Greg Ryan: Saving an Attorney’s Client from Landlord Misrepresentation

Case Assignment

Attorney Greg Ryan was representing a celebrity client who, through his entertainment management company, had entered into an agreement to create a Mexican restaurant with dancing and music. Greg’s client had agreed to the lease without representation, and had gotten himself into an extremely difficult situation, due in large degree to misrepresentation on the part of the property’s landlord. Greg Ryan retained Ira Spilky to investigate the property, the lease, and the history of the negotiations, prepare a report, and testify as an expert witness.

Review/Analysis/Research

Ira put his 25-years of restaurant, brokerage and lease negotiation experience to work. He carefully reviewed every existing document, examined the property itself, and prepared his report. Ira’s document outlined detailing how the lease negotiations had been handled and where they had gone wrong, detailing extensive misrepresentation on the part of the landlord.

Testimony

Ira testified to his findings in superior court. The landlord’s attorney’s worked hard to discredit Ira’s testimony, but Ira’s reporting of the many fallacies in the lease and non-disclosure of material fact stood up. Greg’s client was saved ten years of rental payments that would have totaled close to a million and half dollars.