The Risley law firm is located at the heart of the Pasadena Financial District. The firm is supported by an experienced secretarial staff.  Clients retain our services because they expect us to represent them aggressively, to win in court, and provide excellent legal advice. We undertake a client’s work only after assessing the facts applied to relevant legal principles, a personality assessment and a cost-benefit analysis. We agree to work for a client only when we can, in good conscience, vigorously, diligently, and ethically pursue their goals in a timely manner.

The Risley firm focuses on litigation, business, real estate, and estate planning. Typical of business litigation was our successful handling of a major lawsuit against a Northern California bank involving complex financial banking and real estate issues. We achieved a multi-million dollar verdict for our clients. A recent example involved a multi-million dollar, ten-year trademark litigation in federal court. Over the years, the judge developed a bias against our clients and granted an extraordinary number of pre-trial motions and motions "in limine" favoring our opponents. These pre-trial motions created enormous obstacles to a favorable jury verdict. In spite of these obstacles, a  unanimous jury returned a verdict for our clients.

We handle government contracts dealing with federal, state, and local governments and agencies. We are heavily involved in real estate transactions and litigation.

Typical litigation has included recovery or defense claims in:

• sales
• finance
• tenancy
• soils subsidence, slippage, expansion, soils engineering, and geology.

Representative transactional work includes advising clients and preparing documents regarding sales transactions, commercial leases, foreclosures, environmental due diligence, land usage and development.

We also represent property owners before various municipal and regulatory agencies. Business litigation includes contract enforcement, computer law, unfair competition, trademarks, and banking. Our business representation includes negotiating terms and preparation of purchase and sale agreements, security agreements, U.C.C. filings, corporations, partnerships, and Limited Liability Corporations formation and dissolution.

We also represent clients who have lost money in stock markets because of unauthorized trades or "churning." We handle wrongful termination and discrimination cases, and advise clients regarding pursuit of administrative remedies prior to litigation. Litigation is pursued in both state and federal courts.