Jeffrey S. Galvin

Partner

621 Capitol Mall
18th Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814

Areas of Law:

Litigation, Trusts and Estates, Intellectual Property, Advertising/Marketing Law

Admitted to Practice in:

California, Nevada

Jeff Galvin represents clients in complex disputes and high stakes litigation. His clients benefit from his depth of experience, his accessibility and responsiveness, and his outstanding oral and written advocacy skills.

After clerking for a federal district judge in Los Angeles, Jeff spent several years at the Federal Trade Commission in Washington, where he investigated businesses engaged in deceptive trade practices and filed lawsuits against them in federal courts around the country.

At Downey Brand, Jeff has advised clients on regulatory compliance, with a particular emphasis on marketing law. Jeff has special familiarity with California 's Unfair Competition Law (Business & Professions Code section 17200) and Consumers Legal Remedies Act. He has represented clients in disputes with competitors, defended them in class action suits, and assisted them in responding to inquiries from federal, state and local agencies. He has vindicated free speech rights in the political arena and the property rights of the shopkeeper.

Trust and estate litigation is a major focus of Jeff's practice. He represents fiduciaries (i.e., executors and trustees) and beneficiaries in a broad variety of contested matters, including will contests and trust contests (often involving claims of lack of capacity or undue influence), the interpretation of ambiguous provisions, the management and valuation of real estate and other assets, the disposition of creditors' claims, and the sufficiency of accountings. Since trust and estate litigation has special rules, clients benefit from Jeff's frequent practice in this field. Jeff works closely with Downey Brand's estate planning attorneys and he edits the firm's Pathways newsletter.

Jeff practices law in both California and Nevada. He has received the highest peer rating, “AV”, from Martindale Hubbell. He has served as a Lawyer Representative from the Eastern District of California to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference and currently serves on the Judiciary Committee of the Sacramento County Bar Association. He founded and coordinated the firm's pro bono program and is a member of the Board of Directors of Legal Services of Northern California.

Experience

Complex Litigation

Represented delivery company in statewide class action involving status of individuals as independent contractors or employees. Limited scope of certified class.

Represented medical device manufacturer in class action brought by foreign plaintiffs. Obtained dismissal under forum non conveniens doctrine.

Represented Sacramento City Unified School District in challenge to charter school at Sacramento High campus. Case resolved favorably for client.

Represented defendant accused of defamation in the context of political commentary. Won special motion to strike on First Amendment ground.

Represented national bank in trial against large insurance company. Pierced corporate veil to hold affiliated corporation liable. Prevailed on appeal and collected $2.1M judgment for client.

Represented truck manufacturer in administrative trial before New Motor Vehicle Board regarding termination of dealer. Agency upheld termination.

Represented large grocery chain in appeal involving scope of state constitutional right to circulate petitions. Won at Court of Appeal. Review dismissed by California Supreme Court.

Represented challengers to California's 2001 redistricting plan in trial court and on appeal.

Trust and Estate Litigation

Represented claimant in $15M dispute regarding validity of holographic (handwritten) will. Case resolved successfully for client after trial began.

Represented beneficiary in will contest involving testator with Alzheimer's disease. Case settled favorably before trial.

Represented successor trustee at trial involving alleged breach of trust by prior trustee.

Represented children seeking to remove parent as co-trustee of trust so as to avoid loss of trust assets. Case settled favorably before trial.

Represented trustee seeking to recover promissory note proceeds under California Probate Code Section 850. Case settled favorably before trial.

Advertising and Marketing Law Advice and Litigation

Advises businesses on compliance with federal and state advertising and trade practices laws, claims against competitors, and defense of claims by regulators and competitors.

Mediation

Selected and trained to serve on the mediation panel of the California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District.

Prior Legal Experience

Former Staff Attorney for the Federal Trade Commission, Washington, DC.

Former Law Clerk to Judge John G. Davies of the United States District Court, Los Angeles, California.

Professional Honors
Martindale-Hubbell AV Peer Review Rating.

MEMBERSHIPS

U.S. Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, Former Attorney Delegate from the Eastern District of California

U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, U.S. District Courts in California and Nevada, Admitted to Practice

Anthony M. Kennedy Inn of court, Barrister Member

Federal Bar Association, Sacramento Chapter, Member

Sacramento County Bar Association, Judiciary Committee, Member

Sacramento County Bar Association, Probate and Estate Planning Section, Member

Sacramento Estate Planning Council, Member

Milton L. Schwartz American Inn of Court, Former Member

EDUCATION

UCLA School of Law (J.D., Order of the Coif, 1993)

Harvard University (B.A., cum laude, 1988)

PUBLICATIONS

San Francisco Daily Journal and Los Angeles Daily Journal, “The Rising Tide of Will and Trust Contests,” June 15, 2010, Co-Author with Laura E. Brown

San Francisco Daily Journal and Los Angeles Daily Journal, “Stranger in a Strange Land: Entering Trust and Estate Litigation,” May 12, 2010, Author

San Francisco Daily Journal and Los Angeles Daily Journal, “Prospecting in the Silver State: Nevada Offers Plenty of Opportunity,” February 6, 2008, Co-Author with Craig S. Denney

San Francisco Daily Journal and Los Angeles Daily Journal, “Rules for Marketing by Fax Become More Complicated,” April 27, 2006, Author

San Francisco Daily Journal and Los Angeles Daily Journal, "Car Buyer's Bill of Rights Complicates Work of Dealers," August 31, 2005, Author

California Apartment Association Perspective Magazine, “Advertising and the Internet,” November/December 2004, Author

San Francisco Daily Journal and Los Angeles Daily Journal, "Lenders Obtain New Enforcement Rights," November 11, 2004, Author 

San Francisco Daily Journal and Los Angeles Daily Journal, “Sales Callers Must Heed Regulatory Hang-Ups,” April 29, 2004, Author

San Francisco Daily Journal and Los Angeles Daily Journal, “Unfair-Competition Laws Need More Focus On Proportionality,” December 19, 2001, Co-Author

Advertising & Marketing Law Update, a publication of Downey Brand LLP, Author

PRESENTATIONS

“Brand Strategy: Dancing with the Lawyers,” 2009, Speaker

Sacramento Art Directors and Artists Club, “Own it: Copyright Issues for Visual Artists,” 2007, Speaker

American Marketing Association, Sacramento Chapter, “Legal Do's and Don'ts for Internet Marketers,” 2007, Speaker

McClellan Technology Incubator, “Protecting Your Intellectual Property,” 2006, Speaker

Conference of the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California, "Copyright in the Digital Age," 2005, Panel Moderator

American Marketing Association, Sacramento Valley Chapter, “Getting Creative with Copyright and Trademark: What Every Marketer Must Know,” 2005, Speaker

Continuing Education of the Bar, “Anti-SLAPP Motions,” 2005, Speaker

Sacramento Advertising Club, “Who Owns the Big Idea?” 2004, Speaker

Sacramento Public Relations Association, “How to Avoid Liability in Your PR Communications,” 2004, Speaker

American Marketing Association, Sacramento Valley Chapter, “Marketing and the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003,” 2004, Speaker

American Corporate Counsel Association, Sacramento Chapter, “Class Action Aspects of Wage and Hour Claims,” 2003, Speaker

Public Relations Society of America, California Capital Chapter, “Legal Trapdoors in Corporate Communications,” 2003, Speaker

American Marketing Association, Sacramento Valley Chapter, “Marketing Within the Law,” 2003, Speaker

Continuing Education of the Bar, “Unfair Business Practices: Section 17200 and Beyond,” 2003, Speaker

American Corporate Counsel Association, Sacramento Chapter, “Unfair Competition Law: Some Fluency Required,” 2002, Speaker

UCLA School of Law, 1992, Teaching Assistant in Criminal Law

CHARITABLE

Legal Services of Northern California, Director

Voluntary Legal Services Program, Director and Pro Bono Attorney

Linking Education and Economic Development in Sacramento, Former Director

Diogenes Youth Services, Inc., Former Director

Summerbridge Program at Sacramento Country Day School, Former Advisory Committee Member

Leadership Sacramento, Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce, Graduate and Program Day Chair

Harvard College Alumni Interview Committee, Member

Downey Brand LLP, Former Pro Bono Coordinator