BIO
Peter Csato is a shareholder with the firm. His many faceted practice reflects his varied work over the years representing commercial lenders of all types including banks, commercial finance companies, hedge funds and private lenders at all stages of the lending cycle. The "cradle to grave" experience (and sometimes "resurrection") Peter acquired in representing institutional and private lenders has broadened through referrals to include representing private businesses and individuals in the enforcement and collections of judgments and restructuring debts for business dissolutions which require expertise in real and personal property secured transactions.
Peter's transactional practice reflects his long and extensive background in asset-based lending. His deep understanding of personal property secured transactions and voidable transfers has been utilized for structured loan transactions involving LBOs, specialty real estate loans and other specialized personal property secured transactions.
Peter has significant experience in loan "work-outs" and post-default documentation of forbearance and restructuring agreements, including stipulated and confession of judgments to be utilized in the interest of further defaults.
As an experienced commercial litigator Peter has specific and extensive expertise in prejudgment remedies, including receiverships, injunctions, pre-judgment writs of attachments and writs of possession. He has lectured extensively on these subjects to various Bar, CEB and professional organizations.
Peter has an extensive and specialized expertise in collecting and the enforcement of judgments. He is widely recognized as a top specialist in this area. In one notable case, Peter was part of a team of attorneys representing Fred Goldman in the civil lawsuit against O.J. Simpson in the death of Mr. Goldman’s son, Ron. He was involved in the collection work of the civil judgment including the sale of the Heisman trophy to satisfy the civil judgment awarded Mr. Goldman and others against Simpson.
PRACTICE AREAS
Creditors' Rights and Commercial Litigation
Enforcement of Judgments
EDUCATION
University of California at Los Angeles, B.A. (summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) 1976
Loyola Law School, J.D. (cum laude) 1979
ADMISSIONS
State Bar of California 1979
US Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit
US District Court, Central District of California
US District Court, Northern District of California
US District Court, Southern District of California
US District Court, Eastern District of California
MEMBERSHIPS & ASSOCIATIONS
Los Angeles County Bar Association Committee, served on the Executive Committee of the Prejudgment Remedies.
California Bankers Association, Board
State Bar of California, Litigation section
Served on the Board of Directors, 1st Enterprise Bank, 2006-2015
PRESENTATIONS
A frequent lecturer, he has delivered numerous presentations for the California Continuing Education of the Bar on enforcement of judgments, Equipment Leasing Association, the Commercial Finance Conference of California, and various client groups on creditors' remedies, prejudgment use of provisional remedies, post-judgment remedies, and fraud detection and avoidance.
PUBLICATIONS
Co-author, “Collection Matters, Part I” Workouts and Litigation” January | Pratts Journal of Bankruptcy Law
Co-author, “Collection Matters, Part II: Foreclosures and Guarantors“ February/March | Pratts Journal of Bankruptcy Law
REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS
Between 2010 and 2015 Peter was the lead work-out and litigation attorney for the collection and liquidation of a $2 billion portfolio of loans acquired by an out of state bank from the FDIC in a "FDIC assisted transaction". The portfolio included loans involving liquidating single-family development projects, multi-family development projects, and hotel and hospitality loans.
Lead counsel on collection of a $15 million judgment which included voidable transfer lawsuits against non-profits and charitable organizations and private clubs as recipients of donations while the judgment debtors where insolvent and made donations with the intent to avoid, hinder and delay paying the judgment creditor.
Retained by family law attorneys representing a spouse to assist in structuring, collateralizing and payment of a long term family law settlement agreement to pay a spouse from a business that had significant financial stress, owner disagreements and multi-million dollar loan obligations to a commercial bank.
COMMUNITY
CASA of Los Angeles, Board of Directors
