Roger Buffington

Bar / Professional Activity

• California, 1997 U.S. District Court Central District of California, 1997 U.S. District Court Eastern District of California, 1997 U.S. District Court Northern District of California, 1997 U.S. District Court Southern District of California, 1997 U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 1997
• Member, Orange County Bar Association, 2020

Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results)

• In an eight-day Trust Contest and Financial elder trial, the Firm defeated all claims by the petitioners achieving a complete victory for its clients., 2025
• In a two-week Trust Contest and Financial Elder Abuse trial, the Firm prevailed on all causes of action against the opposing side., 2025
• Settled a case during trial in which Buffington Law Firm brought suit on behalf of the minority shareholder of an Orange County, California corporation.  In the settlement our client achieved essentially all of his litigation objectives including the full value of his stock in the company., 2025
• In a claim by a trust beneficiary against a trustee, achieved a settlement against the trustee in favor of the client., 2025
• In a breach of contract action, represented a plaintiff and achieved a full dollar settlement in favor of the client's claim., 2024
• Represented a Trust beneficiary in the context of his elder abuse claims against another family member, and defended the Trust writing against a contest.  At mediation resolved all matters to the client's satisfaction., 2024
• Represented to claimants in a trust litigation case where the Firm's clients were disinherited by undue influence exercised against the clients' mother.  In mediation we successfully recovered the bulk of both claimants' inheritances., 2024
• Successfully defended a trustee against a claimant who sought to achieve Court recognition of a false amendment to the Trust.  Achieved a complete verdict in favor of the Firm's client, 2024
• Represented a client in mediation in a trust litigation case in which a claimant made allegations of financial elder abuse against the Firm's client.  We achieved a settlement that was below the estimated cost of defense which preserved our client's inheritance under the Trust., 2025
• In a case representing the University of Southern California, successfully settled a case in which a claimant sought to nullify the gift in favor of our client.  In Mediation we achieved a settlement that was far below the cost of defense which preserved the gift to USC., 2025
• In a Trust and Financial Elder Abuse case, successfully defended the client in a two week trial and achieved a complete defense verdict on all counts, and received an award of attorney's fees and costs for the client., 2024
• Represented University of Southern California in an eight million dollar financial elder abuse claim and trust dispute.  Recovered assets valued at nearly eight million dollars pursuant to a formal mediation after two years of litigation., 2022
• Resolved large Homeowner's Association dispute representing homeowner through professional mediation process., 2023
• Resolved large multi-family Trust litigation matter through settlement process.  , 2022
• Tried 4 week jury trial in employment and discrimination dispute., 2023
• Resolved multimillion dollar breach of contract dispute via professional mediation settlement., 2022
• Resolved multi-million dollar Trust dispute through mediation settlement., 2022
• Represented trust beneficiaries in over a dozen high-dollar lawsuits, all of which resolved in Mediation during 2022., 2022
• Represented University of Southern California in a multi-million dollar inheritance dispute in which the firm recovered a seven-figure settlement pursuant to mediation., 2023
• Tried a Financial Elder Abuse case representing plaintiff in Orange County Superior Court.  Recovered over $400,000 in damages as well as attorney's fees for the client., 2021
• Represented a client a high-dollar shareholder's claim case at mediation and achieved a high-dollar settlement for the client., 2022
• Successfully mediated a multi-million dollar financial elder abuse, fraud, and quiet title action such that the Petitioners (opposing side) took nothing in their claim.  , 2022
• In a breach of contract case, represented a corporation in a high-dollar dispute in the context of the purchase and sale of the business.  Successfully negotiated a settlement that exceeded the client's best expectations., 2022
• Successfully negotiated a "walk away" zero dollar settlement in a trust and elder abuse case, representing defendant, in which Plaintiff recovered nothing., 2022
• Negotiated closure in a small inheritance dispute among Trust successor-trustees and beneficiaries resulting in the Court's approval of the terms of our proposed Petition., 2021
• Negotiated a settlement in a shareholder's dispute for a large California corporation., 2021
• Handled and settled numerous high-dollar trust estate litigation matters in favor of our client, a major California university, 2021
• Settled a high-dollar employment claim against our client, a major California biomedical corporation for a nominal settlement., 2021
• Recovered high-dollar damages for a client who had been victimized by a professional advisor., 2021
• Recovered a large estate for a client who had been victimized by undue influence., 2021
• Recovered a multi-million dollar estate for a client who had been victimized by a financial predator., 2021
• Represented an elderly woman (petitioner) who had been defrauded out of most of her approximately $15 million estate.  Causes of action included financial elder abuse and undue influence.  After settlement petitioner recovered most of her estate., 2019
• After prevailing at trial, won an appellate decision affirming such, dealing with a dispute concerning ownership of a California single family residence., 2019
• After prevailing at trial, won an appeal as lead counsel in Orange Catholic Diocese v. Arvizu that resulted in a published opinion clarifying an important area of California trust law concerning fiduciary duty liability for trustees of California revocable ("living") trusts., 2019
• Lead counsel in a trust litigation case representing three beneficiaries (petitioners) seeking to dissolve and force distribution of a $20 million family trust and remove the trustees.  After a three week bench trial petitioners prevailed on all major causes of action. (Matter now on appeal.), 2018
• In an action contesting the ownership of an Orange County corporation, attorneys Roger J. Buffington (lead counsel) and Adam M. Foster (associate) won a declaratory judgment verdict which resolved all issues in favor of their client., 2016
• Lead defense counsel in a business litigation case decided by a one-month jury trial concerning a dispute over ownership of a corporation and its subsidiaries valued at up to $100 million.  Prevailed on all causes of action whereby the jury rendered a verdict in which the opposing side (plaintiff) took nothing on eight causes of action., 2018

Representative Clients

• Zapp Packaging Inc.  Outside general counsel, 2022
• Harvard Eye Associates, litigation counsel, 2024
• Accident Attorney's Group Inc., 2023
• University of Southern California.  Primary outside counsel for most matters concerning trust and estate litigation for the past 20 years., 2020
• Zapp Packaging, Inc., 2020
• Hemosure, Inc.  Outside general counsel.  (Affiliate of WHPM Inc.).  Mainly deals with employment claims and breach of contract disputes., 2020
• WHPM Inc.  A major California biomedical firm.  Outside general counsel for all litigation matters primarily involving employment claims and contract disputes., 2020
• Primary Color Systems Corporation Cosmo Nail Bar, Inc., 2016

Special Licenses / Certifications

• California Certified Public Accountant (inactive status), 2020

Pro bono / Community Service

• Lambda Chi Alpha, Pi Alpha Epsilon
• Fountain Valley Chamber of Commerce, Member, 2012 - 2013

Educational Background

• University of California, Los Angeles, California, A.B., Major: Economics
• University of Southern California Marshall School of Business, California, Master of Business Administration - 1982, Major: Emphasis in Accounting and Finance

Scholarly Lectures / Writings

• A one hour class in which I was the primary instructor to the Orange County Bar Association trust and estates section., Primary instructor (Orange County Bar Association Webinar), Webinar: How Estate Planners Can Avoid Trust and Estate Litigation, 2022
• This class discussed the challenges of achieving interlocutory relief in California Trust litigation cases, the statutory and equitable framework for doing so, and contrasted these tools with non-Probate civil litigation.  This class was given before the Orange County Bar Association., Lecturer, Webinar: Using Probate Code Section 17206 for Interlocutory Relief in Trust Litigation, 2025
• A Proposed Standard of Liability for the Public Accounting Profession, USC Interdisciplinary Law Journal, Spring, 1997

Honors

• Army Commendation Medal, 1975 - 1980
• University of Southern California Interdisciplinary Law Journal, Editor-in-Chief 1997
• Distinguished Military Graduate, UCLA, 1971 - 1975

Industry Groups

• and Computer
• Biomedical
• Electronics
• Legal
• Medical
• Nonprofits and charities
• Printing
• Universities/Higher Education

“Roger is so intelligent and has the upmost integrity we worked on opposite sides of a case and he has earned my respect any client would be lucky to retain him…”

“Roger is an outstanding lawyer. He is a srong litigator who takes pride in what he does. He has a strong sense of justice yet is able to obtain outstanding results at reasonable cost of his clients.”

“Roger J. Buffington, Esq. is a first-rate attorney with years of experience and he has been nominated as a Super Lawyer before. I have tried cases with him and also seen him in trial when I testified as an expert witness on behalf of his client. He has excellent trial skills and analytical ability. He deserves to be nominated again.”

“Mr. Buffington is highly qualified in Trial work, has an excellent demeanor and is a strong advocate for his clients.”

“I have worked with Roger on a few cases when he represented the opposing side. Roger is smart, fair, and represents his clients well. He is a real asset to our legal community, and I highly recommend him.”

“I have worked with Roger on a couple of cases in 2022. He is a wonderful attorney, smart, and a wonderful candidate for Super Lawyers.”