Steven A. Lamon

Steve Lamon has significant experience in complex construction, business, and real estate litigation in all levels of California state courts. Steve has more than 38 years of legal experience, including negotiating and drafting contracts for public and private sector clients, and resolving myriad types of civil disputes, including both the prosecution and defense of claims. Steve’s emphasis is in handling business and contract-related cases in a broad range of areas, including construction, real estate, landlord/tenant, partnership dissolution, and corporate lawsuits of all kinds.

Steve previously owned the Lamon Law Office in Yuba City, California. Before opening his own law office in 2005, Steve was an associate and later a shareholder in the prominent Sacramento firm of McDonough, Holland & Allen for over 13 years.

Prior to that, he was an associate attorney in two prominent Bay Area law firms. Steve has been involved in thousands of cases and over a hundred trials and arbitrations, and has been successful in both defending cases and in winning multi-million-dollar judgments.

Steve was selected the “Best Attorney” in the greater Northern California area by a poll conducted by the Appeal Democrat newspaper, and was also listed among Northern California’s “Super Lawyers” in a poll conducted by San Francisco Magazine. He was also listed in Sacramento Magazine’s “Top Lawyers” list in 2016.

Steve has spoken on issues concerning public and private contracting and construction for the Cities of Yuba City, Marysville, and Tracy, and before the Valley Contractors Exchange, the Rancho Cordova Chamber of Commerce, and the Yuba Sutter Chamber of Commerce.

Steve earned his B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley, with distinction, and his J.D. from UC College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly the University of California, Hastings College of the Law) Steve also studied abroad for two years, with a year near Amsterdam, Holland, and a second year in Cairo, Egypt.

Representative Matters

•  Recently represented a national homebuilder in a complex dispute in State Court involving enforcement of an infrastructure cost-sharing agreement.
•  Recently represented a developer against a national home-builder in State Court involving enforcement of an option agreement.
•  Counsel for a Sacramento developer regarding claims for breach of sales contract involving hundreds of acres in Placer County. Obtained a verdict of
• $3.6 million and an order enforcing the contract, which resulted in a final closing for over $30 million.
•  Counsel for a local public entity regarding a developer’s claims for more than
• $80 million in water and sewer entitlements. Obtained a defense trial verdict for the city and a favorable settlement of the city’s cross-complaint.
•  Counsel for a prominent Northern California contractor obtaining favorable results in over 30 recent construction cases.
•  Counsel for a prominent Northern California residential land developer obtaining favorable results in over 10 recent homeowner cases.
•  Counsel for a Northern California public entity obtaining favorable results in four recent contractor-related claims.
•  Counsel for a prominent Sacramento contractor regarding claims against a Fortune 500 retail store developer resulting in a trial verdict in excess of $2.0 million and a right to foreclose a mechanics’ lien.
•  Counsel for a construction labor provider regarding claims against payment bonds provided on a public project resulting in a favorable appellate decision. (See, Contractors Labor Pool, Inc. vs. Westway Contractors, Inc., et al., 53 Cal.App.4^th 152 (1997))
•  Counsel for five members of a limited liability company regarding claims by another member for breach of contract to sell membership rights. Obtained as trial verdict in favor of all five members and a right to recovery of fees and costs.

Speaking Engagements

•  Speaker, “How to Avoid Business and Employment Litigation,” Rancho Cordova Chamber of Commerce (2014); Yuba Sutter Chamber of Commerce (2015)
•  Speaker, “Mechanic’s Liens and Related Remedies,” Yuba City (2000-2020), Valley Contractors Exchange, Marysville (2011), and Chico (2013)
•  Speaker, “Construction Law Seminar: Payment Remedies on Public and Private Works,” Placer County Contractors’ Association (2011)
•  Speaker, “Protect Your Right to Payment—Lien Laws,” El Dorado Builders Exchange (2011)
•  Panelist, “California Public Works/Construction Contracts From Bidding To Completion,” Sacramento (2009)
•  Speaker, Mechanic’s Lien and Stop Notice Lecture Series, Valley Contractors Exchange (2003, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2011)

Publications

•  “The Preliminary 20-Day Notice: What You Need to Know about One of the Most Important Forms Out There,” Co-authored with Lisa D. Nicolls, (September 2011)
•  “Advice to Contractors During Difficult Times: Zealously Protect Your Collection Rights by Using the Proper Forms and Heeding Deadlines,” Co- authored with Lisa D. Nicolls, (August 2011)
•  “Think You are Properly Licensed? Think Again! A Common Situation in which a Contractor is Not Properly Licensed and the Severe Consequences that can Result,” Co-authored with Lisa D. Nicolls, (July 2011)
•  “Caution: Oral Change Orders on Public Projects are Usually Not Enforceable,” Co-authored with Lisa D. Nicolls, (June 2011)
•  “Unconditional Waivers and Releases upon Payment: How To Avoid Waiving Your Rights When an Owner or Prime Contractor Demands One before Payment is Made,” Co-authored with Lisa D. Nicolls, (May 2011)
•  “California’s Mechanic’s Lien Laws,” Co-authored with Lisa D. Nicolls, (April 2011)

•   Named in Sacramento Magazine’s Top Lawyers List (2016)
•   Named in Best Attorneys in the Yuba/Sutter Northern California area in Appeal Democrat poll (2005)
•  Listed as a Super Lawyer in Northern California Super Lawyers (2004)