Gregory M. Salvato

Selected as Southern California "Super Lawyer" from 2005 to present

AV Preeminent Rating

BAR & COURT ADMISSIONS

State Bar of California, 1986

All U.S. District Courts in California

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Gregory M. Salvato specializes in business litigation in State and Federal Courts, bankruptcy and related matters. Mr. Salvato has litigated matters in the Bankruptcy or Federal District courts in Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Virginia, and Texas, and before the California Courts of Appeal, Bankruptcy Appellate Panel and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Mr. Salvato has been a Bankruptcy Specialist since 2002, certified by the California Board of Legal Specialization, State Bar of California.  Mr. Salvato is the former chair of the Bankruptcy Law Advisory Commission of the State Bar of California. He is Martindale-Hubbell A-V rated, and Los Angeles Magazine named him a "Southern California Super Lawyer" from 2004 through 2017.  

Mr. Salvato is a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s sections on Commercial Law and Bankruptcy, Litigation, and Remedies (Chair, 2002-2003), the Italian American Lawyers Association (Board of Trustees), Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Los Angeles Bankruptcy Forum, Orange County Bankruptcy Forum, California Bankruptcy Forum, Financial Lawyers Conference, American Bankruptcy Institute, and American Bar Association.

In 2010, Mr. Salvato was the founding member of Salvato Law Offices. Prior to starting Salvato Law Offices, Mr. Salvato was a shareholder in the Los Angeles law firm of Parker, Milliken, Clark, O'Hara & Samuelian, APC, from 1993 to 2010. Mr. Salvato began his legal practice at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP where he was an associate from 1987 to 1993.   He clerked for Senior United States District Judge Francis C. Whelan, Central District of California, from 1986 to 1987.    

He received his B.A. magna cum laude in 1976 from Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California, and his J.D. in 1986 from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, California, where he was the Chief Articles Editor of the Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review.   

Notable Appellate Victories

• Helix Media LLC v. Natalie Clark et al., California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Appeal No. B315990 (November 17, 2022) – Successful defense of appeal. The California Court of Appeal affirmed the Superior Court's order denying defendants’ anti-SLAPP motion, finding that defendants did not meet their burden of demonstrating the conduct forming the basis of the underlying complaint involved protected activity within the meaning of California Code of Civil Procedure § 425.16. The litigation privilege did not apply to protect defendants’ purported prelitigation communication.

• Hou You Liang, etc. v. DiJulio Law Group, 9th Cir. BAP Appeal No. 20-1230 (April 2, 2021) – Protected client’s $600,000+ administrative claim from attack before Bankruptcy Court and Bankruptcy Appellate Panel. Appeal was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction based on successful motion to dismiss appeal.

• Asset Management Holdings, LLC v. Aleli A. Hernandez, 9th Cir. BAP Appeal No. 19-1013 (October 8, 2019) - Ninth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel affirms client's objection to lender’s claim in Chapter 13, holding that the unsecured claim resulting from successful lien avoidance was wiped out by prior Chapter 7 discharge.

• In re Kathie E. Suissa and Elvis D. Suissa | Diane C. Weil v. Kathie E. Suissa, District Court Appeal No. LA CV18-08785 JAK (July 5, 2019) - District Court affirmed Bankruptcy Court’s order granting motion for relief from the automatic stay under Bankruptcy Code § 362; state court action may proceed; no automatic stay reimposed by reopening bankruptcy case; preliminary determination affirmed that real property was not “property of the estate” at the time of the original bankruptcy filing.

• Asset Management Holdings, LLC v. Aleli A. Hernandez, 9th Cir. Appeal No. 17-60044 (February 25, 2019) - The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the Bankruptcy Appellate Panel and the Bankruptcy Court’s orders determining that SLO’s client was eligible for Chapter 13 relief under Bankruptcy Code § 109(e), and finding that the bankruptcy petition was filed in good faith.

• Asset Management Holdings, LLC v. Aleli A. Hernandez, BAP No. CC-16-1228
  (BAP 9th Cir. Apr. 11, 2017) - The Bankruptcy Appellate Panel affirmed the Bankruptcy Court's Orders confirming the debtor's Chapter 13 Plan and denying the lienholder's motion to dismiss on eligibility grounds under Bankruptcy Code § 109(e).

• Hai Lecong v. Ashley Tran, 9th Cir. Appeal No. 15-60039 (February 13, 2017) - The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the Bankruptcy Court's Order granting summary judgment, determining that a state court judgment in favor of our client was excepted from the debtor's discharge under Bankruptcy Code § 523(a)(2) based upon the doctrine of issue preclusion.

• Dhawan v. Biring, 241 Cal.App.4th 963 (Cal. App. 2d Dist. 2015) - The California Court of Appeal affirmed the Los Angeles Superior Court's Order vacating and setting aside a $3,200,000 default judgment-- entered more than seven years earlier--where the judgment was void and subject to collateral attack at any time in accordance with California Code of Civil Procedure §§ 473(d) and 580.

• In re First T.D. & Investments, Inc. (Neilson v. Chang), 253 F.3d 520 (9th Cir. 2001) - In reversing the District Court, the Ninth Circuit held that California Business and Professions Code § 10233.2 applied to an assigned promissory note and deed of trust, deeming the security interests perfected. Therefore, the trustee's avoidance action under Bankruptcy Code § 544 failed. 

  In re Cobe (Smith v. Cobe), 229 B.R. 15 (BAP 9th Cir. 1998) - The Bankruptcy Appellate Panel affirmed the Bankruptcy Court's grant of summary judgment based on issue preclusion, where summary judgment was conditioned on affirmance of the state court judgment after jury trial by the California Court of Appeal.