Kyle Withers, Ian Browning, and Gabriel Peixoto $83.25 Million Verdict Honored by Daily Journal

Marcin Tokarzewski on February 27, 2026

Daily Journal highlights attorneys Kyle Withers, Ian Browning, and Gabriel Peixoto on their $83.25 million jury verdict in Security National Guaranty Inc. v. Makhijani et al., which was recently honored as one of ten Top Verdicts by dollar amount in California.

Each year, Daily Journal recognizes California’s most significant jury verdicts through its Top Verdicts distinction, honoring attorneys who achieved outstanding results for their clients.

The annual list highlights cases that stand out for substantial awards, meaningful legal influence, notable defense victories, and important appellate outcomes, showcasing the verdicts that shaped the state’s legal landscape over the past year.

“We went to trial with a lean team—two attorneys most days. Three only occasionally—against eight to ten lawyers from two major firms on the other side every day. This verdict highlights Lubin Olson’s ability to compete at the highest levels through focus, preparation, and efficiency. Effective trial isn’t about overwhelming a courtroom with numbers; it’s about clarity, credibility, and execution. Smart, efficient trial teams can and do deliver exceptional results for our clients.”

Huge congratulations to our team for this well-deserved recognition!

Read full article here: Security National Guaranty Inc. v. Makhijani et al.

 

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Lubin Olson & Niewiadomski Welcomes Scott Smith and Marc Centor

Marcin Tokarzewski on January 13, 2026

We are pleased to welcome Scott C. Smith and Marc A. Centor, who bring valuable experience and insight to our firm.

Scott C. Smith joins the firm as of counsel in Lubin Olson’s Real Estate, Business, Finance & Workouts, and Construction service groups. He brings more than thirty years of experience advising clients on complex corporate, real estate, and tax matters. His background includes service as a law firm partner, in-house counsel, and general counsel, providing him with a practical and business-focused perspective. Scott has structured and closed hundreds of transactions involving equity, debt, mergers and acquisitions, venture capital, private equity, and real estate, with deal sizes ranging from millions to billions of dollars. He has depth in the formation, operation, and exit of real estate partnerships and joint ventures. Scott holds a Juris Doctor, a Master of Laws in Taxation, and a Master of Arts in International Political Economy.

Marc A. Centor joins the firm as a partner in the Real Estate, Business, Finance & Workouts, and Construction service groups. His practice focuses on a broad range of real estate and corporate matters, including acquisitions and dispositions, office, industrial and retail leasing, financing, development, and easement negotiations. Marc regularly guides clients through all phases of transactions, from early strategic planning through due diligence, documentation, closing, and post-closing matters. He also advises on corporate formation, joint ventures, commercial operations, and regulatory compliance. Marc represents a diverse client base that includes developers, landlords and tenants, lenders and borrowers, renewable energy companies, landowners, nonprofit organizations, private equity firms, and public agencies. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute, SPUR, the Bar Association of San Francisco, and the California Lawyers Association, and has a long-standing commitment to pro bono service through BASF’s Community Organization Representation Project.

Their addition to our Firm strengthens our ability to provide thoughtful, practical guidance to our clients on complex legal matters.

 

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Lubin Olson Listed in the 32nd Edition of The Best Lawyers in America®

Marcin Tokarzewski on September 3, 2025

Lubin Olson & Niewiadomski is proud to be listed in Best Law Firms – the United States 2026 Edition
National Tier 3 Land Use and Zoning Law Real Estate Law
Metropolitan Tier 1 San Francisco Real Estate Law
Metropolitan Tier 3 San Francisco Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
Land Use and Zoning Law

In addition, the firm has 7 lawyers recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® and 2 lawyers recognized in the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America® 2026 editions.  Congratulations to Elizabeth S. Anderson, recognized for her work in Real Estate Law; Mia S. Blackler, recognized for her work in Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law; Mark D. Lubin, recognized for his contributions to Real Estate Law; Paul J. Niewiadomski, recognized for his contributions to Real Estate Law; and Charles R. Olson, recognized for his work in Land Use and Zoning Law. Attorneys on the One’s to Watch list include Philip J. Sciranka for his work in Real Estate Litigation and Lorraine K. Madera for Real Estate Law.

Established in 1983, Best Lawyers® is one of the most respected peer-review publications in the legal profession. Inclusion in the guide is based entirely on peer reviews, which are collected primarily from surveys distributed to thousands of the nation’s top attorneys.

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13 Lubin Olson & Niewiadomski Attorneys Selected to the 2025 Super Lawyers List

Marcin Tokarzewski on August 1, 2025

Congratulations to Ellen A. Cirangle, Mark D. Lubin, Robert S. Miller, Gerald Murphy, Paul J. Niewiadomski, Charles R. Olson, Alex J. Pugh, Jon E. Sommer, and Kyle A. Withers for their inclusion in 2024 Super Lawyers®.  Congratulations for our Rising Stars, Craig Kisylia, Merra Kurubalan, Gabe A. Peixoto, and Victoria H. Phan.

Super Lawyers® is a rating service of outstanding lawyers with a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The Super Lawyers® attorney selection process is peer-influenced and research-driven, selecting the top 5% of attorneys to the Super Lawyers® list each year.

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FinCEN Exempts BOI Reporting for US Entities

Marcin Tokarzewski on April 17, 2025

The landscape for compliance with the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) has now become clear at least for now.  The Department of the Treasury’s FinCEN has issued a statement instructing that all entities created in the United States and their beneficial owners are exempt from the requirement to report beneficial ownership information (BOI) to FinCEN.  The exemption applies equally to persons who have previously reported BOI information and those that have not.  The change came by way of the publication of an interim rule that revised the definition of “reporting company” to mean only those entities that are formed under the law of a foreign country and that have registered to do business in any U.S. State or Tribal jurisdiction.  Until there is some modification of this rule, entities created in the United States have no requirement to report with respect to their beneficial owners, whether they are US persons or non-US persons.

The exemption does not, however, apply to existing companies formed outside of the United States.  Such existing foreign companies must report their beneficial ownership information by April 25, 2025.  Any foreign entity that becomes a reporting company after March 25, 2025, will need to file an initial report within 30 calendar days after it receives notice that it has been registered to do business in any state.  However, such foreign reporting companies are not required to provide any BOI information for US persons.

Please direct any questions regarding the CTA to our experienced corporate attorneys Randolph McCalla (rmccalla@lubinolson.com) and Audrey Baker (abaker@lubinolson.com).

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Lubin Olson Recognized in the First Chambers Spotlight California Guide

Marcin Tokarzewski on April 14, 2025

Lubin Olson is proud to announce that our firm has been named to the Real Estate section of the first Chambers USA Spotlight California 2025 Guide. The Firm was one of only three firms in the Bay Area to receive this honor.  Chambers has recognized the work of both our transactional and litigation departments.

As Chambers reports:  “Lubin Olson is well versed in providing counsel on both contentious and non-contentious real estate matters.”

For the full review and profile, visit https://chambers.com/department/lubin-olson-real-estate-usa-spotlight-120:11:9149:1:22984413

Lubin Olson’s Paul Niewiadomski and Mike Muzzy presented at the 9th Annual Real Estate West Forum in San Francisco

Marcin Tokarzewski on March 25, 2025

On March 4, 2025, Paul Niewiadomski moderated a panel discussing the U.S. multifamily market.  The panel tackled the impact of housing supply, rental vacancies, and mortgage rates on the sector, as well as price corrections and current housing trends.  Mike Muzzy led a roundtable of participants discussing investments in distressed assets.

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Lubin Olson & Niewiadomski Hosted Their Annual Real Estate Update on February 26, 2025

Marcin Tokarzewski on March 25, 2025

Lubin Olson & Niewiadomski hosted their annual Real Estate Update o February 26, 2025. The networking event for business leaders was well attended, and the speakers, Paul Niewiadomski, Bryan Silverman, Carolyn Lee, and Philp Sciranka, shared their expertise in CEQA, Land Use, and Construction. Attendees were also treated to a delicious lunch while enjoying incredible views of the bay.

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Community in Action!

Marcin Tokarzewski on January 30, 2025

Community in Action!
Lubin Olson was in the house last night as volunteers for the City Hope’s Dinner and a Movie event!  Our team had the privilege of helping serve meals to Tenderloin residents, bringing not just food but also warmth and joy to the community.
Helping clients and neighbors is at the heart of what we do, and seeing the smiles on people’s faces was truly rewarding. A huge thank you to everyone who made this possible!
Well done, team!
hashtag#CommunityService hashtag#GivingBack hashtag#CityHope hashtag#LubinOlson

 

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Texas Federal Court Issues Nationwide Preliminary CTA Injunction

Marcin Tokarzewski on December 5, 2024

With the January 1, 2025 deadline for reports under the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) quickly approaching, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas has created significant ambiguity regarding the deadline.  On December 3, 2024, the court issued an injunction preventing the enforcement of the CTA in its entirety.  Texas Top Cop Shop, Inc. v. Garland, No. 4:24-cv-478 (E.D. Tex.).  The Texas injunction specifically stayed the January 1, 2025 reporting deadline, and made the injunction applicable nationwide.  The Texas litigants reportedly only asked that the injunction apply to the plaintiffs in that case.  In March of this year, a federal court in Alabama took exactly that narrower approach and made its injunction apply only to the specific plaintiffs.  National Small Business United v. Yellen, No. 5:22-cv-01448 (N.D. Ala.).

The Department of the Treasury’s FinCEN can be expected to appeal the Texas decision, and ask the District Court to stay the new injunction pending appeal, or ask the court to narrow its application to only the litigants in the case.  The request to narrow the injunction or stay its application may be decided during December 2024, but an appeal would extend well into the early part of 2025.  Meanwhile, businesses nationwide are left to guess what to do for the BOIR deadline.

In the context of the earlier Alabama NSBU case, FinCEN made its expectations clear – companies will be required to comply with CTA.  FinCEN issued a release notifying companies that the reprieve granted in the NSBU case applies only to the NSBU plantiffs.  https://fincen.gov/news/news-releases/updated-notice-regarding-national-small-business-united-v-yellen-no-522-cv-01448  FinCEN has not yet issued a bulletin with its expectations in light of the most recent Texas case.  It seems unlikely that Congress will step in to clarify the deadline or amend the CTA to more clearly invoke the Constitution’s grants of lawmaking authority.  Because it is unclear what FinCEN will require, and what consequences might stem from company’s delaying BOIRs, the safest course is for companies to continue their BOIR filing processes.

We will continue to monitor the implications of this ligation on the obligations of entities under the CTA and follow up with additional guidance if this injunction is lifted and/or if there are any further developments regarding this issue. If you have questions arising out of the CTA and/or of the aforementioned preliminary injunction, please feel free to contact us.

 

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