Peter M. Bochnewich is a civil trial attorney and partner with Slovak, Baron & Empey LLP.

A partner in the firm, Peter’s practice has a very well regarded and substantial focus on trust and estate litigation.

Peter represents clients in all manner of trust and estate disputes, and is frequently in court and in trial on numerous trust and estate matters each year. The disputes involve a variety of issues, including will contests, trust contests, lack of capacity claims, undue influence claims, breach of fiduciary claims, trust and estate accounting disputes, conservatorship disputes, elder abuse litigation and more. Peter has represented clients throughout the Inland Empire and Southern California, and occasionally in other jurisdictions.

Peter’s practice also includes commercial litigation, including complex business and contract disputes, interpretation of corporate bylaw matters, sophisticated real property disputes, quiet title actions, and discrimination in employment litigation. Peter has also litigated business matters before the special, complex litigation panel of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, where he helped obtained a seven figure settlement for a client.

Notable Engagements

The following are a few examples of matters that Peter has handled:

• Successfully obtained a judgment after trial, recovering over 1.2 million dollars, plus interest, from an estate executor and fiduciary, which were wrongfully obtained by the acts of undue influence by the fiduciary. These assets were returned to the lawful heirs of the decedent’s estate. Peter introduced evidence in the two week trial in this matter, including testimony from sophisticated handwriting experts, to prove the breach of fiduciary duty and acts of dishonest and undue influence against the fiduciary, and to also have him removed from office and determined to be an invalid donee/recipient of any inheritance from the decedent.
• Successfully defended and preserved the right of inheritance of a client wrongfully accused of acts of undue influence, in the amount of approximately 2 million dollars, against attack by disputing relatives.
• Successfully cancelled, through judgment obtained at trial, the wrongful transfer of real property taken at the expense of an incapacitated elder, and quieted title to that real property residence to its rightful owner.
• Successfully obtained the return of real property and other assets approaching 1 million dollars against defendants who secretly obtained such assets from an incapacitated, elderly woman.
• Successfully defended a client through trial, against allegations of financial mismanagement of estate properties and alleged forgery and manipulation of estate documents.
• Represented a homeowner against a large title insurance company for recovery of almost 20 times what the title company was willing to pay for liability in failing to disclose a burdensome easement on a title report, in a complex easement and insurance case. This matter was tried in a binding arbitration setting.
• Successfully represented a large waste industry company on multiple occasions in the enforcement of the exclusive franchise rights of the waste company against illegal waste haulers.
• Successfully obtained a seven figure settlement for a retailer claim against a major nationally known manufacturer in a complicated antitrust/price fixing case.
• At the Court of Appeal: Peter has been routinely and almost universally successful in several significant matters he has personally briefed and argued before the Court of Appeal, in the area of trust and estate oriented litigation.

Education

• California Western School of Law, San Diego, CA, J.D. (1992)
• Central Connecticut State University, B.S. Business Management (1981)

Admitted to Practice

• California Supreme Court (1992)
• United States District Courts, California (2000),
• United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit (2000);
• United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit (1993);

Television & Entertainment

• Host, On the Law, television program, regularly aired in the Coachella Valley, and may be seen at www.onthelawtv.com.
• Founder, Coachella Valley Shakespeare Festivals, Inc.
• Writer, producer, director and performer, Desert Bar Association Bird Awards-Attorneys and Distinguished Judges comedy awards show.

Professional Affiliations And Community Activities

• The State Bar of California
• Desert Bar Association
• Former President and Officer of the Desert Bar Association
• Approved Mediator: Riverside County Courts
• Board Member, Desert Estate Planning Council
• Board Member, Coachella Valley Boys and Girls Club
• Desert Valleys Building Association:
• Coach and Sponsor, Palm Desert Youth Soccer Organization:
• American Bar Association