The RegistryCounty Record · California

Business Law Attorneys in Mendocino County, California

Looking for a business lawyer near you in Mendocino County? Explore the county record for business law attorneys on the State Bar of California's official roll and review each profile for yourself.

Venue matters. Business law cases from Mendocino County are ordinarily heard at the Superior Court of California, County of Mendocino. A North Coast county of timberland, coastline, and Anderson Valley vineyards; the courthouse in Ukiah hears the main calendars, with a branch in Fort Bragg serving the coast.

Deadlines shape these cases before merits do · four years to sue on a written contract; two years on an oral contract (§ 339) (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 337). Fraud claims run three years from discovery (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 338(d)); unfair competition claims under Bus. & Prof. Code § 17200 run four years (§ 17208). Contractual limitation clauses can shorten these periods.

This page is the Mendocino County chapter of the registry's statewide record · Business Attorneys in California collects all 58 counties.

The clock & the court

Statute of limitations

Four years to sue on a written contract; two years on an oral contract (§ 339).

Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 337

Fraud claims run three years from discovery (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 338(d)); unfair competition claims under Bus. & Prof. Code § 17200 run four years (§ 17208). Contractual limitation clauses can shorten these periods.

Court of record

Superior Court of California, County of Mendocino.

County seat: Ukiah

Official court information, locations, and filing rules: www.mendocino.courts.ca.gov

Business Law · Mendocino County roster

34 attorneys on the official State Bar of California roll list business law among their practice areas with an address of record in Mendocino County.

32 of them hold an active licence; the remainder are recorded as inactive and are not currently eligible to practise.

The roster concentrates in Ukiah (19), Fort Bragg (7), Gualala (2) and Hopland (1).

1 hold a State Bar Certified Legal Specialist designation, a certification issued by the State Bar's Board of Legal Specialization, and not a rating or a ranking.

4 are recorded as taking client work in a language other than English.

Admission years on this roster run from 1967 to 2021.

The employers most represented here are Carter Rich PC (4), James & McMullen, LLP (4) and Mannon King, Johnson & Wipf, LLP (2).

Elina N. Agnoli

Business Law · Laytonville

Bar #261732 · Admitted 2008

Official record

Laura A. Carrier

Business Law · Fort Bragg

Bar #220154 · Admitted 2002

Official record

Brian C. Carter

Business Law · Ukiah

Bar #139456 · Admitted 1989

Official record

Kristina K. Guth

Business Law · Ukiah

Bar #274514 · Admitted 2010

Official record

Ira James Harris

Bankruptcy · Gualala

Bar #99760 · Admitted 1981

Official record

Peter D. Kafin

Business Law · Fort Bragg

Bar #301886 · Admitted 2014

Official record

Business Law matters in Mendocino County

The matters this field covers, as Californians search for them. Each attorney's own profile states which of these they take.

  • forming a corporation or LLC
  • drafting and reviewing contracts
  • buying or selling a business
  • partnership and operating agreements
  • raising capital and securities offerings
  • mergers and acquisitions
  • corporate governance and compliance
  • breach of contract
  • partnership and shareholder disputes
  • business fraud and misrepresentation
  • trade secret misappropriation
  • unfair competition
  • commercial lease disputes
  • collections and unpaid invoices
  • franchise agreements and disputes
  • corporate dissolution and buyouts

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Legal information, not legal advice · The AI reception identifies itself

Business Law questions, cited

How long do I have to sue for breach of contract in California?

Four years for a written contract (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 337) and two years for an oral one (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 339), generally running from the breach. Fraud claims run three years from discovery of the facts (§ 338(d)). Many commercial contracts shorten these periods or add mandatory arbitration, so the agreement itself is the first thing to read.

What damages are available for breach of contract in California?

The amount that will compensate the injured party for all detriment proximately caused by the breach, per Cal. Civ. Code § 3300: typically expectation damages, plus consequential damages that were reasonably foreseeable. Punitive damages are generally unavailable for pure breach of contract (Cal. Civ. Code § 3294 requires an independent tort such as fraud).

Are non-compete agreements enforceable in California?

Almost never against employees. Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 16600 voids contracts restraining anyone from engaging in a lawful profession, trade, or business, and § 16600.5 (effective 2024) makes out-of-state non-competes unenforceable against California workers and creates employee remedies. Narrow statutory exceptions exist for the sale of a business (§ 16601) and partnership dissolutions (§ 16602).

What can I do if my business partner breaches fiduciary duties?

Partners owe each other duties of loyalty and care under Cal. Corp. Code § 16404. Remedies for breach include damages, an accounting, expulsion or dissociation, and judicial dissolution of the partnership (Cal. Corp. Code § 16801) or of an LLC (Corp. Code § 17707.03). Breach of fiduciary duty claims generally carry a four-year limitations period (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 343).

Where are business disputes heard in California?

Most are filed in the superior court of the county tied to the contract or the defendant's residence (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 395); claims of $35,000 or less proceed as limited civil cases. Several large counties, including Los Angeles, operate complex-litigation departments for qualifying cases. Contracts frequently route disputes to arbitration instead, which California courts enforce under Code Civ. Proc. § 1281.

What does it take to form an LLC in California?

Filing Articles of Organization with the California Secretary of State (Cal. Corp. Code § 17702.01), then a Statement of Information within 90 days and every two years after (§ 17702.09). Most LLCs owe California's $800 annual minimum tax regardless of income (Rev. & Tax. Code § 17941). The operating agreement is not filed with the state, but it governs how members share control, profits and exits (Corp. Code § 17701.10), which is where most later disputes start.

Legal information, not legal advice.

From the answer files

Related counsel in Mendocino County

Business Law in nearby counties

Source: Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 337 · State Bar of California licensee records · Checked: · Maintained by the California Attorney Registry from official State Bar of California records. Legal information, not legal advice.

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