JAMES MAYO focuses his practice on defending and assisting businesses and individuals in white collar criminal investigations and complex civil litigation, including civil and criminal fraud litigation, tax fraud, health care fraud, bankruptcy fraud, mail fraud, securities fraud, mortgage and bank fraud, access device fraud, qui tam litigation, forfeiture, and environmental enforcement matters.  As an attorney with over fifteen years experience, James has actively participated as counsel in a wide variety of civil litigation matters in the state and federal courts, both at trial and appellate levels, including professional and fiduciary liability litigation, insurance coverage matters, employment and tort cases, class action defense, contract litigation, malicious prosecution, defamation, construction defect litigation, denaturalization, and matters involving trade secret and related intellectual property questions. 

Aside from individuals, his clients have included international, regional and local companies, as well as the representation of medical, legal, real estate, insurance, agribusiness, automobile dealers, and other professionals, business owners, public and elected officials, and legislative agencies.

James, born and raised in New York, began his legal career as a paralegal in New York City at Cravath, Swain, & Moore prior to attending law school.  Upon graduating from law school in 1993, he began private practice as an associate attorney with the Lewis, D’Amato, Brisbois & Bisgaard in Sacramento, and later at Hansen, Boyd, Culhane & Watson in Sacramento, which he left in 1998 to join Segal & Kirby LLP as an associate attorney.     

Among his community activities, James, a former college athlete, has coached and managed his two sons= youth basketball and baseball teams for the past several years.

Representative Matters:

Represented international agricultural and ranching company regarding claimed environmental and Clean Water Act violations and participated in the defense of numerous regional and local companies in criminal  prosecutions and civil litigation arising from business activities.

Represented businesses in highly regulated industries, including a prominent  winery, firearms wholesaler and distributor, insurance brokers, attorneys, contractors, and other licensees, in federal, state, administrative, and local inquiries, investigations, and related parallel litigation.

 Represented individuals and businesses in federal and state fraud investigations and prosecutions, including tax fraud, health care fraud, bankruptcy fraud, mail fraud, and access device fraud.

Represented individuals and property development and management companies in complex real estate and breach of contract litigation.

Represented individuals and businesses in insurance coverage matters, including declaratory relief actions and summary judgment motions.

Represented automobile dealerships and local businesses in business disputes, anti-trust and unfair business claims, insurance matters, and defense of employment, hostile work environment, and harassment related lawsuits.

Defended law firms and legal professionals in legal malpractice actions, and obtained dismissals and attorney's fee awards under California’s anti-SLAPP statute for malicious prosecution suits.

Represented an individual in a denaturalization action pro bono, which resulted in a published decision and an appeal to the United States Supreme Court.