Christopher J. Olsen
Attorney
Practice Areas
Business Law
I form and represent businesses from start to finish. I work closely with the principals of the business and their accounting professionals to determine the best choice of entity and structure for the business. I handle the full range of busi- ness matters, from contract negotiation and preparation, to planning and strategy, disputes, labor and employment issues, to supervising litigation handling by insurance defense counsel or out-of-state counsel.
Construction
I represent homeowners, business owners, contractors, subcontractors, consultants and suppliers in a wide range of residential and commercial transactions and disputes. I help home and business owners make sure that their contracts match what their contractor promises. I am experienced in helping good contractors tighten up their contract documents to comply with California law and avoid ambiguities that make projects unprofitable. Likewise, I am experienced in dealing with unethical contractors and individuals who contract without a license. For example, I obtained a judgment for a busi- ness owner of over $600,000.00 against an unlicensed contractor who defrauded the owner of over $200,000.00 for commercial tenant improvements to a new restaurant.
Personal Injury
I have an extensive 30-year background rep- resenting people who have been injured by others, whether from automobile or other vehicle accidents, defective products, dangerous prem- ises, or other causes, and including serious and catastrophic injuries or death. Likewise, I repre- sent victims of wrongful conduct by others, such as drunk driving, battery, sexual assault, false arrest, and defamation.
I use my three decades of experience in dealing with insurance carriers and self-insured com- panies to assure that my clients are fully and fairly compensated for all of their damages and losses.
Civil Litigation
I have 30 years of experience in conducting all aspects of civil litigation. My experience includes representing both plaintiffs and defendants in a myriad of types of business and personal dis- putes. Additionally, I have participated in a large number of arbitrations and mediations ranging from simple to complex, and involving a wide variety of subject matters. Although I consider litigation an avenue of last resort because of the strains and pressures it places on the parties, if it becomes unavoidable my approach is to handle it in a manner which is as efficient and result-oriented as possible.
Contracts
I am extremely experienced in the negotiation and preparation of contracts covering a wide range of transactions. I am very detail-oriented, and my philosophy is that a tight, inclusive contract best expresses the parties’ intentions and keeps them out of court later because everyone knows exact- ly what they’re obligated to do and what they are entitled to expect in return. I believe that a good contract is the first step to a good business relationship.
Labor & Employment
I represent individuals who have been wrong- fully terminated or suffered discrimination or other illegal treatment in their employment. Likewise, I help my business clients create a workplace that avoids the potential for employ- ment claims and litigation, and assist them in handling employment disputes when they arise.
Music & Entertainment
My extensive experience in negotiating and drafting complex agreements, together with my many years of experience working in music, places me in a unique position to represent musicians, entertainers and others in the production process. I truly understand and empathize with creative people, and I focus on details and results while keeping my clients’ creative goals and objectives in the forefront. Similarly, when disputes arise, I represent my clients efficiently and with an eye towards the smoothest and most advantageous resolution.