George Cooper Rudolph
Top rated Business Litigation attorney in Irvine, California
George C. Rudolph, A Professional Corporation
Practice Areas: Business Litigation, Intellectual Property, Real Estate
Licensed in California since: 1976
Education: University of California College of the Law, San Francisco
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2019 - 2025 Call today:
949-640-9900
George C. Rudolph, A Professional Corporation
19800 MacArthur BlvdSuite 860
Irvine, CA 92612 Visit website
Details
George Cooper Rudolph is a civil litigator with extensive trial and appellate experience in both state and federal courts in California and across the U.S. His practice emphasizes high-stakes litigation in the areas of business, competition and trade restraints, corporate governance, intellectual property, real estate, and real estate finance. In addition, Mr. Rudolph has significant experience in litigation involving trusts and estates, insurance, product liability, and labor and employment. Mr. Rudolph also provides general counsel and preventative litigation services to clients, in both transactional and litigation contexts. Mr. Rudolph's practice spans various industries, including real estate, banking and finance, computer science, communication, manufacturing, distribution, retail, professional services, insurance, health care, pharmaceuticals, hospitality, and sports and entertainment. He routinely represents clients in both the enforcement and defense against claims of intellectual property infringement, unfair competition, and unfair business practices; corporate governance and securities; entity ownership disputes, minority interest claims, and dissolution; and real estate acquisition, land use, financing, development, and sale.
Practice areas
Business Litigation, Intellectual Property, Real Estate: Business- 60% Business Litigation
- 20% Intellectual Property
- 20% Real Estate: Business
First Admitted: 1976, California
Professional Webpage: https://www.rudolphlawgroup.com/attorneys
Bar/Professional Activity:
- State Bar of California, 1976
- United States District Court for the Central District of California
- United States District Court for the Southern District of California
- United States District Court for the Northern District of California
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of California
- U.S. Court of Appeal, 9th Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court, 1985
- Member, Los Angeles Bar Association, 1976 to present. Business Litigation and Appellate Sections.
- Member, Orange County Bar Association, 1979 to present. Business Litigation and Appellate Sections.
- Founding Fellow, Orange County Bar Foundation, 2008 to present
- Anti-Defamation League
- Co-Chair, Civil Rights Committee, Anti-Defamation League, Pacific Southwest Region, 2016-2018
Verdicts/Settlements (Case Results):
- Andry v. Andry--Judgment awarded to our client, following the second bifurcated phase of trial (accounting and damages) in the total sum of $47,520,590.00, inclusive of attorney fees and costs. Damages awarded based upon breach of fiduciary duties and breach of trust by the defendants. , 2021
- Andry v. Andry--Husband surreptitiously created irrevocable trust to which he transferred all of the stock of the family business. Following the parties' separation, Husband claimed the trust provided for his full control of the business and income during his lifetime. Following trial, the Court ruled that the operative version of the trust was not the one submitted by Husband, but was instead the version that provided Wife (my client) with a life interest in the entire income of the business; removed the current trustee of the trust, Husband's mother, and appointed an independent trustee; and directed the new trustee to trace all income and account for all assets wrongfully obtained by Husband, using trust income., 2018
- Meade v. Adams, Los Angeles County Superior Court Case No. BC646537--Cross-actions for quiet tile and for partition, respectively, involving residential real property. Represented Plaintiff/Cross-Defendant at trial. Following bench trial, judgment was entered for Plaintiff/Cross-Defendant on all issues, and quieting title to her. , 2017
- Baker, et al. v. Ilmberger, et al., Alameda County Superior Court Case No. RG 15785758--Represented Plaintiffs in action for breaches of fiduciary duties against corporate control group that seized corporation in disregard of rights of minority group (Plaintiffs). Claims included sought relief under Corp. Code section 709, triggering immediate, bifurcated trial. Following interlocutory judgment for Plaintiffs in that bifurcated trial, the defendants settled by selling their interests at severe discount to Plaintiffs., 2017
- Landers v. Herzer, et al. Action for breach of fiduciary duties, removal of director, and dissolution of corporation. Plaintiffs, whom I represented, were the minority shareholders and two of the three directors of the subject corporation. The individual defendant was the majority shareholder and CEO. The defendant diverted the income and assets of the corporation to his own benefit, and entered into personal transactions with the corporation, without approval of the board or the shareholders. Plaintiffs obtained a preliminary injunction against defendant, removed defendant as an officer of the corporation, and commenced discovery. Following initial discovery, the action was settled very favorably to the plaintiffs, who now own the corporation, in its entirety., 2012
- Merjan Financial Corporation, et al. v. Pacific Millennium (U.S.) Corporation, et al. Successfully prosecuted a petition for writ of supersedeas to the Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate Dist., Div. One. The issuance of the requested writ provoked a resolution of the issue presented in the related appeal., 2010
- Energy Systems International, LLC v. Pacific Millennium Investment Corporation, et al. On behalf of my client, Energy Systems International, LLC, I obtained an Interlocutory Award in a bifurcated arbitration proceeding, finding that ESI's joint venture partner Pacific Millennium Investment Corporation and its controlling officer, Richard Tan, illegally issued stock in one of the joint venture's operating corporations to effectuate a squeeze-out of ESI's rights and interests. The Interlocutory Award reinstates ESI to its co-equal ownership and management status, imposes immediate relief, and allows ESI to proceed to the second phase of the proceeding, to prove damages and its entitlement to other remedies. The joint venture at the center of this litigation is valued in excess of $300 million, and is one of the world's leading private developers of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects., 2008
- Meyer v. Clouse, et al. Prosecuted action for breach of fiduciary duties against controlling group of shareholders of closely held, private corporation. The action resulted in the pre-trial reinstatement of my client to the company's board of directors, and extensive discovery disclosing the breaches of fiduciary duties on the part of the control group. The case settled favorably, pending the hearing on a provisional application for receivership and injunctive relief., 2007
- Hernandez v. Universal City Studios Credit Union, et al. Successfully defended state-chartered credit union against action to set-aside election of board of directors, including both trial court and appellate proceedings., 2007
- MSO Inc. of Southern California v. Talbert Medical Group, Inc., et al. Defended major regional hospital against claims for fraud, negligent misrepresentation, interference, slander, and breach of contract. Settlement obtained in favor of the hospital, pending hearing on motion for summary judgment. Plaintiff dismissed and released the hospital, without payment by or on behalf of the hospital., 2007
- Zengen, Inc. v. Lipton, et al. Prosecuted action for breach of fiduciary duties against controlling group of shareholders of publicly held corporation. The breaching control group was removed from office, following successful first phase of bifurcated trial proceedings, and the case settled favorably, pending further trial. The value of the assets preserved, including intellectual property, exceeded $100 million., 2006
Pro bono/Community Service:
- Hastings Alumni Association
- American Israel Public Affairs Committee
- Anti-Defamation League, National Executive Committee, National Commissioner, Regional Board Member
Honors/Awards:
- 2013 to present, 10.0 Avvo Rating and Clients' Choice Award, Avvo
- 2012 to present, Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
- 1988 to present, AV Preeminent Peer and Judicial Rating, Martindale-Hubbell
Educational Background:
- University of California, Hastings College of the Law--J.D., 1976
- University of Southern California, B.A. psychology, magna cum laude, 1973
Scholarly Lectures/Writings:
- Case summary of Catalina Yacht Club v. Superior Court. , Author, A Deficient Privilege Log Cannot be Deemed to Waive the Attorney-Client Privilege or Work Product Doctrine, Business Litigation Committee of the Business Law Section, State Bar of California, 2016
- Case summary of Anten v. Superior Court., Author, Court of Appeal Clarifies Application of Attorney-Client Privilege in Joint Representation Context, Business Litigation Committee of the Business Law Section, State Bar of California, 2015
- Case summary of J.B.B. Investment Partners, Ltd. v. Fair., Author, Printed Name at the End of an E-mail Held Insufficient to Constitute a Signature under UETA, Business Litigation Committee of the Business Law Section, State Bar of California, 2015
- Case summary of Gonsalves v. Li., Author, Denial of Requests for Admission Are Not Admissible at Trial, Business Litigation Committee of the Business Law Section, State Bar of California, 2015
- Case analysis of Hot Rods, LLC v. Northrup Grumman Systems Corporation., Author, The Parol Evidence Rule is Not as Dead as We Thought, Business Litigation Committee of the Business Law Section, State Bar of California, 2015
- Case summary of Golden v. California Emergency Physicians Medical Group., Author, Ninth Circuit Applies Business and Professions Code Section 16600 to Set Aside a Settlement Agreement, Business Litigation Committee of the Business Law Section, State Bar of California, 2015
- Case summary of Kaufman v. Diskeeper Corporation., Author, Recovery of Contractual Attorney Fees Does Not Require the Filing of a Memorandum of Costs, Business Litigation Committee of the Business Law Section, State Bar of California, 2014
- Program covered mine-field issues in dealing with trusts that family lawyers should be aware of. , Lecturer, "What Every Family Lawyer Needs to Know About Trusts", Orange County Bar Association, Family Law Section, 2008
- Advanced course on California evidence, presented annually in 2004 and 2005., Lecturer, "Advanced California Evidence", PESI Continuing Education, 2005
- Advanced course on substance and strategy of judgment collection., Lecturer, "Advanced California Judgment Collection", Lorman Education Services, 2004
- Presented this course annually 1991-1994, Lecturer, "Fundamentals of Civil Procedure During Trial", California Continuing Education of the Bar, 1994
- Presented this course for paralegal programs at UCI and UCLA from 1986 through 1993., Lecturer, "Practical Aspects of Pleadings for Paralegals", University of California, 1993
- Fundamentals-level course geared to lawyers having less than 10 years experience. , Lecturer, "Fundamentals of Civil Procedure before Trial", California Continuing Education of the Bar, 1993
- Medium-level to advanced course on preparing and examining expert witnesses., Lecturer, "Preparing and Examining Expert Witnesses", California Continuing Education of the Bar, 1992
- Advanced trial practice course presented annually from 1985 through 1993, at various campuses of the University of California, Lecturer, "Litigation Support Systems", University of California, 1991
- Presented this course annually 1985 through 1991, Lecturer, "Fundamentals of Civil Trial Practice", California Continuing Education of the Bar, 1991
- Quarter-long paralegal certification course., Lecturer, "Civil Litigation", University of California, Irvine, 1989
- Advanced-level course on substance and strategy for post-trial motions and judgment enforcement., Lecturer, "How to Win Post-Trial Motions and Enforce Judgments", California Continuing Education of the Bar, 1987
Industry Groups:
- And Sports
- Banking And Finance
- Communication
- Computer Science
- Distribution
- Entertainment
- Health Care
- Hospitality
- Insurance
- Manufacturing
- Pharmaceuticals
- Professional Services
- Real Estate
- Retail
Office location for George Cooper Rudolph
19800 MacArthur Blvd
Suite 860
Irvine, CA 92612
Phone: 949-640-9900
Selections
7 Years Super Lawyers
- Super Lawyers: 2019 - 2025
