Steinbrecher & Span LLP

Commercial disputes and company work

The firm's commercial docket includes contract and warranty disputes, business torts, antitrust matters, insurance coverage and franchise disputes. Steinbrecher & Span LLP represents individuals, corporations and Fortune 500 companies in local and national matters. Its business work combines courtroom disputes with corporate counseling and transactions.

Business litigation often turns on the wording of an agreement, the parties' conduct and the financial record. Pleadings define the legal claims and defenses. Written discovery, document review and depositions then build the factual record. Contract disputes may also require close review of warranties, notices, amendments and prior communications.

Corporate and transactional services

The firm handles entity formation, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, contracts and intellectual property matters. Its stated work also covers cyberlaw, privacy, data security and trade regulation. These subjects can overlap when a company buys assets, enters a new market or changes its ownership structure.

A corporate transaction usually requires due diligence, negotiated agreements and formal approvals. Formation work may involve organizational documents and ownership terms. Governance questions can involve board authority, shareholder rights and internal procedures. Mergers and acquisitions add deal terms, disclosure issues and closing documents.

Franchise and distribution matters

Franchise law appears in both the firm's dispute work and its business counseling. The site identifies franchisors, manufacturers, licensors, suppliers, franchisees and distributors among the clients represented by Rochelle Spandorf. Her work includes domestic and international expansion and development.

Franchise matters commonly involve disclosure documents, franchise agreements, operating standards and territorial rights. Distribution disputes may focus on termination, performance, supply duties or use of intellectual property. The governing documents and the parties' course of dealing often shape the available claims.

Aviation, technology and regulated markets

Aviation has a clear place in the firm's stated work. The firm handles aviation litigation and regulation, airline and airport regulation, and claims tied to aircraft incidents. Its attorneys have represented airlines, aircraft operators, airports, foreign civil aviation authorities and aerospace manufacturers.

Robert S. Span handles aviation litigation and regulation as part of a wider practice that includes antitrust, employment and contract disputes. He has practiced law since 1971. Sophy Chen has over 15 years of experience with regulatory and business matters for aviation clients.

Douglas P. Kelley brings 25 years of in-house experience with major airlines. His work has involved issues across the airline industry. That background gives the published team experience with legal questions viewed through an airline's internal operations.

How aviation matters develop

Aviation disputes can require incident records, maintenance materials, operating procedures and witness accounts. Regulatory matters may involve applications, agency communications and compliance records. Contract questions can arise among operators, airports, manufacturers and service providers. Each matter depends on the governing rules and the role of each party.

Product liability also connects with the firm's aviation work. Claims involving aircraft or automobiles may focus on design, manufacturing, warnings, maintenance or use. The factual inquiry can include product records, accident evidence and technical materials.

Intellectual property and digital issues

Michael K. Lindsey has over 35 years of experience in corporate law. His stated focus includes intellectual property, cyberlaw and trade regulation. These areas can meet when companies license technology, manage protected material or set rules for collecting and using data.

Blair Castellanos also handles intellectual property within her corporate and transactional work. Her matters include entertainment, social media, contracts, entity formation, corporate governance, and mergers and acquisitions. Debi Ramos has handled intellectual property and trade dress litigation as part of her dispute work.

Intellectual property matters generally begin with questions about ownership, use and contractual permission. Trade dress cases examine the appearance or presentation associated with goods or services. Cyberlaw and privacy matters can call for review of data practices, vendor terms, internal policies and incident records.

Employment, environmental and property litigation

The employment work includes workplace discrimination, whistleblower retaliation and other employment litigation. Robert S. Span lists employment cases among his areas of work. The firm's business and contract experience may also be relevant when an employment dispute involves written agreements or company policies.

Employment claims often depend on personnel files, workplace communications, policies and decision records. The parties may exchange documents and take depositions after a case begins. Courts and agencies then apply the governing employment rules to the factual record.

Environmental and toxic exposure claims

The firm handles environmental litigation, Superfund matters, property contamination claims and alleged toxic exposure. Debi Ramos has litigated toxic tort cases and matters involving Superfund sites. Her background also includes failed financial institutions, securities, insider trading, construction litigation and family trusts.

Environmental disputes may require records about property use, waste handling, cleanup activity and regulatory contact. Superfund matters can involve questions about responsibility and allocation among several parties. Toxic tort claims often examine exposure history, product information and claimed injuries.

These cases can connect environmental law with real estate and product liability. A contamination claim may affect ownership, development or a lease. A claimed exposure may also raise questions about a product, site condition or workplace activity.

Real estate and construction disputes

The real estate docket includes foreclosures, lease disputes, landlord and tenant disputes, construction defects and land use litigation. These categories cover contractual, property and regulatory questions. The documents may include leases, loan records, title materials, construction contracts and government filings.

Lease disputes commonly focus on payment duties, repairs, permitted uses, notices or possession. Foreclosure cases examine loan documents, defaults and enforcement steps. Construction defect matters can involve plans, contracts, inspection records and the condition of completed work.

Land use litigation follows a different path because public decisions can shape the dispute. Applications, hearing records and agency findings may become part of the case. Courts then review the claims under the rules that govern the challenged decision.

How the attorney team is built

The site identifies Alan K. Steinbrecher, Robert S. Span and Michael K. Lindsey as partners. Each has a distinct stated focus. Their work covers litigation, aviation, corporate law, intellectual property and regulation.

Alan K. Steinbrecher has more than 35 years of litigation experience. He focuses on business litigation, product liability and aviation litigation. His listed work links the firm's commercial disputes with its transportation and accident matters.

Robert S. Span has practiced since 1971, while Michael K. Lindsey has over 35 years of corporate law experience. Span handles aviation, antitrust, employment and contract matters. Lindsey focuses on intellectual property, cyberlaw and trade regulation.

Transactional and regulatory backgrounds

Valerie Casey is a transactional and corporate lawyer. She handles general corporate matters and transactions for privately and publicly held business entities. Her stated work adds company counseling to the firm's litigation services.

Sophy Chen's regulatory work focuses heavily on aviation clients. Douglas P. Kelley's in-house airline background adds an industry perspective. Their published experience covers operators, airports, authorities, manufacturers and major airlines.

Blair Castellanos handles corporate and transactional matters across formation, governance, acquisitions, entertainment and social media. Her work also includes contracts and intellectual property. Those subjects place her in matters where ownership, commercial terms and protected content meet.

Franchise, litigation and international work

Rochelle Spandorf has more than 40 years of experience in franchise and distribution law. She represents parties on several sides of those commercial relationships. Her work includes expansion and development in domestic and international settings.

Debi Ramos handles a wide set of litigation subjects. Her stated matters include toxic torts, Superfund sites, securities, insider trading, trade dress, construction and trusts. The mix centers on disputes that may require detailed financial, technical or property records.

Robert Ehling is an international and transactional attorney with decades of experience. He has worked at law firms in Tokyo, Silicon Valley and Los Angeles. He has also held in-house counsel roles for privately held enterprises in Los Angeles and Beijing.

Breadth, experience and office reach

In my opinion, the clearest feature of the firm is the overlap among its business, regulatory and litigation work. A contract dispute may involve intellectual property, employment rules or an industry regulator. A property matter may connect with environmental claims, construction issues or a lease.

The named attorneys bring law firm, in-house and industry experience to these subjects. Several biographies state decades of work, and the aviation group includes both regulatory and airline backgrounds. The site also gives clear practice descriptions for each listed lawyer.

Steinbrecher & Span LLP is based in downtown Los Angeles. The firm also has offices in Washington, D.C., and Houston.