Tag: Foley Bezek Behle & Curtis

Guest contribution — Seminal court ruling certifies class action against cannabis grower for odor nuisance

by Community Contributor • March 6, 2025 • Comments Off

SANTA BARBARA — In a landmark legal victory, a California judge has certified a class action lawsuit against Valley Crest, a commercial cannabis cultivation facility in Carpinteria, allowing residential property owners within a one-mile radius of the operation to collectively seek damages for the persistent and pervasive cannabis odors invading their properties. This ruling is the first of its kind in California, setting a powerful precedent for future cases against cannabis growers who fail to control malodors impacting residential communities.

Attorney Aaron Lee Arndt recognized for service to U.S. thalidomide survivors

by Community Contributor • November 16, 2023 • Comments Off

SANTA BARBARA — Aaron Lee Arndt, a partner at the Santa Barbara-based law firm Foley Bezek Behle & Curtis, has been recognized by the nonprofit organization US Thalidomide Survivors for his service on behalf of Americans disabled by the now-banned drug.

Arndt, whose own mother was impacted by thalidomide after her mother took the drug during pregnancy, received a certificate of recognition for his “dedication to the mission and commitment to those in the United States affected by thalidomide who still await justice.” Arndt serves on the board of directors of the non-profit and works toward the organization’s central task of advocating for all those Americans who have been affected by thalidomide.

Santa Barbara Law Firm Lands $9,750,000 Settlement for Victims of Life Insurance Ponzi Scheme

by Community Contributor • November 1, 2023 • Comments Off

SANTA BARBARA — The law firm Foley Bezek Behle & Curtis, LLP (“FBBC”) obtained a $9.75 million settlement on behalf of almost 1,200 individuals ensnared in a fraudulent life insurance investment scheme involving Life Settlements between 2004 and 2014.

The $9,750,000 settlement, approved October 16 by Judge Lawrence P. Riff in the Superior Court of California, Los Angeles County, will allow investors to recoup thousands of dollars they lost to the scheme on a pro-rata basis based on the amount of their investment.

FBBC attorneys Thomas G. Foley, Jr., in Santa Barbara and Kevin D. Gamarnik in Costa Mesa initiated the litigation on behalf of plaintiffs Konstantin Shechter, Svetlana Averbukh and Arnold Applebaum in 2016. Co-counsels Richard E. Donahoo and Sarah L. Kokonas of the Tustin-based law firm Donahoo & Associates, PC, also played key roles in the litigation and settlement proceedings.

Class Action Attorney Robert A. Curtis Named Among Best Lawyers in America for 2024

by Community Contributor • September 7, 2023 • Comments Off

SANTA BARBARA — Robert Curtis, managing partner at the Santa Barbara-based law firm Foley Bezek Behle & Curtis, has been recognized as one of The Best Lawyers in America(r) for exceptional work representing plaintiffs in mass tort litigation and class action lawsuits.

Curtis, who in conjunction with other partners at the firm has successfully pursued over $1.15 billion in settlements and verdicts against some of the biggest companies in the country, was recently included in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America(r). https://www.bestlawyers.com/lawyers/robert-curtis/206126