An accomplished litigator, Sara Colón is admitted to practice in both California and New York, where she has extensive experience handling a broad range of commercial litigation cases in federal and state courts and in arbitral forums. Ms. Colón has skillfully managed a variety of legal matters including disputes regarding breach of contract, partnerships, investments, insurance coverage, fraud, government investigations, and business torts. She has also represented plaintiffs in financial elder abuse cases. Ms. Colón’s clients include local and international businesses in a variety of industries, including finance, real estate, telecommunications, entertainment, and technology.

Founded by Edmond E. Salem, Esq. in 2003, The Salem Law Firm is built on a foundation of personalized, dedicated legal service. Mr. Salem began his legal career in the greater Chicago area with a focus on family law, real estate, probate, medical malpractice defense, and general civil litigation. His experience working with both small and large firms since 2000 allowed him to see firsthand the limitations of larger legal practices—where bureaucracy and internal politics often stood in the way of giving clients the individualized attention they deserve. Determined to provide a more personal and focused approach, Mr. Salem decided to establish his own firm. Today, The Salem Law Firm proudly serves clients across California, offering a compassionate and client-centered approach to personal injury, real estate law, family law, and business litigation. With years of experience and a deep understanding of the state’s legal landscape, we are a leading California law firm committed to fighting for justice and achieving positive outcomes for our clients. Whether you’re facing a car accident, dealing with real estate disputes, navigating a family law matter, or need strong representation in business litigation, The Salem Law Firm is here to provide expert guidance and personalized care every step of the way.

My mission objective is to find a practical approach to either settle a family law case or when necessary take the best approach to litigation as a last resort. Most clients are unfamiliar with their rights and duties under the law. A misstep can bring a disastrous result leading to the loss of child custody, spousal support, or even property rights. In my 31 years of experience in Family Law, I have negotiated and litigated child custody, visitation, child support, spousal support, family maintenance, complex property and debt, move-away cases, and much more. The practice of Family Law is such a fluid area of the law that we must keep abreast of the ever-changing rules and procedures affecting our clients. My effort is to get the most reasonable outcome at the lowest possible cost to the client by advising the client of all the known available options then apply the best approach to optimize the results. Past-President of East/West Family Law Council which premieres cutting-edge seminars which includes sitting and retired judicial officers, forensic psychologists, accountants, and prestigious expert presenters give meaningful MCLE approved Programs. I continue to sit as an active member of the Board of Directors.

As an attorney with 20 years of litigation experience, I’ve handled all facets of state and federal large-scale business litigation matters including written discovery, depositions, law and motion practice, pre-trial, and trial work with a focus on general business disputes, torts, and real property disputes. I’ve also represented lenders, investors, and financial institutions in real estate and finance transactions, with a focus on real estate loan documentation, maximizing collection on defaulted loans, commercial acquisitions, dispositions, and leasing. In addition, I provide legal, business, and public policy advice and solutions in the areas of complex litigation, real estate, consumer fraud, and business tort claims to assist in efficiently and effectively achieving our clients’ objectives. Prior to joining Weintraub Zolkin Talerico & Liu LLP, I was an attorney with McKenna, Long & Aldridge (now Dentons) and Ropers, Majeski, Kohn & Bentley where I managed complex business litigation matters, including product liability, premises liability, intellectual property, construction defect and class action litigation. I previously served as a judicial extern for the Honorable John F. Walter, Judicial Extern (United States District Court, Central District), the Honorable Robert M. Takasugi (United States District Court, Central District), and the Honorable Owen Lee Kwong (Los Angeles Superior Court, Stanley Mosk).

My practice centers on bankruptcy, restructuring, and commercial litigation. I am versed in all aspects of financial restructuring, having represented debtors, creditors, and other interest holders in and out of court for more than two decades. My litigation practice focuses on general commercial disputes. Prior to founding Weintraub Zolkin Talerico & Liu LLP, I was a founding partner of Zolkin Talerico LLP. I began my career practicing for over ten years at the international law firms of Milbank LLP and Loeb & Loeb LLP. I represent debtors, secured and unsecured creditors, creditor committees, asset purchasers, receivers, and trustees, in regional and national restructuring matters, both in-court and out-of-court. I have represented my clients in bankruptcy cases throughout California and the United States, from Texas to New York, Delaware, and Florida. As a litigator, I have prosecuted and defended a wide range of commercial disputes including fraud, intellectual property, lender liability, insurance, re-insurance, and real estate, among others in both state and federal court. In appellate practice, I have successfully argued before both District Courts, Bankruptcy Appellate Panels, and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

I have been a corporate restructuring attorney for over 30 years and have experience in all aspects of financial restructuring, insolvency law and processes. Immediately prior to forming Weintraub Zolkin Talerico & Liu LLP, I was a founding partner of the bankruptcy and business litigation boutique of Zolkin Talerico LLP. Prior to that, I was an attorney at the Wall Street law firm of Milbank LLP, where I represented debtors, equity owners, financial institutions, first and second lien lenders, hedge and bond funds, trade creditors, chapter 11 trustees and debt and asset purchasers in complex restructurings, workouts and foreclosures across a variety of industry sectors. I provide my clients with in-court and out-of-court legal strategies and approaches designed to lead to value maximization. My expertise spans various legal and business documents, including secured and unsecured debt documents, indentures, servicing agreements, purchase and sale agreements confidentiality documents and other commercial and business contracts. I negotiate and draft restructuring term sheets, plans of reorganization, cash collateral and debtor in possession financing agreements and orders, bidding procedures for assets sales, sale agreements and other pleadings and documents required in chapter 11 bankruptcy cases. I have represented clients in bankruptcy cases and out-of-court restructurings that have taken place throughout the United States, including California, New York, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Texas, Louisiana, Nevada, Arizona, Washington and Oregon.

I am a graduate of the University of California, Riverside where I received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science. In 1985 I received my Juris Doctor Degree, Cum Laude, from Western State University. Prior to becoming an attorney, I served as an intern in the United States Senate and was employed for seven years by California Federal Savings & Loan Association, where I worked as Assistant Vice President and Branch Manager of Cal Fed offices in San Bernardino and Pasadena. I have a deep and extensive trial and litigation background. I served as a Deputy District Attorney in Orange County for over two years before joining the firm of McKinley & Capeloto in Pasadena in 1988, where I was a partner from 1994 until 2001. In 2002, I joined Weintraub Law Corporation as Senior Counsel. The firm became known as Weintraub Zolkin Talerico & Liu LLP in 2023. I am proud to say that I am recognized as one of the leading consumer and small business bankruptcy attorneys in California and am a State Bar Certified Legal Specialist in bankruptcy law. I have taught bankruptcy law to attorneys at seminars conducted by the San Fernando Valley Bar Association, Los Angeles County Bar Association, Federal Bar Association and Central District Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys Association. My hands-on approach to each of my cases and dedication to the highest level of client satisfaction has helped hundreds of clients emerge from bankruptcy with the goal of discharge and “fresh start” accomplished. Many of Weintraub Zolkin Talerico & Liu LLP’s clients have successfully completed Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases and received their discharge even after other attorneys told them they did not qualify for Chapter 7 relief. In addition to representing debtors and creditors in a variety of matters, I have years of experience representing financial institutions and mortgage lenders in state courts and bankruptcy courts throughout California, specializing in areas of concern to credit unions. As a member of Provisors, an alliance of senior-level professionals from the fields of law, accounting, banking, finance, insurance, and consulting, I am able to refer my clients to trustworthy, accountable, seasoned professionals in virtually any field. A member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and the Central District Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys Association, I bring to Weintraub Zolkin Talerico & Liu LLP a hands-on background in the banking industry and extensive trial and bankruptcy court experience. I handle and supervise state court and bankruptcy litigation as well as foreclosure and receivership matters.

As a Bankruptcy Lawyer and Business Litigator for over 30 years, I have helped countless businesses and individuals successfully work through and resolve their financial challenges. What may look to you like a disaster, I have handled multiple times. It’s a question of whether your attorney has the right toolbox and knows the right tool to solve your problem. Due to my broad experience, I have all of the necessary tools at my disposal and will share them with you. I represent debtors and creditors in all chapters of the United States Bankruptcy Code, however, I focus on keeping clients out of bankruptcy where possible. My strong suit is settling litigation and creditor claims. I have resolved millions of dollars in debt for clients at enormous savings by avoiding or resolving litigation. I have significant experience resolving businesses in wage and hour and other labor cases. Resolving such claims and saving clients hundreds of thousands of dollars. My primary area of focus is working with small and mid-sized businesses to resolve their debt and other financial issues and help them continue and move forward. I have significant experience in Chapter 11 reorganization and Subchapter V Bankruptcy cases, out-of-court debt restructures, debt settlement, and assignments for the benefit of creditors. I also handle financial problems for individuals. This includes representation in personal bankruptcy cases, out-of-court debt negotiation, and asset protection. As a full-service insolvency attorney, I am also versed in creditors’ rights and represent secured and unsecured creditors in bankruptcy court and the state courts. My experience representing both creditors and debtors makes me an excellent choice as I can anticipate how the other side thinks and what moves they are likely to make. I pride myself when representing creditors in getting them what they are owed. I pride myself when representing debtors in saving the business or the client’s assets and paying as little as possible. I am known as an extremely creative problem solver and an attorney who can handle tough cases on both sides of the line. I earned my Bachelor’s of Arts degree in 1982 from the University of California, Los Angeles. In 1987, I received my Juris Doctor from the University of California, where I served as the Chair of the Hale Moot Court Honors Program. I began my career in 1987 at the premiere boutique bankruptcy law firm Levene & Eisenberg. I then became a senior associate in the Banking and Finance Department of nationally recognized firm Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton, and thereafter served as in-house counsel for City National Bank. I established my own firm in 1992 and formed Weintraub Law Corporation in 2001, now known as Weintraub Zolkin Talerico & Liu LLP. I am a member of the Los Angeles County and the Beverly Hills Bar Associations and the Individual and Consumer Bankruptcy Sub-Committee of the LA County Bar Section on Commercial Law and Bankruptcy. As a longstanding member of Provisors, an alliance of senior-level professionals from the fields of law, accounting, banking, finance, insurance, and consulting, I am able to refer my clients to trustworthy, accountable, seasoned professionals in virtually any field.

Mr. Bendel received his B.S. in Finance, magna cum laude, from the University of Connecticut in 1997. He then went on to receive his J.D., magna cum laude, in 2000 from Pepperdine University, where he was a member of the Pepperdine Law Review. Upon graduating from law school, Mr. Bendel joined the Los Angeles office of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP, where he practiced for over twelve years. While at Stroock, Mr. Bendel handled complex business litigation, including securities disputes, small business dissolutions, insurance coverage and bad faith matters, and other business and commercial disputes. The primary focus of Mr. Bendel’s practice is insurance coverage and insurance bad faith litigation. He has provided coverage advice and/or been involved in bad faith litigation with respect to claims made under all types of insurance policies including Commercial General Liability, Directors & Officers, Errors & Omissions, Property, Homeowners, and Automobile insurance policies. Mr. Bendel is admitted to practice before all federal and state courts in California, including the California Court of Appeal and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. He has tried cases in federal and state courts in Northern and Southern California. In total, Mr. Bendel has over fifteen weeks of trial experience. Mr. Bendel also has experience at the appellate level; he has drafted a number of successful appellate briefs.

Joel Glaser is the principal of Joel Glaser APC in the Los Angeles, Newport Beach and San Diego offices. His practice includes Employment and Business Litigation. Mr. Glaser has extensive experience in Employment Practices Liability, including defending whistleblower, wrongful termination, harassment, race, age, disability, and gender discrimination and retaliation cases. He has also defended wage and hour class actions and single plaintiff cases. Additionally, he has counseled employees and employers on employment-related matters such as applications and hiring, sexual harassment policies and training, employment handbooks, internal investigations, compliance issues, employee discipline issues, severance agreements and termination issues. He has represented clients in both state and federal court, and before the California Labor Board, Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Unemployment Appeals Board. In the area of Business Litigation, Mr. Glaser has handled issues related to business litigation, real estate, collections and compliance issues. He has brought and defended numerous general business litigation actions, including actions for breach of contract, fraud, misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty, unfair competition, specific performance, quiet title, landlord-tenant discrimination, insurance bad faith, professional liability, products liability, and collections claims. Mr. Glaser has tried to verdict several employment and personal injury claims, tried to a defense verdict a homeowners’ association dispute, obtained summary judgment for a government contractor on an age and disability discrimination action, and has obtained positive feedback from clients on the excellent results he has obtained in defending allegations of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, breach of contract and product defects. Prior to forming Joel Glaser APC, Mr. Glaser successfully tried and arbitrated several cases to verdicts favorable to his clients at AmLaw 100 firms. Mr. Glaser represents companies in several industries throughout the United States, including government contractors, hotels, restaurants, appliance stores, hardware stores, electronics stores, industrial manufacturers, banks, private lenders, product manufacturers, distributors and retailers, real estate management companies, and other companies in various industries.