$ 300-400 per hour
Mr. Christopherson brings exceptional insight and depth of understanding to his mediation and litigation practice, drawing on more than 30 years of experience in commercial and banking litigation.
In September 2016, Mr. Christopherson tried an action in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, achieving a $3 million judgment in favor of his client, a well known international heavy equipment manufacturer, and against his NYSE traded opponent.
Coming from an early background as an in-house counsel for Wells Fargo Bank, Mr. Christopherson has developed a successful litigation practice focusing on defense claims relaring to real estate secured lending (wrongful foreclosure, equitable subordination, partition, eminent domain, and mechanic’s liens) and personal property loans and leases (“Lemon Law”, the California Automobile Sales Finance and Vehicle Leasing Acts, and dealer fraud).
Cases arising in retail banking, including claims for improper payment of forged checks at the hands of an embezzling bookkeeper and losses from safe deposit boxes are also in Mr. Christopherson’s area of expertise.
Mr. Christopherson is skilled both at recovering collateral and collecting money from commercial and consumer debtors. His expertise extends to prejudgment writs of possession (i.e., replevin) and attachment (i.e., imposing a prejudgment lien to secure previously unsecured obligations). Furthermore, contempt proceedings are sometimes filed against judgment debtors who ignore, at their peril, a judgment requiring that they redeliver collateral.
He has also, on occasion, represented debtors in defense of collection actions, asserting FDCPA claims when appropriate, and with good results.
In the mediation realm, Mr. Christopherson focuses on maintaining a civil and cordial process, requiring the parties to try to look at the dispute through fresh eyes and find collaborative solutions when possible.
3
Practice Areas
$ 300-400 per hour
25%-40%
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Chat withState: Washington
Acquired: 1986
No misconduct found
State: California
Acquired: 1985
No misconduct found
1350 Treat Boulevard, Suite 420, Walnut Creek, CA, 94597-2133
Showing 1 - 5 of 6 client reviews from Avvo
Posted by anonymous | April 27, 2020 | Hired Attorney
My initial divorce proceedings took 18 months outside of California. And the subsequent matters of transfer of judgement and repeated attempts to resolve matters from the original divorce took an additional 12 years. With my first attorney in California nearing retirement, he personally recommended...
Posted by Alda | January 1, 2020 | Hired Attorney
We had a nightmare attorney who was suspended and did not disclose it and misled us into a hole we could not climb out of. Dean used the law to give us leverage and turn a hopeless situation around. What more can you ask? His attention to detail and his knowledge was simply masterful. I found him...
Posted by Hollis | June 28, 2017 | Consulted Attorney
I got Dean's contact info as a recommendation because my situation sounded so egregious that the real estate attorney I spoke to felt I should at least consult with an attorney with this area of expertise. Dean returned my call on his vacation and then told me to email him the details, so he could re...
Posted by Heather | April 24, 2017 | Hired Attorney
I have been working with Dean for over 15 years. He has represented my company on countless collection litigation matters with great success. Dean is not only extremely knowledgeable, but is also an excellent communicator. He is always honest and straight forward with his opinions and assessments,...
Posted by Barbara | April 17, 2017 | Hired Attorney
I've worked with a lot of attorneys in my professional life but didn't have experience needing an attorney for personal matters, so it was pretty stressful finding myself in a conflict with my lender where I needed legal help to get it resolved. I was referred to Dean by an attorney friend who had w...
"Dean has an excellent reputation for being knowledgeable in his areas of legal practice and providing his clients with sound advice with the highest degree of professionalism. I would not hesitate to recommend Dean to any of my family and/or friends."
"I have known Dean Christopherson for nearly 20 years. I know him to be a highly competent commercial litigator, particularly in the banking world where he has practiced for more than 25 years. As a mediator myself, I can attest that, with his calming temperament and quick insight, Dean is in a wonderful position to develop a very successful mediation practice particularly in cases involving in secured transactions and banking litigation. I endorse him without reservation."
Litigation lawyer
2015
Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
1996 - Present
Attorney and Mediator, Dawe & Christopherson LLP
2013 - 2013
Discovery Facilitator, Contra Costa County Superior Court
2013 - 2013
Mediator, Contra Costa County Superior Court
1989 - 1996
Attorney, McCabe, Schwartz, Evans, Levy & Dawe
1988 - 1989
Associate, Frandzel & Share, L.C.
1986 - 1988
Associate Counsel, Wells Fargo Bank
1983 - 1985
Litigation Law Clerk, Wells Fargo Bank
2014 - Present
Contra Costa County Bar Association, Real Estate SectionBoard of Directors
2014 - Present
Alamo Improvement AssociationBoard of Directors
2010 - Present
Contra Costa County Bar AssociationMember
2010 - Present
Contra Costa County Bar Association, Litigation SectionMaster
2006 - Present
WorldLink for LawMember
1990 - Present
American Bar AssociationMember
Defense judgment, affirmed on appeal
2013
Mediator Certificate
1985
JD - Juris Doctor
1981
undergraduate
2015
Equitable Subrogation (what is it and why do you care?)
2014
Glaski v. Bank of America -- Mortgage Securitization and Impact on Deeds of Trust
2007
Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments and Arbitration Awards in the United States
1999
English