A summary of major trial victories from around the firm

Since our last National Trial Newsletter in February, the legal industry (along with the rest of the world) has changed dramatically. The pandemic and resulting shutdown of much of the court system has left lawsuits in flux, with uncertain timelines as to when courts will re-open and what their capacity and procedures will be when they do.

Nevertheless, Lewis Brisbois' trial attorneys have continued to offer clients strong and steady representation during these otherwise unpredictable times, moving cases forward and achieving successful outcomes in several significant matters. During the last six months, they obtained a complete defense verdict in a $15 million products liability case involving a catastrophic injury, favorable judgments after lengthy bench trials, appellate wins in employment, elder law, and patent matters, and dismissals of proposed class actions that had enormous implications for our clients, all of which you can read about below.

Also in this newsletter, we put a spotlight on Los Angeles Partner Dan DeCarlo, New York Partner Joelle Jensen, and Boston Associate Oliver Vega, all of whom consistently have demonstrated extraordinary commitment to their clients. Mr. DeCarlo was recently named to the Los Angeles Business Journal's "Leaders of Influence: Top Litigators & Trial Lawyers in Los Angeles" list. Ms. Jensen, through some clever and collaborative trial team work, has recently secured several impressive defense verdicts for a variety of firm clients. And Mr. Vega recently achieved a favorable decision in a professional liability matter after a 10-day bench trial against a $3.4 million demand.

Continue reading to see how these outstanding attorneys, along with the rest of our nationwide trial team, have transcended the challenges of this unprecedented time and brought outstanding service and successes to their clients' businesses.

You can learn more on our National Trial Practice page and see a full list of Lewis Brisbois' trial attorneys in our National Trial Practice brochure.

Daniel C. DeCarlo, Partner, Los Angeles

Mr. DeCarlo currently serves as the chair of Lewis Brisbois' Intellectual Property & Technology Practice and has nearly three decades of experience in the intellectual property arena. He focuses his practice on complex business litigation matters, including the Lanham Act, trademarks, false advertising, copyright, unfair competition matters, and other related intellectual property claims. Regularly serving as lead counsel in both bench and jury trials, Mr. DeCarlo has extensive experience in all aspects of federal court litigation.

Mr. DeCarlo was recently named to the Los Angeles Business Journal's (LABJ) "Leaders of Influence: Top Litigators & Trial Lawyers in Los Angeles" list. In receiving this recognition, Mr. DeCarlo joins 75 of the Los Angeles region's "most outstanding litigators." According to LABJ Publisher and CEO Josh Schimmels, "These are lawyers you want in your corner in court." They are "trailblazing courtroom stewards" who "keep the people and businesses of Los Angeles on track." Mr. DeCarlo is known as a respected and aggressive litigator that quickly sets out a course at the onset of a matter for success.

Learn more about Mr. DeCarlo and his practice here.

Joelle T. Jensen, Partner, New York

Ms. Jensen is a member of Lewis Brisbois' General Liability Practice. She is an experienced litigator who focuses her practice on representing private individuals and companies against various liability claims in both New York state and federal courts. Ms. Jensen's expertise encompasses a broad range of litigation matters including private and public premises liability, liability of commercial landowners for crimes and acts committed on premises by third parties, dram shop claims, construction accidents, elevator accidents, motor vehicle claims, and commercial vehicle claims.

She has recently secured several high-stakes defense verdicts for firm clients, including a motorcycle accident case with a demand of more than $2.5 million in damages. Ms. Jensen applied a multi-part trial strategy, including the use of key accident reconstructionist testimony and a stellar cross-examination of the plaintiff. Even though the case was venued in plaintiff-friendly Kings County, the jury deliberated for only a short time before returning a defense verdict.

Learn more about Ms. Jensen and her practice here.

Oliver J. Vega, Associate, Boston/New York

Mr. Vega is a member of Lewis Brisbois' General Liability Practice. He regularly represents construction companies, general contractors, ownership entities, insurance companies, and corporations in complex coverage disputes, construction and commercial litigation, and premises liability matters. In addition, Mr. Vega has experience handling cases involving mass and toxic/environmental torts, property damage and contractual claims, as well as general counsel matters involving real estate, finance, corporate, and employment law.

Recently, Mr. Vega worked with Boston Partner Kenneth B. Walton to conduct a 10-day bench trial in the U.S District Court for the District of South Carolina. The plaintiff demanded $3.4 million in damages, alleging breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty claims against our client, a Massachusetts engineering firm, arising from allegedly defective design and construction management services. During trial, Mr. Vega successfully rebutted the plaintiff's claims that our client's work was performed deficiently or without its authority, and also established that the alleged damages were speculative. In a lengthy decision, the court found in favor of Lewis Brisbois' client on all counts, and thus awarded $0 in damages to the plaintiff.

Learn more about Mr. Vega and his practice here.

Our ABOTA Team Members

TheAmerican Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) is a national association of experienced trial lawyers and judges dedicated to promoting civility in the courtroom and preserving the 7th Amendment right to trial by jury.

Lewis Brisbois currently has 47 trial attorneys, all across our nationwide network of offices, who have been inducted into this prestigious, invitation-only organization, with several taking on leadership positions over the years.

San Bernardino Partner Bryan R. Reid is the immediate past president of CAL-ABOTA, which is comprised of the eight California chapters of ABOTA, with around 1,700 members. Mr. Reid continues to serve on the CAL-ABOTA Executive Committee and is also an appointee to the Board of National ABOTA.

New York Partner Alecia Walters-Hinds is the current president of ABOTA-NYC, since April 2019, and will serve in that capacity until May 2021. In this role, Ms. Walters-Hinds has been heavily involved in a number of ABOTA events and initiatives, most recently serving as a distinguished panel speaker for an ABOTA event celebrating the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment and women's right to vote.

View the full list of Lewis Brisbois' ABOTA members on our National Trial Practice page.

View our National Trial Practice brochure here.

Download >> National Trial Newsletter - August 2020

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