Partner
J. Paul Lewis
Contact
Location
501 West Broadway
Suite 1200
San Diego, CA 92101
P (619) 849-4900
F (619) 849-4950
For more detailed information:
Bio
Paul has experience in all aspects of litigation, from pre-litigation evaluation through trial. His practice includes the defense of a wide variety claims from motor vehicle accidents and wrongful deaths to landlord tenant habitability and Fair Employment and Housing. He has significant experience handling personal injury cases involving exposure to mold, carbon monoxide, lead, mercury, pesticides and Legionella pneumophilia (Legionnaire’s Disease). He has worked on these types of cases throughout the United States as part of a National Environmental Counsel team. He was been admitted pro hac vice in Indiana for three years for a pesticide exposure case and one year in North Dakota for a mold exposure case.
Paul also regularly defends claims involving traumatic brain injuries, wrongful termination, employment discrimination, reasonable accommodations, commercial lease disputes, breach of contract, unlawful debt collection and violations of automatic bankruptcy stays.
In addition to litigation, Paul does Real Estate and Corporate transactional work. He has formed numerous corporations set up as Single Purpose Entities (SPE) for real estate holdings and in conjunction with large multifamily residential loans. Acting as Borrower’s counsel, he has closed hundreds of millions of dollars in loans. His experience includes preparing bylaws, resolutions for board of directors, certifications of trust, incumbency certificates, Borrower Opinion letters, Guarantor Opinion letters, complex Non-Consolidation Opinion letters (including unique shared facility use agreements with neighboring properties), drafting Commercial Property Management Agreements, Subordination Agreements and reviewing Borrower Swap Agreements with domestic and international banks and Interest Rate Cap (LIBOR) Agreements.
Education
University of San Diego (J.D., 2010)
Loyola Marymount University (B.A., 2007)
Licensed to Practice in:
California
Practice Areas
- Has formed numerous Delaware corporations set up as Single Purpose Entities (SPE) for real estate holdings and in conjunction with large multifamily residential loans.
- Closed over $100,000,000.00 of loans acting as Borrower’s counsel.
- Experience reviewing, drafting and modifying bylaws, resolutions for board of directors, certifications of trust, incumbency certificates, Borrower Opinion letters, Guarantor Opinion letters, complex Non-Consolidation Opinion letters (including unique shared facility use agreements with neighboring properties), drafting Shared-Use Agreements, Commercial Property Management Agreements, Subordination Agreements
- Review of Borrower Swap Agreements with domestic and international banks and Interest Rate Cap (LIBOR) Agreements.
- Experience defending individuals and corporations in cases involving unlawful debt collection, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and automatic stay violations in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.
- Defense of creditors and collections agencies against claims of unfair and illegal debt collection practices including alleged violations of the Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).
- Defense of claims brought against automotive dealerships for violations of the federal Truth In Lending Act (TILA) and claims under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA).
- Defense of claims made under California’s Unfair Competition Law, Consumer Legal Remedies Act, and Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act.
- Has experience defending employers in wrongful termination and discrimination cases involving age and pregnancy discrimination ranging from small business CEO’s to entry level employees.
- Defense of Employers in Fair Employment and Housing cases brought by employees for gender discrimination, harassment, retaliation and disability discrimination.
- Defense of Landlords in Fair Employment and Housing cases involving failure to accommodate mental and physical disabilities as well as racial discrimination, harassment and retaliation under the Unruh Act.
- Experienced in:
- Hotel Premises liability
- Bed Bugs
- Corporate set-up
- Has experience defending multiple claims involving Legionella pneumophilia (Legionnaires’ Disease).
- Experience defending class actions brought by former tenants against their landlord and property manager involving alleged bad faith and unlawful retention of security deposits.
- Successful challenge of class certification involving habitability / bed bug claims.
- Extensive experience with pre-certification discovery and Bel-Aire West notice issues concerning putative plaintiffs right to privacy.
- Appeal currently pending regarding issues pertaining to pre-certification settlement by defendants of putative plaintiffs.
- Has significant experience defending landlords, property management companies and homeowners associations in claims of personal injury and property damages resulting from water intrusion and exposure to mold.
- Has experience defending first party insured’s in matters involving excess dry down, water restoration, mold remediation and emergency services, including handling mechanics lien and lien release issues.
- Has taken several examinations under oath’s (EUO’s) of insured’s in first party insurance claims.
- Has significant experience defending bodily injury claims involving alleged exposure to mold and mold by-products, including damp buildings.
- Has significant experience defending claims arising from exposure to carbon monoxide, lead, mercury and chlorpyrifos based pesticides.
- Has defended mass tort claims across the United States with local in state counsel, including claims with over 50 plaintiffs.
- Has experience defending bodily injury and property damage claims from chlorophenols as the result of the improper application of residential and commercial cleaning and sanitation chemicals.
Publications
Trial & Appellate Results
Events, Seminars & Presentations
Memberships
San Diego Defense Lawyers, Member
The Welch Inns of Court, Alumni Member