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Theresa LaVoie
Theresa M. LaVoie
Practice Focus

Ms. LaVoie has been a civil litigator since 1989, with an emphasis on real estate, professional liability, complex business litigation, equine law, and appellate work. She is a partner of Ellis LaVoie Poirier Steinheimer & McGee, LLP. She represents professionals and business entities. Ms. LaVoie’s experience includes successful trial work, but she also emphasizes alternative dispute procedures including mediation and arbitration. Her 20 years as a litigator provides her clients with a strong advocate.

Ms. LaVoie has participated in a number of trials and administrative proceedings during her career. Below is a list of representative matters in the last two years:

  • Western Placer County Unified School District v. Thornbrough (April 2009) – Disciplinary trial against a classified employee of WPUSD lasting sixteen days before a Hearing Officer with managing partner, Mark E. Ellis. The Hearing Officer found in favor of our client (WPUSD), rejecting the employee’s “whistle blower” defense, and recommended termination. The governing Board for the District voted unanimously to accept the Hearing Officer’s recommendation.

  • Scheel v. Henderson (July 2008) – Bench trial concerning ownership and easement rights to use real property. Court quieted titled in favor of client on ownership rights, and ordered that the Hendersons remove their mailbox from client’s property.

  • Bloom v. HBC(October 2007) – Partner Mark E. Ellis and Theresa La Voie successfully defended a legal malpractice case for client law firm. After a five week jury trial, the verdict was in favor of law firm on its fee complaint for the full amount owing, and against the malpractice claims. The law firm’s attorney-fee motion as the prevailing party was granted in the amount of $328,976.00 for the fees and costs incurred.
  • Kent v. CRG Real Estate Estate (October 2007) – Ms. LaVoie successfully defeated a cross-complaint filed by Keller Williams Realty, Sacramento involving nondisclosure /fraud claims in the sale of residential property. The Court granted the client $21,106.00 in attorneys’ fees as the prevailing party on an anti-SLAPP motion dismissing the cross-complaint.

    Prior to moving to Sacramento in 1994, Ms. LaVoie was a business litigator in Los Angeles for five years as an associate attorney in the firm of Howarth & Smith. Ms. LaVoie’s practice included international business disputes in federal and state courts, anti-trust law, products liability, and asbestos defense.


    Professional & Civic Activities

    Ms. LaVoie was the 2007 President of Women Lawyers of Sacramento and is currently a Board member of the Sacramento County Bar Association. She has also been involved in Sacramento County Bar activities as a Delegate to the Annual California State Bar Convention, and is a member of the California State Bar Real Estate Property Section. As an El Dorado County resident, she consults with the County Supervisor of District 2 on issues affecting the local community’s rural interests and the environment.


    Education

    Ms. LaVoie attended Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles where she graduated magna cum laude. At Southwestern, Ms. LaVoie received the Exceptional Achievement Award for research and writing, the American Jurisprudence Awards in Constitutional Law and Criminal Law, and the Corpus Juris Secundum Award for excellence. She was also on the National Dean’s List and was named in Who’s Who Among American Women and Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges. Ms. LaVoie also served as Note and Comment Editor of Southwestern’s Law Review, and authored the article “Challenging ‘Covert’ Paramilitary Operations in Nicaragua Under the Neutrality Act”. She also served as judicial intern to the Honorable Arthur Alarcon, Judge for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.


    Representative Published Opinions & Articles

    • Hossam Buzgheia v. Leasco Sierra Grove (1994) 30 Cal. App. 4th 766

    • “Wheel of Fortune: Relationship Between Damages and Liability – Do High Damages Always Favor the Plaintiff?” (Defense Research Institute, 1992)

    Personal

    Ms. LaVoie was born in Los Angeles, California. Her family moved to New Zealand where she lived before relocating to Denver, Colorado. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Music and a Masters degree in Education from California State University at Northridge. She taught in the Los Angeles Unified School District for eight years and served as a master teacher for university students in the Education Department. She owns SomerHill Farm located in El Dorado County where she breeds, raises and shows Tennessee Walking horses. Ms. LaVoie also enjoys carriage driving, and has competed in pleasure shows and three day combined driving events at Woodside Horse Park, Shady Oaks in Lodi, and Ram Tap in Fresno.

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