Donald J. Querio

Donald Querio is a member of the firm, focusing on the representation of financial institutions and other creditors in litigation, workouts and reorganizations, and in documenting commercial loan transactions.

Mr. Querio’s substantive expertise includes the following areas:

• Class Actions: Mr. Querio represents major finance companies in nationwide class action cases filed in both federal and state court. He defends consumer class actions and suits brought under Business and Professions Code section 17200 involving TILA, RESPA collection practices, collateral protection insurance, non-filing insurance, lease termination and security deposits, yield-spread premiums, the rule of 78’s, improper interest computation, and unconscionable fees.
• Liquidation of Financial Institutions: Mr. Querio represented the California Department of Corporations as liquidator of the largest industrial loan company to fail in California.
• Lender Liability Actions: Mr. Querio defends lender liability suits, including suits brought by owners of defunct businesses, debtors-in-possession and trustees in bankruptcy and claims that collateral was not sold in a commercially reasonable manner.
• Collection Actions: Mr. Querio prosecutes actions to collect loans, leases, and other obligations owed to financial institutions and other creditors, including attachments, charging orders, receiverships, actions against guarantors, and non-judicial foreclosure of real property.
• Bankruptcy Matters: Mr. Querio represents secured and unsecured creditors in large, complex bankruptcy proceedings under Chapters 7 and 11. He also represents secured creditors with unusual or mixed collateral problems.

Mr. Querio joined Severson & Werson in 1976, and served as the firm’s Managing Director from 1991-1997. Prior to joining the firm, he was an officer in the United States Navy JAG Corps. He currently serves on the San Francisco Superior Court Arbitration Panel and the American Arbitration Association’s Commercial Arbitration Panel.

Mr. Querio is very involved with the community, having sat on the Board of St. Augustine School, the Board of Visitors of Stanford Law School, and the Stanford Law Society of San Francisco, where he was Chairman from 1986-1996.