Rachel M. Sposato
Coleman & Horowitt, LLP
499 West Shaw Avenue, Suite 116
Fresno, CA 93704
United States
Biography
Rachel M. Sposato is a partner in the firm’s litigation department. She is an experienced litigation attorney who represents clients in business, real estate, unfair competition, and complex civil litigation, probate and trust litigation, recovery of commercial, secured and unsecured debt, and creditor rights in bankruptcy and bankruptcy litigation. She is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College (BA Politics and a minor in Women’s Studies) and earned her Juris Doctor from Western New England University School of Law in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Before joining Coleman & Horowitt, LLP, Rachel practiced at Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer, P.A., Lewis Brisbois, Mintz Levin, The Hinds Law Group, APC, and Donahue Grolman & Earle, LLP (now Grolman, LLP).
Rachel’s academic and early professional experiences reflect her commitment to advocacy and public service. While at Mount Holyoke, her work in human rights awareness was recognized by the U.S. Library of Congress. In law school, she held leadership roles, worked as a law clerk, and completed a legal externship with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.
Rachel has been recognized by Super Lawyers® on the Southern California Rising Stars® list from 2018–2024, including the Up-and-Coming 100: Southern California Rising Stars® (2024) and the Up-and-Coming 50: Women Southern California Rising Stars® (2024). She was also awarded the 2018 Lawyer Monthly Women in Law Award for her contributions to private commercial litigation.
Rachel works out of the firm’s Fresno office but will represent clients throughout the state.
Practice Areas
- Business Litigation
- Real Estate Litigation
- Unfair Competition Litigation
- Commercial Collections
- Creditor Rights in Bankruptcy
- Probate and Trust Dispute
Education
- Western New England University School of Law, Springfield, Massachusetts
- J.D.
- Mount Holyoke College
- B.A.
- Major: Politics
- Minor: Women’s Studies
Bar Admissions
- California, 2015
- Massachusetts, 2010
- New York, 2020
- U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 2018
- U.S. District Court Central District of California, 2016
- U.S. District Court Southern District of California, 2016
- U.S. District Court Northern District of California, 2016
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of California, 2020
Professional Associations
- Fresno Bar Association
- Los Angeles County Bar Association (Member: Networking Committee, President’s Advisory Committee for Women in the Legal Profession)
Published Works
- “Smoked Out: How Those in the Cannabis Industry May Finally Gain Bankruptcy Protection,” Mintz, November 11, 2022
- “Ruling Casts Shadow on Cannabis Employees’ Ch. 13 Relief,” Law360®, February 16, 2023
Representative Cases
- Successfully defended a debtor individual in a bankruptcy adversary proceeding action against two creditor companies seeking to have a $4 million judgment deemed nondischargeable against debtor individual and obtained stipulated dismissal of the action from the companies.
- Obtained $1.1 million judgment in bankruptcy adversary proceeding for creditor buyer against debtor seller for claim of fraud arising from debtor seller’s failure to finalize sale of real property.
- Obtained favorable settlement ahead of trial for adult residential facility in action brought by neighbors for a claim of negligence.
- Obtained favorable settlement for life insurance agent in defense of action by a couple and company claiming fraud and negligence in the transaction.
- Obtained dismissal of two cases for attorney against claims of malicious prosecution brought by two individuals.
- Obtained favorable settlement for trustee in action brought by beneficiary for claims of breach of fiduciary duty, trustee fee dispute, and accounting dispute.
- Obtained dismissal of bankruptcy adversary proceeding by motion to dismiss for debtor couple in action brought by creditor company claiming fraud and willful and malicious injury.
Honors
- Super Lawyers: Rising Star List for Southern California | 2018 - 2024
- Up-and-Coming 100: Southern California Rising Stars | 2024
- Up-and-Coming 50: Women Southern California Rising Stars | 2024 Recipient, Lawyer Monthly, Women in Law 2018 Award