Zi C. Lin
- zi.lin@tuckerellis.com
- vCard
- vcard
Zi Lin focuses on business disputes, real estate litigation, appeals, and bankruptcy.
Zi advises and defends clients in a variety of sophisticated business matters. He has extensive experience in all aspects of litigation and significant trial and arbitration experience in state, federal courts, and bankruptcy courts. With a focus on real estate and title insurance issues, Zi has obtained favorable results for clients in a broad range of high-exposure cases.
Admitted to all districts of the U.S. Bankruptcy court in California, Zi is regularly called upon to represent trustees and creditors in chapter 7, chapter 11, and chapter 13 bankruptcy cases, adversary proceedings, and appeals.
Zi is a California Bar-certified specialist in appellate law with experience practicing in both the California Supreme Court and the United States Supreme Court. He has worked on appeals resulting in numerous published/citable cases related to real estate, title insurance, and bankruptcy issues. His appellate practice includes multiple high-profile cases, including defending appeals in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and preparing a petition for writ of certiorari to the United States Supreme Court.
Zi regularly contributes his legal expertise to publications and seminars. He frequently writes and presents on topics such as the calculation of loss under title insurance policies, termination and continuance of coverage under title policies, the court’s perspective on motions for summary judgment and adjudication, the nuts and bolts of bankruptcy, and the interplay between title insurance and bankruptcy.
Zi served as a planning commissioner for the City of Arcadia for two terms, and chaired the commission twice. Zi has two beautiful daughters and roots for the Dodgers, Lakers, and Rams.
- Education
- University of California, Hastings College of the Law (J.D., 2004)
- University of California, Los Angeles (B.A., 2001)
- State Admissions
- California, 2005
- Nevada, 2022
- Federal Admissions
- Supreme Court of the United States
- United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
- United States District Court, Central District of California
- United States District Court, Eastern District of California
- United States District Court, Northern District of California
- United States District Court, Southern District of California
- Certifications
- California Bar Certified Specialist in Appellate Law
- Languages
- Taishanese (Chinese)
- Represented the victorious defendants in an appeal where the California Supreme Court resolved a dispute between the courts of appeal and held that Civil Code section 1009 bars all use of non-coastal private real property – not simply recreational use of such property – from ever ripening into an implied dedication to the public after March 4, 1972, when section 1009 was enacted; the California Supreme Court decision overruled three California court of appeal opinions
- Represented the daughter of a famous movie star in a high exposure wrongful death action involving the death of the movie star in an exotic sports car; the case was resolved to the satisfaction of the parties
- Represented victorious title insurance companies in numerous appeals resulting in published opinions clarifying the scope of coverage under title insurance policies
Publications
- “Brace Yourself for Transmutations of Community Property,” California Land Title Association Hot Sheet (Fall 2020)
- “Recent Developments in Title Insurance Law,” Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Law Journal (2019)
- “Termination of Coverage of CLTA Standard Coverage Policies When an Insured Conveys Title to Her Family Trust; Kwok v. Transnation,” American Bar Association Title Insurance Litigation Committee Newsletter (Spring 2011)
Speaking Engagements
- “The Calculation of Loss Under Title Policies,” Access MCLE (May 2016)
- “Advanced Title Insurance Issues,” National Business Institute (November 2014)
- “Kwok Talk and Title Insurance: Termination/Continuation of Coverage Under Policies of Title Insurance,” Los Angeles County Bar Association (March 2011)
Media
- “Tucker Ellis Grows in L.A. with Garret & Tully Partner,” Law360 (April 2023)
- Southern California Super Lawyers Rising Stars® (2018)
- Martindale-Hubbell®, AV Preeminent® Peer Rating
- State Bar of California
- Los Angeles County Bar Association
- Title Insurance Subsection, Steering Committee
- Appellate Courts Section
- American Bar Association
- ABA TIPS Title Insurance Litigation Committee
- American Bankruptcy Institute
- James T. King Bankruptcy American Inn of Court
- Central District Consumer Bankruptcy Attorney’s Association
- California Bankruptcy Forum
- City of Arcadia Planning Commissioner (2014–2022)
