Successfully negotiated pre-litigation settlement on behalf of real property owner in complex multi-million dollar habitability dispute.

Represented commercial lessee in a multi-million dollar action for breach of commercial lease, breach of lease covenants and waste.

Represented and defended real property owners in REO purchase/sale agreement disputes involving failure to disclose claims.

Successfully represented a major lending institution in litigation brought by a lien claimant for payment under a borrower’s construction loan agreement. Obtained summary judgment for the lender on the claimant’s complaint, despite the unsettled nature of the central question of law in the case.

Publications and Speaking Engagements

19 October 2017 – Product Liability Advisory Council Fall Conference (Irving, Texas, USA) – Featured Speaker: “Managing Data Security & Privacy in Litigation”

18 November 2015 – British Institute of International & Comparative Law’s Product Liability Forum (London, England) – Featured Speaker: “Product Liability’s New Bedfellows – Prosecutors & Monitors”

09 December 2014 – British Institute of International & Comparative Law’s Symposium on Mass Claims in Environmental Cases (London, England) – Featured Speaker: “Overview of Climate Change Litigation in the United States”

04 March 2014 – Product Liability Advisory Council Spring Conference (Dallas, Texas, USA) – Featured Speaker: “Data Security & Product Liability Litigation in China”

02 December 2008 – 6th International Forum of Automotive Traffic Safety (Xiamen, China) – Featured Speaker: “Automotive Product Liability – Recent Cases from Around the Globe”

13 April 2008 – Product Liability Advisory Council Spring Conference (Orlando, Florida, USA) –Featured Panelist: “Crisis Management & Communication”

12 April 2008 – Product Liability Advisory Council Spring Conference (Orlando, Florida, USA) –Featured Speaker: “U.S. Exports & European Regulations”

10 February 2008 – American Bar Association Annual Conference (New York, New York) – Featured Speaker: “Structuring a Foreign Corporation to Limit Exposure to U.S. General Personal Jurisdiction”

15 January 2008 – e-Discovery Management Strategies Conference (London, England) – Author: “Building Electronic Document Management Systems: The Practical Application of Litigation Hold“

2000-2008 – 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th Int’l Symposium on Sophisticated Car Occupant Safety Systems, Fraunhofer Institut Chemische Technologie (Karlsruhe, Germany) – Featured speaker and author: “International Product Liability Law: the Criminalization of Product Liability and Electronic Discovery“

August 2007 – The International Comparative Legal Guide to Product Liability 2007, Global Legal Group (UK) – Co-author: “International Electronic Discovery“

June 2006 – The International Comparative Legal Guide to Product Liability 2006, Global Legal Group (UK) – Co-author: “International Electronic Discovery“

26 January 2006 – The British Institute of International & Comparative Law’s Product Liability Forum (London, England) – Featured speaker and author: “A Comparison of Forum Issues in U.S., European and Asian Jurisdictions“

27  October 2005 – Product Liability Advisory Council Fall Conference (San Francisco, California, USA) – Featured speaker and author: “Product Liability Litigation in Europe and Coordination of Global Defenses and Discovery“

August 2005 – Submission to the European Union VERONICA Project – Co-author: “Event Data Recorders in Real World Litigation: Courtroom Use of a State- of the-Art Technology”

17 February 2005 – Defense Research Institute’s Product Liability Conference (Los Angeles, California, USA) – Featured speaker and author: “Burdens of Proof and other Myths in International Product Liability Law”

20 June 2001 – Corporate Legal Times’ Super Conference (Chicago, Illinois, USA) – Featured speaker: “Keeping Your CEO (and Yourself!) Out of Prison”

21-28 October 2000 – CEB Advanced Course of Study: Product Liability Litigation (San Francisco/Sacramento, California, USA) – Faculty instructor and author: “Getting Your High Tech Evidence Into Evidence – Evidentiary Issues re Accident Reconstruction“

05-06 June 2000 – Traffic Safety Research & Engineering AB’s Vehicle Rollover Reconstruction Seminar (Munich, Germany) – Instructor: “The European Automotive Engineer and U.S. Personal Injury Litigation”

19 May 2000 – California Judges Association Midyear Conference (Palm Springs, California, USA) – Co-author: “Major Evidentiary Issues re: Computer Animations“

24 April 1999 – California Judges Association Midyear Conference (Palm Springs, California, USA) – Featured speaker: “Recent Technological Developments in the Presentation of Courtroom Evidence”

Spring 1997 – Medical Trial Techniques Quarterly (CBC) – Co-author: “What is Expert Medical Opinion Testimony, Anyway? (And When Do You Have To Pay For It?)”

19 June 1996 – The Recorder – Co-author: “Healthy Disclosure: Violating Discovery Rules When Offering Medical Opinion Testimony Can Be Fatal – Don’t Sign Your Case’s Death Warrant”

12 July 1995 – International Society of Technology, Law and Insurance’s 5th International Conference on Structural Failure, Product Liability & Technical Insurance (Vienna, Austria) – Featured speaker: “Jury Research & Trial Consulting”

16 June 1995 – American Bar Association’s Product Liability Conference (Los Angeles, California, USA) – Co-author: “Limiting Junk Science In The Courtroom“

08 February 1995 – Res Ipsa – Co-author: “Protecting the Right of Financial Privacy in Civil Cases“ (selected as one of the “15 best practitioner columns appearing in the 1994-1995 California Daily Journal legal newspapers”)

21 September 1994 – California Daily Journal – Co-author: “Protecting Taxpayers’ Right of Financial Privacy in Civil Cases“

20 September 1994 – The Recorder – Co-author: “A Statute for Taxpayer Privacy“

02-03 November 1993 – California Daily Journal – Co-author: “Recovering Attorneys’ Fees in Real Estate Transaction Disputes“

September 1993 – California Real Estate Reporter – Co-author: “Recovering Attorneys’ Fees in Tort Actions Arising Out of Real Estate Purchase Contracts“

Second-chaired the successful defense of a $7 million toxic exposure claim. Conducted all examination of Plaintiffs’ experts and Defendant’s damages experts in a technical, three and one half week trial.

Obtained summary judgment in favor of small start-up company accused of causing in excess of $1 million in damages by stealing trade secrets and a customer list from Plaintiff.

Defense of Federal and State-based wrongful termination, retaliation, harassment, discrimination, wage and hour, whistle blower, defamation, breach of contract, fraudulent inducement, and other similar claims brought by former employees.    

Assistance and guidance with respect to investigations conducted by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, including the preparation of position statements, participation in agency-sponsored mediations, preparation of and responses to subpoenas, and participation in fact-finding hearings.

Development and preparation of employee policies and procedures designed to avoid employment claims and litigation.

Auditing of application forms, background check authorization forms, offer letters and other pre-employment documents, record keeping practices, and training methodologies, and advice on bettering those practices.

Preparation of employment, compensation, severance, confidentiality/non-disclosure, and non-solicitation/non-competition agreements.

Day-to-day assistance and guidance with respect to employee hiring, compensation and benefits, discipline, and termination issues, and leaves of absence and accommodation issues under the Family and Medical Leave Act, the California Family Rights Acts, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and other similar Federal and State laws. 

Preparation and updating of employee handbooks. 

In-house training sessions for executives, supervisors, managers, and human resources professionals in various employment law and human resources topics.