manner. Our attorneys specialize in a broad range of practice areas, including the representation of national clientele in complex tort and personal injury claims; construction disputes; the representation of management in employment and labor matters; commercial, business, and real estate litigation; agriculture and agribusiness; insolvency and bankruptcy; water law; insurance defense; environmental law and land use; toxic torts; insurance coverage and bad faith litigation; probate and estate litigation; family law litigation and services; and white collar criminal defense. On any given day, you may find the attorneys at Wanger Jones Helsley PC preparing for trial; advising employers on sensitive labor and employment issues; presenting oral arguments to State or Federal courts of appeal; defending complex tort cases; analyzing new employment or environmental regulations that affect local businesses; advocating before administrative tribunals; steering both debtors and creditors through insolvency and bankruptcy; or providing much-needed guidance to individuals in the areas of family law, estate planning, and probate.

The attorneys at Wanger Jones Helsley PC thrive on new challenges and take great pride in vigorously representing their clients’ interests. As a result, it is no surprise that the firm enjoys an A/V rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating possible from this well-respected national lawyers’ directory. In addition, over half the firm’s lawyers were recognized as 2019 Northern California Super Lawyers or Rising Stars, including three on the Top 100 list (Oliver W. Wanger, Riley C. Walter, and Kurt F. Vote).

Practice
Areas

Being in the center of the most productive farming region in the world, the firm’s attorneys are well-acquainted with the legal and business-related issues encountered by farmers, ranchers, dairymen, and agribusinesses.  The firm provides a wide array of services to these communities, including business law, litigation, insolvency, and estate planning.

The firm’s transactional practice focuses on advising a wide range of clients from institutions and banks to smaller private firms and individuals on forming corporations, limited liability companies, and partnerships; preparing required agreements for the acquisition, disposition or leasing of real property; conducting due diligence on transactions; acting in the capacity of corporate counsel and advising on corporate governance and other matters; hiring employees and independent contractors; purchasing and selling businesses; merging with other businesses; selling equity to outside investors; entering joint ventures and working with strategic partners; resolving internal and external conflicts; and engaging in other activities relevant to their businesses.

The firm’s commercial litigation practice focuses on insurance defense and complex tort defense; personal injury defense; business, agricultural, and real estate disputes; creditors' remedies; products liability; construction disputes and construction defect litigation; unfair business practices; corporate and partnership disputes; and insurance coverage bad faith claims.  The firm's commercial litigation partners have extensive trial and appellate experience in State and Federal courts.

The firm’s construction litigation attorneys assist clients with disputes in State and Federal courts involving all manner of private and public works projects.  Clients of our construction practice include developers, designers and engineers, builders, general contractors, subcontractors, and material suppliers.  We have extensive experience in litigated matters, as well as those proceeding through arbitration or mediation before the American Arbitration Association (AAA) and the Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Service (JAMS), among others.  In addition to representing clients in breach of contract, construction defect, and SB 800 matters, our attorneys handle mechanic’s lien, stop notice, and Miller Act claims; delay and disruption claims, including changed conditions and requests for equitable adjustment (REA); defense of design professionals, including architects and engineers; Contractor’s State License Board (CSLB) proceedings, including citations, accusations, and license suspension, revocation, or denial matters; and insurance coverage, bad faith, and declaratory relief actions involving residential, industrial, and commercial construction defect cases.  We also represent both buyers and sellers of real property in connection with proposed development and regularly draft purchase and sale agreements, option contracts, and related documents.

The firm’s environmental, water, real estate, and land use attorneys work with developers and local governments throughout the San Joaquin Valley and assist the firm’s clients with a wide variety of water law issues; land use approvals; compliance with environmental regulations such as the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the Endangered Species Act; the negotiation of development agreements; and the review and negotiation of fees and exactions. Our attorneys also handle a wide range of environmental, real estate, and land use litigation in both State and Federal Courts and administrative tribunals, including environmental actions arising under State and Federal statutes such as Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and Proposition 65; the defense of mandamus petitions challenging development approvals; boundary, title and easement disputes; and disputes involving commercial and agricultural lease/purchase agreements.

The firm has several attorneys dedicated to handling all forms of family law disputes and pre-suit negotiations concerning dissolution, child custody, visitation, child support, spousal support, domestic violence, temporary restraining orders, and emergency protective orders.  Additionally, the attorneys also handle the negotiation and drafting of pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements.  These attorneys have extensive experience in litigating complex matters involving businesses, ownership interests in various ongoing businesses and property, and buy-sell agreements in addition to providing advice regarding the intersection of family law issues with estate planning.  Wanger Jones Helsley PC believes in integrating expert forensic accountants early in cases to develop important information concerning tracing of assets in order to offer our clients the most beneficial result relating to assets owned by multiple parties.

The firm’s attorneys have significant expertise in almost all areas involving troubled businesses, farms, dairies and hospital districts.  The firm provides service to creditors and debtors in Chapters 7, 9, 11 and 12 bankruptcies, receiverships, workouts, and assignments for benefit of creditors.  Members of the firm have been involved in almost all major insolvencies in the San Joaquin Valley for nearly 40 years.

WJH has several seasoned attorneys who have represented insureds and insurers in complex coverage litigation. The firm has handled litigation in state and federal courts, arbitrations, and internationally relating to coverage issues. Additionally, WJH has represented individuals, partnerships and corporations in actions against insurers based on a failure to afford coverage under commercial general liability, commercial and individual auto, environmental, business, farm and workers’ compensation policies. Further, WJH has performed attorney fee bill and Buss audits for purposes of allocating work on covered and uncovered claims.

The firm’s labor and employment attorneys have extensive State and Federal court experience in connection with employment discrimination, wage and hour, injunction, and wrongful discharge matters.  The firm’s labor and employment law practice group also provides ongoing advice and training to management in employment matters, and representation to employers in labor arbitrations and administrative proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board (ALRB), Cal-OSHA, the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

The firm offers mediation and private judging services, provided by the Honorable Oliver W. Wanger (Ret.). Judge Wanger has over twenty-five years of experience on the bench as a federal judge, and many more years representing businesses and government entities in the Central Valley. Judge Wanger’s judicial experience and litigation background make him uniquely situated to assist in resolution of even the most complex cases.

The firm’s attorneys have extensive experience in defending local and national clients in personal injury matters.  The firm has tried numerous cases to defense verdict, and also was the lead firm in securing a victory for a national client in the published case of Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. v. Department of Transportation (2013) 220 Cal.App.4th 87.  The firm handles single plaintiff personal injury cases to complex personal injury cases involving multiple Plaintiffs, with possible exposure ranging from five to eight figures in damages.

The firm’s probate litigation attorneys represent trustees, executors, beneficiaries, and other interested parties in a variety of litigated probate matters including trust contests, will contests, conservatorships, creditor’s claims, and trust modifications.

For individuals needing assistance with asset preservation and distribution planning, the firm’s estate planning attorneys are skilled in helping our clients achieve the benefits of preparing a will, a trust, and other important documents.  Each individual’s and each family’s estate planning needs are unique.  For this reason, our attorneys place a high value on understanding your desires and discussing the options available to achieve those goals. Whether you are looking to preserve and protect assets, to provide for a special needs child, or to ensure a well-designed distribution for future generations, you will find the firm’s estate planning attorneys ready and able help you to create a plan that meets your personal goals and gives you peace of mind about tomorrow.

The firm’s criminal defense practice provides representation to individuals and businesses facing a wide range of charges.

Selected Cases

In re Coalinga Reg’l Med. Ctr. (2019)

608 B.R. 746

In this 2019 case, Riley C. Walter successfully argued that the United States trustee for region 17 (“UST”) lacked authority to appoint unsecured creditors’ committees in Chapter 9 cases under 11 U.S.C. § 1102 (a)(1). Debtor also contends that § 105 (a) as implemented by Rule 2020 (providing the procedure to contest any act of the UST) authorizes the court to disband Committee.

John R. Lawson Rock & Oil, Inc. v. Air Resources Board (2018)

20 Cal.App.5th 77

Tim Jones and John P. Kinsey successfully challenged proposed modifications adopted by the California Air Resources Board (“CARB”) to the “Truck and Bus Regulation,” which adversely affected trucking companies that had diligently and timely complied with the original regulation. The Court found CARB violated the California Environmental Quality Act by using an improper environmental baseline, as well as the Administrative Procedure Act by failing to adequately assess the economic impact of the modifications on compliant trucking companies. In a related appeal, the firm successfully argued the petitioners were entitled to an award of attorneys’ fees under Section 1021.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure. Mr. Kinsey argued both cases on appeal.

Greer v. Pacific Gas and Electric Company (E.D. Cal. 2017)

265 F.Supp.3d 1053, 1058

Patrick D. Toole represented Plaintiffs in a class action against employer Pacific Gas and Electric Company and union, alleging that employer failed to pay wages due under a collective bargaining agreement (“CBA”), and that the union breached its duty of fair representation. This case resulted in no less than three significant opinions. First, Plaintiffs established they were not required to exhaust a grievance process before bringing a Labor Management Relations Act (“LMRA”) claim; second, Plaintiffs established precedent preventing witnesses from materially altering their deposition testimony to support a summary judgment motion; and third, genuine issues of material fact existed on the question of whether the union conducted an adequate investigation prior to entering into settlement agreements with PG&E. These rulings ultimately led to a $5.8 million settlement in favor of the firm’s clients.

United States v. McIntosh (9th Cir. 2016)

United States v. McIntosh (9th Cir. 2016)

Peter M. Jones represented one of the Defendants for marijuana offenses under the Controlled Substances Act. Defendants sought to enjoin the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) from using any appropriated funds to support the prosecutions. Defendants moved to dismiss their indictments or to enjoin their prosecutions on the grounds that the DOJ was barred from spending funds to prosecute them. The Ninth Circuit remanded to the district courts, finding that if the DOJ wishes to continue these prosecutions, Defendants were entitled to evidentiary hearings to determine if their conduct strictly complied with all relevant conditions imposed by California state law on the use, distribution, possession, and cultivation of medical marijuana. Mr. Jones’ client and the other Defendants were subsequently dismissed as a result of the trial court ruling.

Central Green Co. v. United States (2001)

531 U.S. 425, 121 S.Ct. 1005

Central Green sued the United States of America under the Federal Tort Claims Act for damage to Central Green’s pistachio trees caused by water leaking from a federal water project. In a landmark decision argued by Timothy Jones, the United States Supreme Court unanimously reversed the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals holding the Federal Flood Control Act was not a bar to plaintiff’s claims.

Affordable Housing Development Corp v. City Of Fresno (2006)

433 F.3d 1182

In this case the firm successfully defended individuals who asserted their first amendment rights and were sued for $27,000,000. This case was important in establishing first amendment rights of individuals to petition their Government for redress.

Mergerdigian v. Western Farm Service (1986)

788 F.2d 760

In this case the firm successfully defended against an employee’s claim for wrongful discharge and age discrimination in the trial court, and this result was affirmed on appeal.

POET, LLC v. California Air Resources Board (2013)

218 Cal.App.4th 681

In this case, attorneys Timothy Jones, John P. Kinsey, and Daren A. Stemwedel successfully argued that the California Air Resources Board violated multiple provisions of CEQA and the APA when it adopted the Low Carbon Fuel Standard regulation, a major component of the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. The Fifth District Court of Appeal set aside the approval of the regulation, directing the Air Resources Board to comply with CEQA and the APA.

Baker v. Boland (2009)

Cal. App. Unpub. Lexis 3569

In this case, Scott D. Laird successfully obtained reversal of “prevailing party” determination and attorney fees award on appeal, overcoming the “abuse of discretion” standard.

Artesia Dairy v. Agricultural Labor Relations Board (2008)

168 Cal.App.4th 598

In this case the firm successfully argued that the ALRB erred in failing to count the ballots of three employees in an agricultural election. The Court of Appeals ordered that the challenged ballots be opened and agreed that the ALRB had improperly construed the statute to exclude relatives of the owner of the dairy from voting.

Animal Legal Defense Fund v. Mendes (2008)

160 Cal.App.4th 136

In this case the firm successfully defended claims that Mendes Calf Ranch violated various statutes pertaining to the raising of livestock. The firm successfully defended the case and succeeded in convincing the Court that the Plaintiff lacked standing to sue under the Unfair Business Practice scheme set forth in California Business and Professions Code §17200.

Westamerica Bank v. MBG Industries, Inc. (2007)

158 Cal.App.4th 109

In this case, Scott D. Laird successfully defended appeal and made new law regarding California Code of Civil Procedure Section 998 Offers.

North American Bldg. Maintenance, Inc. v. Fireman’s Fund Ins. Co. (2006)

137 Cal.App.4th 627

Patrick D. Toole and Scott D. Laird successfully argued that the insurance company, Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company, wrongfully denied its insured coverage for a claim of false imprisonment in an underlying class action lawsuit.

City Of Fresno v. People Ex Rel Fresno Fire Fighters (1999)

71 Cal.App.4th 82

In this case the firm successfully represented the City of Fresno in a labor case involving an action brought by the Police Officer’s Union and the Fire Fighter’s Union seeking to set aside the repeal of the City Charter provisions which set forth the employee’s wages based upon an eight city average. In this complex case arising under the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act, it was successfully argued at both the trial and Appellate Court level that the actions taken by the City of Fresno were proper and that the City of Fresno properly fulfilled its bargaining obligations with the labor unions.

Quinn Company (1984)

273 NLRB No. 107, 118 LRRM 1239

In this case the National Labor Relations Board upheld the decertification of the union that had represented the work force of the firm’s client. The board’s opinion is often cited for the proposition that a bargaining unit supervisor properly may participate in the decertification process.

Joe A. Freitas & Sons v. Food Packers, Processors And Warehousemen Local 865, International Brotherhood Of Teamsters (1985)

164 Cal.App.3d 1210, 211 Cal.Rptr. 157

In this case the firm obtained the reversal of an adverse arbitration award, in the process establishing important precedent regarding the validity and interpretation of collective bargaining agreements under California’s Agricultural Labor Relations Act.