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Wanger Jones Helsley PC

Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Trial-tested advocacy for businesses, institutions, and individuals in complex disputes across California, from a firm founded by a former United States District Judge and frequently retained by other attorneys.

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What We Do

Litigation & Dispute Resolution Services

01

Business & Commercial Litigation

Disputes over contracts, business torts, unfair competition, and commercial relationships, handled in California state and federal trial courts through verdict where needed.

02

Class Actions

Prosecution and defense of class and representative actions, including consumer, employment, and business claims, from pleading and certification through trial and appeal.

03

Corporate, Shareholder & Partnership Disputes

Litigation over corporate governance, ownership, partnership and shareholder rights, business divorces, and dissolutions for closely held and family-owned California enterprises.

04

Trade Secret & Unfair Competition

Protection and defense of trade secrets, confidential information, and competitive relationships, including injunctive relief and litigation over unfair business practices.

05

Insurance Bad Faith & Coverage

Representation in insurance coverage disputes and bad faith litigation, drawing on the firm's established insurance defense and civil litigation experience.

06

Appellate Advocacy

Appeals before the California Courts of Appeal, the Ninth Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court, arising from the firm's own trials and matters referred by other firms.

Overview

How We Serve Our Clients

Litigation is the foundation of Wanger Jones Helsley's practice. The firm represents businesses, institutions, and individuals in complex commercial, corporate, real property, and insurance disputes, handling matters in California state and federal trial courts and on appeal. Its attorneys have collectively tried many cases to verdict across the state.

Founded in 1995 by the Honorable Oliver W. Wanger, a former United States District Judge, the firm brings bench-level perspective to how complex cases are won. WJH is frequently retained by other law firms as trial and appellate co-counsel, a reflection of its reputation as a trial firm.

Whether a matter calls for aggressive trial advocacy, a negotiated resolution, mediation, or arbitration, the firm tailors its approach to the client's commercial goals. Clients range from Fortune 500 companies to closely held businesses and individuals, served from offices in Fresno and Sacramento across the Central Valley and California.

Our Approach

What to Expect from WJH

— 01

Trial-Tested

The firm was built by trial lawyers, including a former federal judge and an attorney who argued before the United States Supreme Court. That credibility shapes how every case is prepared and positioned.

— 02

Strategic

Litigation serves the client's larger objective, not the other way around. The firm assesses risk early and recommends the path — trial, settlement, or alternative resolution — that best advances the outcome.

— 03

Full-Service

The firm's transactional and litigation teams work side by side, so disputes benefit from business judgment and deals benefit from a litigator's foresight. Clients get coordinated counsel rather than a single-discipline view.

The Team

Attorneys in this Practice

View All Attorneys
Nicolas R. Cardella, Shareholder, Wanger Jones Helsley PC
Nicolas R. Cardella
Shareholder
Fresno
Jay A. Christofferson, Shareholder, Wanger Jones Helsley PC
Jay A. Christofferson
Shareholder
Fresno
Kathleen DeVaney, Of Counsel, Wanger Jones Helsley PC
Kathleen DeVaney
Of Counsel
Fresno
Shawnda M. Grady, Of Counsel, Wanger Jones Helsley PC
Shawnda M. Grady
Of Counsel
Sacramento
Amanda G. Hebesha, Shareholder, Wanger Jones Helsley PC
Amanda G. Hebesha
Shareholder
Fresno
Peter M. Jones, Of Counsel, Wanger Jones Helsley PC
Peter M. Jones
Of Counsel
Fresno
Scott D. Laird, Shareholder, Wanger Jones Helsley PC
Scott D. Laird
Shareholder
Fresno
Ethan Mora, Of Counsel, Wanger Jones Helsley PC
Ethan Mora
Of Counsel
Fresno
Patrick D. Toole, Shareholder, Wanger Jones Helsley PC
Patrick D. Toole
Shareholder
Fresno
Steven K. Vote, Shareholder, Wanger Jones Helsley PC
Steven K. Vote
Shareholder
Fresno
Riley C. Walter, Shareholder, Wanger Jones Helsley PC
Riley C. Walter
Shareholder
Fresno
Benjamin C. West, Shareholder, Wanger Jones Helsley PC
Benjamin C. West
Shareholder
Fresno
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Wanger Jones Helsley handle in litigation and dispute resolution?
Wanger Jones Helsley handles complex commercial and business litigation, class actions, corporate and partnership dissolutions, trade secret and unfair competition disputes, insurance bad faith, and real property, water, and environmental litigation. The firm represents clients in California state and federal trial courts and on appeal across the state.
Has Wanger Jones Helsley argued before the United States Supreme Court?
Yes. WJH Shareholder Timothy Jones argued and prevailed before the United States Supreme Court in Central Green Co. v. United States, decided in 2001. The firm's founder, the Honorable Oliver W. Wanger, served as a United States District Judge, giving the litigation team bench-level perspective on complex cases.
What types of clients does WJH represent in litigation?
Wanger Jones Helsley represents businesses from Fortune 500 corporations to closely held companies, along with financial institutions, agricultural operations, public agencies, and individuals in high-stakes disputes. Other law firms also retain WJH as trial and appellate co-counsel for matters headed toward verdict or appeal.
Does Wanger Jones Helsley handle appeals?
Yes. Wanger Jones Helsley maintains an active appellate practice before the California Courts of Appeal, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. The firm handles appeals arising from its own trial work and matters referred by other firms seeking experienced appellate counsel statewide.
Where does WJH handle litigation matters?
Wanger Jones Helsley litigates from offices in Fresno and Sacramento, serving clients throughout the Central Valley and across California in state and federal courts. The firm's attorneys appear in trial and appellate courts statewide and handle matters for clients headquartered both in and outside California.
Who at WJH handles litigation in Fresno?
Most of Wanger Jones Helsley's litigators are based in the Fresno office, including shareholders Patrick Toole, Riley Walter, Scott Laird, Steven Vote, Benjamin West, Nicolas Cardella, Amanda Hebesha, and Jay Christofferson, with of-counsel attorneys as well. The firm matches each matter to the attorney whose trial experience best fits.
Related Practices

Explore adjacent Practice Specialties.

View All Practices

Corporate & Business

Strategic counsel for businesses at every stage, from formation and governance to transactions, restructuring, and regulatory compliance, across California.

Insurance Defense

Defense of insurers and insureds in coverage disputes, bad faith claims, and civil litigation, backed by the firm's trial experience, across California.

Environmental, Water, & Land Use

Representation in water rights, environmental regulation, and land use for agricultural, public, and private clients, with attorneys in Fresno and Sacramento near the Capitol.

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