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Thomas Vogele & Associates, APC

Trial and Appellate Attorneys for Business and Civil Disputes

About TVA

The TVA legal team, led by principals Thomas Vogele and Timothy Kowal, serves clients in trial and on appeal throughout California, with offices in Orange and Monterey Counties. Our mission is to provide every client with creative and tenacious representation. We are proud to have won trial and appellate victories for business and individuals that rank among the largest and most significant in California.
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TVA Law - known for an intense commitment to client service

A passionate commitment 
to excellence 
and professionalism

Awards

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2019 Top 20 California2019 Number 1 Verdict Property Rights CaliforniaSuper LAwyers Badge - Thomas A Vogele Selected in 2017 Thomson Reuters
Expertise Award - Best Bankruptcy Lawyers in Irvine 2020Top 10 Jury Verdicts in California 2018 - Breach of ContractNumber 1 Jury Verdict in California 2018 - Fraudulent Transfer
AVVO Rating 10.0 SuperbSuper Lawyers 2023

Resources for Trial Attorneys

Each week, TVA appellate attorney Tim Kowal reviews several recent decisions out of the appellate courts in California, and elsewhere, and reports about the ones that might help you get an edge in your cases and appeals in our ARTICLES section.

Trial attorneys might also be interested in the California Appellate Law Podcast, co-hosted by Tim Kowal. To listen, click below, visit www.CALPodcast.com, or subscribe in your favorite podcast player.
NEWSLETTER
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PODCAST

The California Appellate Law Podcast, co-hosted by Tim Kowal

ARTICLES

View our published legal articles.

LEGAL NEWS

View summaries of recent cases and tips for trial attorneys.

VIDEO

Video Library

Case Studies

FEDERAL JURY AWARDS $40 MILLION TO TVA'S CLIENT AGAINST TRESPASSING PIPELINE OPERATORS

A jury returned a unanimous verdict requiring Shell Pipeline and Alon to pay TVA's clients $40.6 million in benefits-obtained trespass damages.

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FEDERAL COURT ORDERS SHELL COMPANY TO REMOVE PIPELINE FROM PROPERTY

TVA's clients bought a 138-acre parcel across the street from Meadows Field airport, a property hoped to be the "window to the city"...

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Testimonials

“Tom [Vogele] is one of the people I rely on to help me make decisions about the direction of my business. I consider him a key part of my management team.”

RVCA CORPORATION

Chairman
“I did not get justice at my trial after I was taken advantage of by a lender. I think the judge made up his mind whom he wanted to believe. When Tim took my case up on appeal, he focused the case on the contract. The appeal saved my retirement.”

SUSAN PETERSON

Client
"I would recommend Tom, Tim, and the entire TVA team without reservation. Having worked with law firms of all sizes, I would put the quality and effectiveness of TVA's advocacy up against anyone."

NATHAN MAZUREK

Chairman and CEO, Pioneer Power Solutions, Inc.
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Our Team

Intense commitment to client service

You know what they say about company you keep

Our attorneys are recognized for our in-house attentiveness and large-firm skill set.
Verdict Magazine LogoOrange County Lawyer Magazine LogoKFI AM 640 Radio LogoThe Bakersfield Californian LogoKSBW Channel 8 LogoLaw 360 LogoLA Times / Daily Pilot Logo

Published Articles

When It Comes to Writs of Administrative Mandamus, the Appealability Rules Are Confused (published at CEB)

CEB has published my article, “When It Comes to Writs of Administrative Mandamus, the Appealability Rules Are Confused,” available here: https://lnkd.in/ge8d8mYS

The article is about the mandamus case of County of Santa Cruz v. Santa Cruz County Civil Service Commission (D6 May 5, 2023 no. H049856) 2023 WL 3267749 (nonpub. opn.). The setup is that, when challenging an agency action via a writ of administrative mandamus, normally you have to assume the trial court’s ruling is the appealable order. But the Santa Cruz court permitted an appeal much later than that, when the appellant appealed from a statement of decision (which itself is usually not appealable).

The decision contradicts last year’s holding in Meinhardt v. City of Sunnyvale (2022) 76 Cal.App.5th 43 (but the Supreme Court granted review in Meinhardt).

My comment: It should make you nervous when courts are wishy-washy on appealability. Once the cases suggest an order might be appealable, you need to assume they are definitely appealable, because they’re treated as jurisdictional.

View Article
CEB has my article, What Happens to a Fee Award After the Judgment Is Reversed? Try a Stipulated Reversal

CEB has published my article, “What Happens to a Fee Award After the Judgment Is Reversed? Try a Stipulated Reversal.” In the short article, I discuss a common confusing scenario: what happens when a judgment is reversed, but the fee award is still on appeal?

That is what happened in Mid-Wilshire Property, L.P. v. Dr. Leevil, LLC (D4d3 Jul. 20, 2022 no. G059899) 2022 WL 2824967 (nonpub. opn.). Briefing in the fee appeal was still underway when the judgment was reversed. Do the parties still have to go through with the briefing and argument?

Nope. Instead, they filed a joint stipulated request to summarily reverse the attorney fee award. And the appellate court granted it.

View Article
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Contacts

TVA’s attorneys come to the law from vastly different backgrounds but share a passionate commitment to excellence and professionalism in everything we do for our clients and the legal community.
Orange County
Monterey County
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PHONE

(714) 641-1232

E-MAIL

info@tvalaw.com
THOMAS VOGELE & ASSOCIATES, APC
129 W. Wilson St. 
Suite 200
Costa Mesa, California 92627
(714) 641-1232
TVA Law Logo - go to top of page

PHONE

(714) 641-1232

E-MAIL

info@tvalaw.com
THOMAS VOGELE & ASSOCIATES, APC
60 West Alisal, 
Suite 18
Salinas, California 93901
(831) 272-6676
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