bio
Partner

Jeffrey Gurrola

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Biography

GMSR partner Jeff Gurrola, a State Bar-certified appellate specialist, is a dedicated appellate lawyer who thrives on providing efficient, excellent legal analysis in high-pressure appeals and fast-paced writ proceedings.  Having worked previously both as a trial litigator and as an in-house litigation attorney, Jeff has a deep understanding of the considerations his clients and their trial counsel face when considering and pursuing an appeal or writ petition.

Like his colleagues at GMSR, Jeff specializes in appeals but is a subject-matter generalist.  He handles civil appeals and writ petitions in a wide spectrum of business and public entity disputes and cases involving tort law, contract law, family law, and consumer law, to name just a few.  Jeff regularly briefs and argues appeals in both California and federal appellate courts.  He also consults with trial attorneys before, during, and after trial to advise on key legal issues, assist in drafting dispositive post-trial motions, and help prepare the attorneys and clients to pursue or defend against any subsequent appeal.

In addition to serving his clients’ needs, Jeff assists GMSR partner Laurie Hepler in her role as Contributing Editor of Eisenberg, Cal. Practice Guide: Civil Appeals and Writs (The Rutter Group), the authoritative treatise on civil appellate practice in California.  He regularly speaks to both large and small groups of trial lawyers to provide helpful appellate law developments and advice about how to prepare and preserve their trial record to increase their chances of prevailing in any future appeal.

Outside of work, Jeff enjoys traveling, hiking his way up tall mountains around California, and watching The Golden Girls with his husband and Honey, their three-legged dog.

Notable Wins

2024

City of Santa Clarita v. Canyon View Limited (Aug. 13, 2024, B320230) 2024 WL 3822606

Reversed trial court’s judgment determining that hillside solar energy system violated local zoning regulations and ordering removal of the solar panels

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2024

Riversiders Against Increased Taxes v. City of Riverside (2024) 104 Cal.App.5th 250

Reversed trial court’s determination that local tax election did not comply with constitutional requirements

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2022

Campbell v. Budd (Oct. 18, 2022, B306687) 2022 WL 10252427

Declined to impose a duty on California landlords to replace code-compliant un-tempered glass doors

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2022

Friend of Camden, Inc. et al. v. Brandt (2022) 81 Cal.App.5th 1054

Held as a matter of first impression that members may dissolve an LLC by vote even if a judicial dissolution action is pending in court

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2022

Coastline JX Holdings LLC v. Letwak & Bennett (May 16, 2022, G059646) 2022 WL 1534602

Upheld trial court’s imposition of approximately $300,000 in attorney fees relating to default judgment

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Speaking and Involvement

2025
Recent Developments in Appealability, Pincus Professional Education
2025
"Year in Review" – Case Highlights of 2024, Association of Southern California Defense Counsel Annual Seminar
2024
In Case You Missed It: Civil Law Highlights From The Past Year, Beverly Hills Bar Association
2023
The Appeal Killers: Avoiding the Traps That Can Doom Your Appeal Before It Begins, CLE Webinar
2023
In Case You Missed It: Civil Law Highlights From The Past Year, Beverly Hills Bar Association
2022
In Case You Missed It: Civil Law Highlights From The Past Year, Beverly Hills Bar Association

Professional Associations

Association of Business Trial Lawyers (ABTL)
National LGBT Bar Association