FOUNDER

Alexandre Ian Cornelius is the CEO and Senior Attorney at Cornelius & Associates, APC and practices in the areas of commercial and business litigation and transactions including, but not limited to, purchase and sale of real estate, construction related disputes (including construction defects, mechanics liens and general contractor / subcontractor disputes), finance, leasing, development, entitlements, company and entity formation and structure, bankruptcy, reorganization and creditor/debtor rights and remedies.

While in law school, Alex served as an extern to the Honorable Lisa Hill Fenning, United States Bankruptcy Judge, Central District of California. Prior to law school, Alex worked for two years as a paralegal with Bues, Gilbert & Morrill of Phoenix, Arizona, where he managed and participated in complex real estate litigation, accountant liability, commercial litigation and bankruptcy cases.

Alex received his J.D. with distinction from Pepperdine University School of Law, California in 1995, where he received the American Jurisprudence Award and the Gunner Nichols Scholarship for academic excellence. He also participated in moot court competitions and was the champion of the Appellate Advocacy Tournament in 1993. He received his B.S. in Political Science with an emphasis in Philosophy and a Latin American Studies Certificate from Arizona State University in 1990.

Alex is a licensed member of the California Bar Association and is admitted to practice law in all state and various federal courts in California. He is also a member of the Los Angeles County and Beverly Hills Bar Associations.

​Originally from Arizona, Alex has lived in the greater Los Angeles area since 1992 and currently resides in Calabasas, California, with his wife, Elana, and their sons, Ryan and Justin.

Contact: cornelius@thecalaw.com

SENIOR ATTORNEY

Barton DeBolt is a Senior Attorney at Cornelius & Associates, APC, whose practice focuses on real property, business, and commercial matters in state and federal litigation, transactions, and compliance.

For over 25 years, Barton has represented commercial and residential real property owners and developers, businesses, financial institutions, and insurance companies. He also served as general counsel to various companies, quarterbacking outside counsel and advising executive teams about business and real property holdings among various industries.

In 1998, Barton obtained a Juris Doctorate in 1998 from Pepperdine University School of Law, where he was a Terry M. Giles Honor Scholar and Moot Court Board Member. Prior to law school, he was the Director of Research for Legislative Intent Service. In 1991, Bart received a Bachelor of Arts Degree, with distinction, in Political Science from San Diego State University, which included a year studying at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Barton is a licensed member of the California Bar Association, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, and the Ventura County Bar Association.

Originally from Northern California, Bart has lived in Southern California since law school. His favorite pastime is playing music with his family, who humor him so long as he does not sing.

Contact: bdebolt@thecalaw.com

ASSOCIATE

Timothy (Tim) Crawford is an Associate Attorney at Cornelius & Associates, APC, and practices in the areas of general commercial and business litigation, real estate and partnership disputes including breaches of fiduciary duty and fraud, construction related disputes including construction defects, mechanics liens and general contractor/subcontractor disputes as well as business transactional matters related to licensing and distribution agreements and other business agreements.

Prior to joining Cornelius & Associates, APC, Tim worked at Demler, Armstrong & Rowland, LLP, as an associate attorney handling litigation matters. While in law school, Tim served as an intern with Ingrooves Music Group handling various music publishing and rights agreement and disputes related to royalties and control and use of music catalogue and other intellectual property. Tim also served as an intern with the Los Angeles City Attorney Office-Central Crimes Division.

Tim received his J.D. from Pepperdine University School of Law, California in 2020, where he served as the literary citation editor on the Journal of Business, Entrepreneurship, and the Law. He received his B.A. in English-Summa Cum Laude-from Arizona State University in 2017.

Tim is a licensed member of the California Bar Association. He is also a member of the Los Angeles County and Beverly Hills Bar Associations.

Originally from Arizona, Tim has lived in the greater Los Angeles area since 2017 and currently resides in Los Angeles, California.

While working as an associate at Demler, Armstrong & Rowland, LLP, Tim helped set aside a default for $2,000,000 that a client was facing when Tim’s firm took the case.

Contact: crawford@thecalaw.com

Senior Associate

S.R. Saad is a Senior Associate attorney at Cornelius & Associates, APC and practices in the areas of commercial and business litigation and transactions, as well as corporate formation, restructuring and Chapter 11 reorganizations. S.R. Saad also handles civil appeals.

Graduating from the University of Oregon School of Law, in 2000, S.R. Saad began a legal career in public service and gained extensive trial experience. In 2005, S.R. Saad transitioned into private practice, with a focus on general civil litigation, commercial transactions and corporate restructuring.

S.R. Saad’s clients have included businesses across many industries, including retailers, manufacturers, distributors, landlords, real estate developers, contractors and subcontractors, restaurant chains, medical practices, film producers, vineyards, single asset real estate entities and high-net worth individuals with asset values in the hundred-million-dollar range.

Typical litigation matters have included: complex multi-party business litigation, breach of contract, shareholder disputes, real estate disputes, franchise compliance disputes, and breaches of fiduciary duty. S.R. Saad has also successfully protected clients’ litigation victories in later civil appeals.

Typical transactions have included: real estate sales, construction contracts, leases, loan transactions, employment contracts and sales of operating businesses (including stock purchase agreements and asset purchase agreements).

S.R. Saad is a licensed member of the California Bar Association and is admitted to practice law in all state and various federal courts in California.

Contact: saad@thecalaw.com