FAQ – OC-Business Lawyer Steve Tsai

Frequently Asked Questions in Litigation Matters

What can I recover if I win?

Generally, you can recover the money loss that was proximately caused by the legal wrong you suffered. The applicable statutes, rules or regulations may also allow for an award of interest at the legal rate, punitive damages, attorney's fees, an injunction as well as other remedies specific to the legal wrong suffered. Punitive damages are awarded to deter the offending party from engaging in the wrongful conduct again.

Can I recover?

That largely depends on the strength and merits of your case, whether the other side has the financial means to pay the money award, whether you are able to enforce your money award on the other side, and your ability to finance the case.

Will the Law Offices of Steve Tsai charge me to evaluate my case?

The Law Offices of Steve Tsai does not charge for the first half hour of an initial consultation to discuss your case. If you decide to retain us and we agree to represent you, we will require a signed retainer agreement and deposit. We usually apply an hourly rate in litigation matters, but will work with you on a suitable fee structure.

How much will my case cost?

The Law Offices of Steve Tsai prides itself on providing effective, cost efficient legal services that meet the client's needs. It is, however, impossible for us to guarantee or predict actual fees or costs. Our experience indicates that cases involving complex factual or legal issues, multiple opposing parties, foreign or out-of-state parties, parties engaging in scorched earth litigation tactics or parties misguided by unrealistic expectations tend to require greater commitment of time and resources.

When will my case go to trial?

California state courts generally set cases for trial up to one year from the date they are filed, unless unusual or special circumstances exist. As most California courts have cut courtrooms and hours due to budget deficits, it is taking substantially longer for cases to go to trial. Federal court cases in California are generally set for trial around a year to a year-and-half from the date they are filed.

What is mediation?

Mediation is where the parties meet in an informal setting with an outside neutral, the mediator, to explore a settlement solution. The mediator is chosen jointly by the parties based on his or her experience, training and expertise related to the case to guide the parties in exploring settlement. The mediator's job is not to act as a judge or decide who is right or wrong, and he or she cannot force a party to settle. Most courts strongly recommend the parties to participate in mediation early in the case.

What is arbitration?

It is the determination of a dispute, outside of court, by an independent third party, the arbitrator(s), jointly chosen by the parties. The disputing parties vest the arbitrator(s), usually a retired judge or attorney experienced in the subject matter of the case and paid by the parties, with the power to decide the dispute after hearing the evidence and arguments. The arbitrator(s)' decision is generally just as final and binding as a court's.

Do a lot of cases settle?

It has been said that more than two thirds of all cases settle. A great majority of cases settle due to a variety of reasons, ranging from the relative merits of the case, financial resources of the parties, the amount at stake, the parties willingness to see the case through trial and other factors.

What can I do to get my case started?

You can schedule a meeting with the Law Offices of Steve Tsai or a qualified attorney to evaluate your case. With legal matters, it is generally not desirable to wait.

What can I do to help my case?

Keep good, detailed notes of the events, and a list of potential witnesses and the types of information, including documents and materials, each may have concerning your case; and obtain and preserve documents , especially important ones, relevant to your case.

Steve has provided us with excellent representation in our patent and trademark matters for seven years. He truly knows our needs. He is very thorough and well reasoned in his advice. We have found him and his work to be of the highest integrity, and what's also nice is he’s easy to work with.
S. P.
Manager, Appliances Distributor, Los Angeles County
I’ve known Steve for ten years. The in-depth knowledge, keen attention to detail, creativity and care he displays sets him apart from other attorneys. And the results speak for themselves. He makes the effort to walk the client through a solution concisely and thoroughly, to put the client in control of the situation. For a large, multi-national corporation like us, superb, reliable legal representation is a fact of life. I have the highest regard for Steve.
M.P.
Legal Director, CA Distributor Subsidiary of Taiwan Multi-National TV & Display Monitor Manufacturer
Steve has been our company counsel for seven years. Through the years he has advised company executives on a variety of legal issues, and won several court cases for us! We are impressed by Steve's high level of skill and integrity. We highly recommend Steve to anyone searching for an excellent attorney!
D.Y.
Director, Media Software Developer, Orange County
Ours is a worldwide, highly competitive business with diverse needs. As our business and intellectual property counsel, Steve has always met our expectations in this challenging environment with his prompt response and strong, steady guidance. We are counting on him.
C.A.
Vice-President, Sanitation Systems Vendor of Loewe's, Orange County
Steve has been a key player in every major aspect of our worldwide business over eight years. His insights, judgment and experience have been invaluable in successfully steering the company through matters ranging from complex litigation and negotiations to regulatory matters. We are very fortunate to have Steve as our legal counsel.
L.H.
President, CA Distributor Subsidiary of Chinese Multi-national Bearing Manufacturer
Steve foresees any potential issue and recommended a number of solutions to each potential issue up front. I was able to anticipate every step in the entire process. I can totally trust him to make the entire process smooth with great results. I strongly recommend Steve.
J.C.
J. C., Owner, Insurance Broker
I have known Steve for many years. I am very impressed with his broad knowledge in business laws. I hired him for several business entities I run. He has helped me settle a worker’s compensation lawsuit, litigate against the city government in a real estate dispute, prepare contracts for real estate construction. Whenever my businesses have legal needs, the first person I contact is Steve.
V. T.
Real Estate Developer
I have retained Steve several times in the last ten years for my business. He always patiently listens to my situations and then highlights what needs to be done. He responds quickly to emails and is extremely professional, and manages to do all this while achieving the desired outcome. He is a great negotiator with an extremely quick mind, and always has his clients’ best interests at heart. Most notably, during a time marked by stress and confusion, I felt a level of trust, ease, and confidence working with Steve.
D.C.
Nationwide Cosmetics Distributor
Steve is an excellent professional and experienced attorney. He responds immediately to phone calls and emails and answers all my questions. For the past 8 years he helped us tremendously with trademark, copyright, employment matters and advice, he is someone you can count on to give you insightful feedback and answer all your questions knowledgeably. I am always confident that he will give us the guidance/information we need to make informed legal decisions. I have referred my friends to him and they highly recommend and endorse him.
A. L.
Nationwide Furniture Manufacturer and Distributor
We have known Steve for years and he has helped us tremendously on numerous business cases. Steve is detailed, thorough, strategic, and always gives his best. We have only good things to say and greatly appreciate his help. Highly recommended.
H. Z.
Medical Office

We Stick To
What We Do Best

Business Litigation

A substantial part of our practice involves representing clients, whether as a plaintiff or defendant, in litigation. Read more

Intellectual Property

Our intellectual property practice focuses on comprehensive, long-term protection of our clients’ inventions and confidential, Read more

Corporate

We devise with clients a plan for setting up their business, its organization, governance, purchase and sale as well as other key decisions affecting the business’ operation. Read more

Real Estate

We assist clients at each stage of a commercial or residential real estate purchase, sale, lease, mortgage or foreclosure. Read more

Employment

We work with clients on a wide range of employment issues, whether it is hiring and termination, compensation, wage and hour, Read more

Frequently Asked Questions in Litigation Matters

S. P.

Manager, Appliances Distributor, Los Angeles County

M.P.

Legal Director, CA Distributor Subsidiary of Taiwan Multi-National TV & Display Monitor Manufacturer

D.Y.

Director, Media Software Developer, Orange County

C.A.

Vice-President, Sanitation Systems Vendor of Loewe's, Orange County

L.H.

President, CA Distributor Subsidiary of Chinese Multi-national Bearing Manufacturer

J.C.

J. C., Owner, Insurance Broker

V. T.

Real Estate Developer

D.C.

Nationwide Cosmetics Distributor

A. L.

Nationwide Furniture Manufacturer and Distributor

H. Z.