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 hundreds of cases and dozens of trials, and has been successful in both defending cases and in winning several multi-million dollar judgments. 

 

Steve was recently selected the Best Attorney in the Yuba/Sutter area by a poll conducted by the Appeal Democrat newspaper, and was also recently listed among Northern California's Super Lawyers in a poll conducted by San Francisco Magazine. 

 

Steve has spoken on issues concerning public and private contracting and construction for the Valley Contractors Exchange.

 

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

 

Areas of Practice

Construction Law and Litigation, Commercial Real Estate Law and Litigation, Business and Commercial Law and Litigation

 
Representative Experience

• 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 local public entity regarding a developer’s claims for more than $80 million in water and sewer entitlements. Obtained a defense verdict for the city and a favorable settlement of the city’s cross-complaint against the developer.
• 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 prominent Sacramento contractor regarding claims against a Fortune 500 retail store developer resulting in verdict in excess of $2.0 million and right to foreclose 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.4th 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 verdict in favor of all five members and right to recovery of fees and costs.

 

 

Recent Speaking Engagements

Speaker, "Mechanic’s Liens and Related Remedies, " Valley Contractors Exchange, Marysville (March 2011)

 

Panelist, "California Public Works/Construction Contracts From Bidding to Completion,” Sacramento (July 2009)

Presenter, Mechanic’s Lien and Stop Notice Lecture Series, Valley Contractors Exchange (2003, 2005, 2007)

 

Publications

 

"The Preliminary 20-Day Notice: What You Need to Know about One of the Most Important Forms Out There," Co-authored withLisa 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)

 

Memberships

Sacramento County Bar
Yuba Sutter Bar Association 
State Bar of California 
Valley Contractors Exchange

 

Leadership Positions and Community Activities

Member, Rotary Club of Sacramento (2009 – present)
Member, Yuba City Rotary Club (2005 – 2009) 
Member, Yuba City Unified School District GATE Advisory Board (2003 – 2005)
Member, Yuba City Unified School District School Site Council (2001 – 2003)
Incline Village Homeowners Assoc. Board of Directors (2005 – 2008)
Yuba-Sutter Superior Courts Alternative Dispute Resolution Advisory Committee (2005 – 2007)

 

Education

University of California, Hastings College of the Law 
J.D., 1986

University of California, Berkeley
B.A., 1983