Partner
Han Pai is a partner at Salisian | Lee LLP. He focuses his practice on complex business litigation, as well as on the transactional and business formation needs of the firm’s diverse client roster.
Han handles a wide array of business disputes for plaintiffs and defendants, including commercial loan litigation, corporate and partnership disputes, real estate disputes, business torts, insurance coverage claims, bankruptcy litigation, and commercial collections. He represents businesses and entrepreneurs in various industries throughout Southern California in all phases of litigation, from inception through trial and appeal, in state and federal courts, as well as arbitration. Han also provides valuable transactional counsel, including business formation, contract drafting, and counseling to minimize litigation risk.
Prior to joining Salisian | Lee in 2011, Han began his legal career as an associate with a boutique business litigation firm in downtown Los Angeles, practicing in the areas of business and employment litigation.
Han received his J.D. from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, where he was a senior production editor of the Loyola of Los Angeles International & Comparative Law Review and published a Note. He received his B.A. from Johns Hopkins University, graduating with general honors.
- On appeal of an erroneous district court decision, convinced the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to vacate a $1 million judgment of reimbursement awarded to an insurance company against our three clients and remand for further proceedings in the district.
- In a published opinion by the California Court of Appeal in Soleimany v. Narimanzadeh, 78 Cal. App. 5th 915 (2022) partially reversing and remanding the defense judgment for further trial proceedings, convinced the court that lenders’ usurious interest rate on a loan secured by a deed of trust still entitled them to seven percent interest on any unpaid principal at the date of maturity. This result creates new law for default interest rate in this context.
- Second-chaired a two-week jury trial in the Los Angeles Superior Court on behalf of an individual prosecuting the breach of unpaid business loans. The jury rendered a unanimous verdict in plaintiff’s favor on all of the contract claims.
- Second-chaired a seven-day bench trial in the Los Angeles Superior Court defending a judicial foreclosure action brought by one of the five largest banks in the U.S. on behalf of a borrower, and successfully asserted the purchase-money anti-deficiency defense. The complete defense trial verdict was affirmed by the California Court of Appeal.
- Second-chaired a two-day bench trial in the Santa Barbara Superior Court defending an action to partition two commercial real properties brought by one tenant-in-common against the other.
- Obtained an order on behalf of an institutional lender in the California Court of Appeals, reversing the trial court’s order granting the borrowers’ motion to stay based on forum non conveniens and remanding to the trial court to reconsider the motion applying the correct legal standard.
- Served as appellate counsel and successfully helped resolve, along with trial co-counsel, a negligence dispute on behalf of the plaintiff for an amount higher than that awarded by the jury at trial.
- Defeated a motion for summary adjudication seeking $38 million in damages for purported fraud asserted against a former business partner.
- Successfully represented mobile phone content providers prosecuting claims based on breach of services agreements against mobile phone content aggregators, and defending against counterclaims seeking in excess of $110 million.
- Successfully represented an internet start-up in a hotly contested legal battle over rights to a lucrative internet-based venture involving celebrity greetings.
- Successfully defended judgment creditor in lawsuit by a competing secured creditor seeking damages and injunctive relief, including successfully opposing multiple ex parte applications for temporary restraining orders and other relief.
- Represented equity holder of multiple single-purpose real estate entities in Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, including opposing the adequacy of disclosure statements and the confirmation of plans of reorganization.
- Coordinated litigation on behalf of Southern California-based institutional lenders prosecuting hundreds of contract-based actions, from case inception through judgment enforcement, throughout California and out-of-state.
- Serve as outside general counsel for out-of-state food and beverage distributor advising on California law.
Daily Journal
December 9, 2016 – “The Lighter Side of California Laws” – co-authored by Richard Lee and H. Han Pai.
Daily Journal
February 3, 2015 – “Rolling the Dice on iGaming” – co-authored with Partner Neal Salisian.
Monitor Daily
October 2014 – “Bridging the Gap to Turn the Economic Corner” – co-authored with Partner Neal Salisian.
Pasadena Magazine, Pasadena, CA
October 2013 – Recognized as a Top Attorney in Business Law/Litigation in the San Gabriel Valley for 2013.
Law 360
July 2013 – “Courthouse Budget Cuts Spell Headaches for L.A. Attorneys.” co-authored by Neal Salisian and Han Pai.