Abe Vigil
Abe Vigil

Abran Vigil

Of Counsel

vigila@ballardspahr.com
Tel 702.868.7523
Fax 702.471.7070
Las Vegas

Abran Vigil is of counsel in the Litigation Department and a member of the Commercial Real Estate Recovery, Commercial Litigation, Consumer Financial Services, Mortgage Banking, Franchise and Distribution, and Insurance Groups. He focuses on commercial litigation, with an emphasis on contested regulatory proceedings, crisis management, trade practice disputes, business torts, and covenants not to compete, and represents the insurance industry in non-claims litigation and regulatory matters.

Mr. Vigil has substantial experience representing lenders and servicers in a variety of actions, including those brought under various federal and state statutes and regulations. His consumer and commercial finance/banking litigation experience includes class action defense, multidistrict litigation, defense of lender liability claims, qui tam actions, and state-level regulatory issues.

Mr. Vigil is also experienced in handling disputes over the management, control, and ownership of business, and has obtained multiple summary judgments and favorable settlements in disputes involving business divorce, bad faith, and product liability.

Mr. Vigil's clients include large, publicly held insurance and banking institutions. He has argued before the Nevada Supreme Court and has testified before the Nevada Legislature.

Representative Matters

  • Secured a $47 million dollar settlement for a national special servicer after successfully petitioning the court for the appointment of a receiver over a financially distressed shopping center
  • Served as Nevada litigation counsel defending an oil and gas company against a shareholder class action seeking to stop its $1.5 billion merger
  • Served as Nevada litigation counsel defending another oil and gas company against a shareholder class action seeking to stop its $400 million plus merger  
  • Regularly represents special servicers and lenders in litigation and has obtained many receiverships over distressed commercial properties
  • Won a defense verdict at trial for a client accused of breach of contract and negligent hiring and supervision in relation to an employee accused of embezzling funds and other property from an employer
  • Won an arbitration award against a licensed professional who was found to have breached fiduciary and other duties by soliciting clients and taking computer and hard files to a new competing business
  • Won a non-dischargeable judgment at trial, based on proof of actual fraud, on behalf of an environmental remediation company against a former shareholder
  • In a damages-only trial in which the client was accused of wrongly interfering with another's business, limited the client's exposure to less than half of what was offered in settlement
  • Successfully defended an energy drink manufacturer against an $8 million to $12 million claim of lost profits by obtaining an order striking the plaintiff's expert report and granting summary judgment against the plaintiff
  • Obtained a judgment, on a Petition for Judicial Review, overturning what is believed to be the largest administrative fine ever levied against an entity by the Nevada Division of Insurance

Professional Activities

American Bar Association

Clark County Bar Association

Defense Research Institute

Recognition & Accomplishments

The Best Lawyers in America, commercial litigation, banking/finance litigation, M&A litigation, and real estate litigation, 2008-2012

Publications

"What Your Small Business Clients Should Know About a PEO," Communiqué, December 2007

Speaking Engagements

"From Spinning Wheels to Cutting Deals: Distressed Real Estate – Loan Workout, Foreclosure, Bankruptcy or Litigation?" Ballard Spahr and Commerce Real Estate Solutions, Las Vegas, February 16, 2011

"The Impact of Distressed Real Estate: Loan Workouts versus Alternative Remedies – Foreclosure, Bankruptcy or Litigation," UtahCEO magazine and Commerce Real Estate Solutions, Salt Lake City, November 4, 2010

Drake University Law School (J.D. 2000, with honors)

University of New Mexico (B.A. 1996)

Nevada

U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit