Commercial Litigation Litigation - Real Estate
Michael G. Balmages
Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2025 
Firm
ADR Services, Inc.
10 Best Lawyers awards
Awarded Practice Areas
Biography
Michael G. Balmages, Esq. is an accomplished mediator and discovery referee with extensive experience as a trial lawyer, general counsel, and transactional lawyer. As a mediator and as a neutral, he has had great success in helping litigants resolve their disputes in more than 1,500 cases. His friendly nature and ability to find common ground both contribute to his easy rapport with litigants and their attorneys, while his determination to get cases settled is evident at each hearing. He is committed to exploring every option available to the parties to develop creative solutions to dispute resolution.
Mr. Balmages’ mediation experience is supplemented by his broad experience as a civil litigator, corporate general counsel, and transactional attorney. He has tried over 75 cases, taken more than 1,000 depositions, and negotiated and drafted more than 1,000 contracts. He has extensive experience with business entities, including the formation, dissolution, and merger of such entities, and the negotiation and drafting of numerous contracts and deal documents. Mr. Balmages has been rated AV Preeminent® by Martindale-Hubbell for over 30 years.
Firm
ADR Services, Inc.
10 Best Lawyers awards
Overview
- California State University Fullerton, BA, Economics, graduated 1969
- University of California - Irvine, Certification in Conflict Management and Alternative Dispute Resolution, graduated 2005
- University of California Berkeley, J.D., graduated 1972
- California, The State Bar of California, 1972
- California, The State Bar of California, 1972
- California State University Fullerton, BA, Economics, graduated 1969
- University of California - Irvine, Certification in Conflict Management and Alternative Dispute Resolution, graduated 2005
- University of California Berkeley, J.D., graduated 1972
Client Testimonials
Awards & Focus
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2026 for work in:
- Commercial Litigation
- Litigation - Real Estate
Awards:
2025 AV/Preeminent - Martindale-Hubbell
2024 Martindale-Hubbell – AV/Preeminent - Martindale-Hubbell
2020 Lifetime-Achievement Award - Orange County Superior Court
- 2011-2015, 2017-2020 Temporary Judge Committee Top Honoree - Orange County Superior Court
News & Media
Additional Information
- BUSINESS:
- Represented founding partner of major Orange County law firm against his former partners and firm for money due upon retirement based on breach of contract and elder abuse.
- Represented former head of construction of major Orange County builder who was being sued for usurpation of corporate opportunities and malfeasance.
- Represented Orange County manufacturer of spinal surgery implants against claims of breach of contract and unfair competition.
- Represented trustee of estate of deceased lawyer in a dispute over the sale of a his law practice that involved the plaintiff's claims of fraud and the defendants’ and cross-complainants’ claims of breach of contract.
- Represented Trustee in family member dispute over disposition of trust assets.
- Represented executives of nationwide mortgage lender against founder of company for breach of contract and fraud.
- Represented medical products R&D company in breach of contract claim by a consultant who claimed he was entitled to money and stock.
- Represented medical products company in numerous breach of contract actions against its suppliers.
- Represented apparel company in breach of contract lawsuits against its licensees.
- Represented “baseball hat” manufacturer in several lawsuits with is suppliers.
- Represented majority shareholders in corporate dissolution action of family held corporation brought by one group of cousins against another group of their cousins.
- Represented former employee of metallurgical testing firm who went to work for a competitor against claims of theft of trade secrets and unfair competition.
- EMPLOYMENT:
- Wage and hour. Was the executive chef an exempt employee?
- Wrongful Termination of Software salesperson; fraud; retaliation
- Wrongful termination and related claims by a truck driver against staffing company and the actual employer
- Failure to Accommodate
- Disability discrimination, failure to accommodate, failure to engage in interactive process
- Wrongful termination, discrimination and harassment case against an engineering firm.
- Race discrimination against brokerage company.
- Engineering firm suing its former administrative assistant for embezzling company assets.
- Represented international sports shoe company in defense of numerous termination, discrimination, and harassment claims in California over a 10-year period.
- Represented national child-care center company in defense of numerous termination, discrimination, and harassment claims in California.
- Represented offensive coordinator of major university football team in response to harassment and discrimination charges.
- Represented Santa Ana based law firm in wrongful termination and wage and hour case against it by former employee.
- Represented Los Angeles County based metallurgical testing firm against claims of race discrimination and national origin discrimination.
- Represented Orange County manufacturer of lithotripters (kidney stone smashers) against sexual harassment and wrongful termination claims.
- Represented two nurses suing major Orange County beach area hospital for wrongful termination.
- Represented former employee suing well-known Orange County amusement park for wrongful termination.
- Represented former officer of Orange County based hamburger company for wrongful termination.
- Represented former Senior Executive Vice-President of Orange County based international engineering firm for wrongful termination after he was terminated shortly after he divorced the CEO’s sister.
- Represented the apartment owner/defendants in wrongful termination and wage and hour claims brought by former live-in apartment manager.
- Represented retail chain store clothing company in employment discrimination case by former employee who claimed that she was terminated for taking medical leave.
- Represented teenage employee of retail store clothing chain against her former employer for false imprisonment, assault and battery.
- Represented manager of nationwide drug store chain who was sued for assault, battery, and sexual harassment.
- Represented medical products manufacturer against its former head of sales who alleged wrongful termination and unfair competition.
- Was principal investigator of approximately 20 employment complaints by employees against various school districts and community colleges.
- MISCELLANEOUS:
- ADA/UNRUH Act website accessibility. Blind Plaintiff and nation retailer defendant. Case settled with payment of money and changes to website.
- Fair Credit Reporting Action against loan servicers, and 2 credit reporting agencies.
- Represented formerly incompetent ex-wife against her ex-husband for taking all of her property while she was institutionalized.
- Represented Orange County personal injury attorney in binding fee arbitration against former client and her new counsel who was very prominent OC PI attorney.
- Represented homeowner of house that was slowly siding down a hill in Laguna Beach against builder and former owner for negligence and fraud.
- PERSONAL INJURY:
- Mediated dozens of slip and fall cases.
- Mediated dozens of auto v. auto and auto v. pedestrian cases.
- Mediated numerous medical/dental/professional negligence cases.
- REAL ESTATE:
- Habitability claims based on non-fire code compliant exit door through garage/carport.
- Suit against seller and escrow bases on early release of funds to seller.
- Water intrusion
- Failure to disclose/negligence/breach of contract against both brokers and home inspection company.
- Fraud in connection with home sale; nondisclosure of urine and feces smell and mold.
- Return of deposit on business condo purchase.
- Suit by seller against buyers, both sets of brokers and third-party hard money lender re default by buyer.
- Claim by city against homeowner regarding failure to comply with inverse condemnation agreement.
- Former spouses suing over joint ownership of property, repayment of expenses and fraud.
- Claim by Trustee/Landlord against former tenant/beneficiary of trust for past due rent, destruction of premises and environmental contamination.
- Represented former owner of major Fountain Valley apartment complex against buyer’s claims of fraud and breach of contract.
- Represented trustee in probate petition to determine interest in real property. It was a battle of a 3rd wife against her step-children.
- Represented buyer of hotel in Korea Town against numerous "squatter" tenants.
- Represented residential landlords in more than 500 unlawful detainer actions, many of which went to trial on issues of habitability and retaliatory eviction.
- Represented residential tenants in more that 25 unlawful detainer actions, many of which went to trial.
- Represented commercial landlords in more than 50 unlawful detainer actions, many of which went to trial.
- Represented commercial tenants in more that 15 unlawful detainer actions, many of which went to trial.
- Represented tenant/optionee in specific performance action to compel owner to sell house to her upon exercise of tenant’s option to purchase.
- Represented lawyer in specific performance action to purchase office building.
- Represented plaintiffs, sellers of hotel via online sales website against defaulting buyer.
- Represented a brother against his brother in a partition action involving property left to them by their mother.
- Settlement Experience
- Hundreds of business litigation cases, including breach of contract, unfair competition, business dissolution, trade secrets.
- Dozens of employment cases, including FEHA, wage and hour (classification, minimum wage, overtime, meal and rest periods), harassment, discrimination, disability.
- Numerous cases involving claims against municipalities and other governmental agencies.
- Many IP cases involving trademarks and copyrights.
- Dozens of Americans with Disability Act cases.
- Dozens of slip and fall cases.
- Dozens of auto v. auto/pedestrian cases.
- Numerous medical/dental/professional negligence cases.
- Numerous eviction cases.
- Numerous foreclosure cases.
- Discovery referee.
Your browser is not fully compatible with our automatic printer friendly formatting.
Please use the print button to print this profile page.