Biography
Peter L. Balogh grew up in New York City, the son of Hungarian immigrants who fled Soviet oppression in 1956. After graduating from the renowned Bronx High School of Science, he attended Harvard University where he received a degree in American History & Literature and graduated cum laude with an honors thesis on Mark Twain.
After Harvard, Mr. Balogh taught at two private high schools and one community college teaching American history, government, political science, popular culture and G.E.D. He also advised the Frisbee team. Law School followed at Golden Gate University in San Francisco, where he won the first place speaker award in California for the International Law Moot Court Competition.
Immediately upon passing the Bar Exam, Mr. Balogh opened his own general law practice in Pacifica, San Francisco and northern California. He lives in the Mission District in San Francisco and enjoys travel, art, film, theatre, music, cuisine, all outdoor activities, hiking, kayaking, and diving.
Mr. Balogh has served on the Board of Directors of Mission Neighborhood Centers, Inc. (MNC), a fifty year old, non-profit organization in San Francisco that provides head start services to children, feeds senior citizens and provides other services to troubled youth in the community. He has also been Chairman of the Cultural Arts Committee of MNC, which produced Carnival San Francisco, the largest multi-cultural festival and parade in California held each Memorial Day in the Mission District, featuring a broad range of artists and performers. In his role as Chairman, he has overseen the production of the Carnival parade and festival and has helped produce four King and Queen Shows for Carnival San Francisco. Mr. Balogh is now General Deputy of the U.S. Delegation to the Federation of European Carnival Cities. He is also of counsel to that group and acts as International Ambassador for Carnival San Francisco.
Because of his experience in art and music promotion, Mr. Balogh has formed Global Art Productions to promote the growth and cross-cultural migration of artists and musicians. In that capacity he has worked with many artists, particularly from the Caribbean.
Achievements
Mr. Balogh has an extensive background in transactional work and civil litigation.
In the transactional realm, he has completed the sale of numerous businesses, prepared various contracts and leases, handled the sale of properties from beginning to end, prepared deeds and other property instruments and formed various business entities including L.L.C.s and Corporations. He has developed membership and investment platforms to enable businesses to obtain investors and sell membership interests. He has also handled numerous estate plans for individuals, including wills, powers of attorney and living trusts.
In the litigation realm, Mr Balogh’s experience is wide ranging and he has had cases in many counties throughout northern California. He has been to Court hundreds of times, having represented people and entities in motions, trials (jury and bench) and appeals. Mr. Balogh has handled all kinds of motions and discovery procedures. He has had successful lawsuits against the State of California, the Department of Fish & Game, other municipalities such as Brisbane and the City of San Francisco and many corporations. Major successes include obtaining a Writ of Mandate against the State of California, winning a major environmental case against a steel foundry, sexual harassment cases against the City of San Francisco and many others. Mr. Balogh has litigated landlord-tenant cases (commercial and residential), including rent control matters, tenant buyouts, real property matters (breach of real estate contracts), civil rights, business litigation, personal injury cases, will contests, criminal matters (including felony drug matters), DUIs, domestic violence, and dissolutions. In family law, Mr. Balogh has handled countless custody and visitation matters, support issues, guardianships and conservatorships, restraining orders and dissolutions from filing through to judgment. He has successfully resolved seven figure divorces. He has had a 100% success rate at trials.
In the nonprofit realm, Mr. Balogh has represented Mission Neighborhood Center, Inc., Carnival San Francisco, Sistas wit Style, Low Rider Council, the Federation of European Carnival Cities, and others. He has successfully formed numerous 501(c)(3) organizations.