Attorney Ponist represented a commercial real estate brokerage and its agents in an arbitrated matter in which plaintiff buyer sought damages for alleged nondisclosure of material facts and clients sought recovery of their commission. After arbitration, plaintiffs’ claims were rejected, and clients were awarded their commission.
Ponist Law Group Defeats $20+ Million California Attorney General Enforcement Case
December 25, 2025
After a three-year investigation, the California Attorney General’s Office filed a sweeping civil enforcement action against a nonprofit organization, its directors, and affiliated companies that supported the charity’s operations. The complaint alleged serious claims, including breach of fiduciary duty, self-dealing, diversion of charitable assets, and misrepresentation. The Attorney General sought more than $20 million in restitution, fines, and penalties, along with over $2 million in purportedly “mandatory” attorney’s fees.
Following five years of hard-fought litigation and a three-month trial, the Ponist Law Group secured a defense verdict on every substantive claim. The only issue on which the Attorney General prevailed involved record-keeping deficiencies.
The outcome was decisive. Instead of the more than $20 million sought, the court awarded just $14,000 in fines and penalties. Instead of over $2 million in attorney’s fees, the court awarded $35,800.
