California Court of Appeal Upholds Another LTL Victory

Los Angeles, CA — November 2013

Lee Tran Liang & Wang LLP (LTLW) successfully defended an appeal involving a high-profile investor visa scheme.

LTLW represented Plaintiff/Appellee, a Chinese national who sought an EB-5 investor visa by investing $530,000 in a fund controlled by California attorney Justin Moongyu Lee, and his law firm Lee & Kent. Despite an arrangement whereby Plaintiff’s monies would be returned in full if her I-526 Petition was denied for any reason, Attorney Lee refused to refund the monies to Plaintiff/Appellee after her petition was denied and she chose not to continue with her I-526 Petition.

LTLW filed a civil lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court against Lee, his law firm, and the investment fund in 2012. LTLW moved aggressively by obtaining a temporary protective order and writ of attachment against Defendants. Thereafter, Defendants settled within days and agreed to return the full amount of the investment plus attorneys’ fees in a written, executed short-form settlement term sheet. However, Defendants only ended up repaying $300,000, later claiming that the short-form settlement term sheet was just an “agreement to agree” on a later long-form settlement agreement.

LTLW moved to enforce the short-form settlement term sheet under CCP 664.6. The Superior Court ruled in favor of Plaintiff/Appellee. Defendants appealed.

The Court of Appeal upheld the lower court’s entry of judgment and enforcement of the settlement term sheet, stating that under the circumstances of the case and the prior actions of the parties, there was no “uncertainty or incompleteness of the contract.” LTLW is currently investigating other potential actions involving Lee, his law firm, and related investment funds. The State Bar of California has filed disciplinary charges against Lee.

LTLW partner Enoch Liang and senior associate Cyrus Khojandpour represented the Plaintiff/Appellee.