Attorney Profiles

        JAMES C. GALLOWAY, JR. was admitted to the California Bar in 1970 and to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1976. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in 1964 from the University of Southern California and his Juris Doctorate degree from Southwestern University in 1969. He has served as the Firm's Managing Partner, and currently is a member of the Executive Committee.

        Mr. Galloway maintains an extremely active litigation and trial calendar specializing in the defense of professional liability matters including dental, medical and real estate, multi-party construction defect matters, product liability, auto and governmental tort actions. His keen sense of the issues and incisive analysis has earned him the reputation as an aggressive no-nonsense litigator.

        Upon entering the legal profession, Mr. Galloway served with house counsel at Farmers Insurance Group before joining the Firm. Since 1980 he has volunteered as a Judge Pro Tem on the Los Angeles Municipal Court and is active as an Arbitrator for the Los Angeles Superior Court Arbitration Panel. Additionally, he is a member of the National Panel of Arbitrators of the American Arbitration Association and a Diplomat of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). Mr. Galloway has participated as a member in the Los Angeles County and American Bar Associations, the American Judicature Society and the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel. He has been admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court since 1977.

        MARK A. WEINSTEIN received his Bachelor's degree (cum laude) at the University of California at Los Angeles in 1972 and his Juris Doctorate (cum laude) from Loyola Marymount University School of Law in 1975. After remaining on the Dean's List throughout law school and earning entry into the Saint Thomas Moore Law Society, he was admitted to the California Bar in 1975. A member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), Mr. Weinstein serves as an Arbitrator for the Los Angeles County Superior Court in the field of personal injury.

        Mr. Weinstein came to the firm in 1986 from the Office of the California Attorney General. During nine years of practice he was promoted to the highest rank of Deputy Attorney General IV. Mr. Weinstein practiced in the Tort and Condemnation section, representing various state agencies such as the Department of Corrections, California Highway Patrol, Department of Mental Health, Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Department of Insurance. He had full responsibility for multi-party complex litigation including Newman v. Stringfellow, where over 5,000 plaintiffs sued the State and others for damages allegedly resulting from toxic materials deposited at the Stringfellow disposal site in Riverside County; and Sinaloa Homeowners Association v. State of California, an inverse condemnation action filed in Federal Court because of the Department of Water Resources decision to breach a privately owned dam causing property damage to 40 homeowners.

        His most recent high-profile civil rights trial, a federal police misconduct action, was successful on appeal--and that is no surprise. In Allen v. Singer, Mark defended before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals the CHP officer who pulled over Rodney King's white Hyundai on the night of his arrest. This case represented a successful conclusion to the civil rights challenges of King and his passengers.

        Over the years, Mr. Weinstein has established himself as a preeminent authority in public entity defense with an array of government tort cases, resulting in over 20 published appeals that have, in some circumstances, virtually redefined the scope of public entity liability.

        In addition to Allen v. Singer, et al., Mr. Weinstein has to his credit published opinions such as Clemente v. State of California; Chevlin v. Los Angeles Community College District; Kuykendall v. State; State of California v. Meyer; Truong v. James; Guess v. State of California; and Leader v. State, in which Mr. Weinstein persuaded the Court of Appeals to revise the law of collateral estoppel. Mark's meticulous handling of the Leader case at trial laid the groundwork for appeal, furnishing the appellate court with a sound legal and factual basis for changing the law.

        Mr. Weinstein’s trial and appellate work in another case, Hacker v. City of Glendale, was instrumental in focusing the development of the defense of primary assumption of the risk. Mr. Weinstein's ability to litigate complex and sensitive tort cases has also earned him a reputation in the areas of negligent security, foster care liability, harassment, discrimination, and other similar high-exposure cases. As one of the Firm's primary trial attorneys, his practice also includes medical malpractice defense, truck accidents, construction disputes, products liability, and intellectual property. Mr. Weinstein also heads the Firm's appellate practice group.

        Recently Mr. Weinstein served as co-instructor of several courses including C.E.B.'s "How to Handle a Government Tort Liability Claim," and a series of classes presented by Veatch Carlson on basic investigation and litigation techniques.

        TONI KERN joined Veatch Carlson in December, 2007 as a partner. Prior to joining Veatch Carlson Ms. Kern was a partner at a multi-office firm, including managing one of the branch offices, with a practice emphasis in insurance defense and general litigation.

She graduated from UCLA with a degree in Economics in 1972. After a career as a claims adjuster and supervisor with Liberty Mutual, followed by private investigations with R.J. Frasco Agency, she received her JD degree from Northrop University School of Law and was admitted to the California State Bar in 1987.

Applying the skills from her claims and investigations experience, Ms. Kern spent her early years defending municipalities, law enforcement agencies as well as high-end retail establishments. From simple to complex, Ms Kern’s practice went on to include all areas of general liability. As an active trial lawyer, in both Federal and State Courts, Ms Kern continues to handle auto and trucking, premises, product liability, municipality, auto dealership and security related cases.

Prior to joining Veatch Carlson Ms. Kern was a partner at a multi-office firm with a primary emphasis in insurance defense and general litigation.

        PETE E. ALMEIDA was admitted to the California bar in 1992. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1984 from Chapman University and his Juris Doctorate degree from Pepperdine University in 1991.

        Mr. Almeida began his career specializing in premises liability, automobile accidents, insurance bad faith, attorney malpractice, property and third party subrogation. His reputation in the legal community led to his speaking extensively throughout Southern California about third party subrogation.

        In 1997, Mr. Almeida joined the firm of Tobin & Louie. Mr. Almeida was made a partner within six months and upon Mr. Tobin’s departure in 2000, the firm was renamed to Louie, Almeida & Stettler. In 2000, Mr. Almeida was named the managing partner. The firm grew from 10 attorneys in 2000 to 29 attorneys and 3 offices by 2004.

        Mr. Almeida’s focus throughout his career has been to separate cases into those that should be taken to trial and those that should be pushed to a successful, early resolution. He is comfortable with complex medical and legal issues having handled cases involving hematological, neurological (including massive brain trauma), orthopedic and psychiatric/psychological issues. As a result of Mr. Almeida’s expertise he has been able to confront opposing counsel with hard facts while refuting grossly inflated injury claims resulting in fair reasonable settlements or “take nothings” from the WCAB. Mr. Almeida has successfully settled workers’ compensation matters that included a resolution of the employees other civil claim resulting in untold savings to the employer.

        GILBERT A. GARCIA was admitted to the California Bar in 1992. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from California State University, Fullerton in 1987. He received his Juris Doctorate from American College of Law in 1992 and received an American Jurisprudence Award in Insurance Law. He specializes in third party litigation and workers' compensation defense.

        Mr. Garcia has handled a wide variety of general liability claims. This includes automobile accidents, construction defect, complex mold litigation, products liability and subrogation claims. Mr. Garcia has tried over twenty cases to verdict. He is an experienced and accomplished trial lawyer.

        Mr. Garcia’s workers’ compensation specialty includes the handling of all aspects of workers’ compensation claims. He has handled numerous trials involving the case in chief, liens, and AOE/COE issues. In addition, Mr. Garcia has handled numerous appearances, both formal and informal, before the rehabilitation unit. Mr. Garcia has also personally prepared appeals from the rehabilitation unit’s orders as well as numerous petitions for reconsideration on various issues including temporary disability, permanent disability and the case in chief.

        STEPHEN K. NAKATA is currently concentrating his practice in the fields of labor, employment, workers’ compensation, Longshore, subrogation and general civil litigation. Steve represents, counsels, and defends employers at every level of the employment relationship, from recruiting to separation. Steve is an experienced trial lawyer. In addition, he has argued cases at the appellate level of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. He also regularly provides training seminars in various fields.

        Steve received his undergraduate degrees from UCLA and his law degree from the University of San Francisco. During law school, Steve became a certified law student, made court appearances and took depositions. At that time, Steve worked for a firm concentrating on the defense of Longshore, workers’ compensation and subrogation matters.

        After law school, Steve worked for a statewide law firm, and later became the managing attorney for that firm’s Subrogation Department. He continued to handle Longshore and workers’ compensation matters, but also handled civil litigation matters.

        In 1996, Steve joined a national law firm, and split his practice between that firm’s Litigation and Labor and Employment Groups. As a senior associate, Steve focused on representing employers in labor and employment matters. In addition, Steve handled a variety of civil matters involving intellectual property litigation, securities litigation, contract litigation and maritime litigation.

        Prior to joining Veatch Carlson Steve was a partner at a firm specializing in labor law. Steve concentrated his practice on labor, employment, workers’ compensation, Longshore, subrogation and general civil litigation matters.

        MARK M. RUDY received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Santa Clara where he was a four-year member of the University Honors Program. He received his Juris Doctorate from the University of California, Hastings College of Law in May 1986. He served as Associate Articles Editor of the Hastings International and Comparative Law Review in 1985 - 1986. He is a member of the American Bar Association; the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel; and the Southern California Association of Healthcare Risk Managers.

        He joined Veatch Carlson after admission to the Bar in December of 1986. Since that time, Mark has practiced primarily in the area of medical and dental malpractice defense. During his tenure with the firm, Mark has tenaciously litigated a multitude of complex matters in the medical malpractice arena.

        Mr. Rudy has tried cases to verdict involving claims of death, birth injury, and permanent neurological damage in matters alleging medical malpractice. Favorable trial results have been achieved for insureds of various insurance companies including Truck Insurance Exchange, Shand Morahan & Co., Caliber One Indemnity Co. and Southern California Physicians Insurance Exchange. Mr. Rudy has also handled cases involving allegations of sexual harassment/battery against healthcare providers. He has additional trial experience in the areas of premises liability and motor vehicle accidents. Mr. Rudy has presented lectures on the medical-legal aspects of nursing at several Los Angeles-area hospitals.

        BERNHARD E. BIHR is a 1969 graduate of California State, Los Angeles, and a 1973 graduate of Loyola Law School.  Since his admittance to the California Bar, Mr. Bihr has specialized in insurance defense law, focusing primarily in the areas of construction defect litigation, toxic torts, products liability, real estate errors and omissions and legal malpractice. Mr. Bihr has tried well over twenty Superior Court jury trials and has been a court appointed arbitrator having heard over 200 cases.

        He has served as the managing attorney for the Los Angeles staff counsel office of The Home Insurance Company. While in that capacity, Mr. Bihr was actively involved in law firm audits throughout the Western United States.

        Throughout his career, Mr. Bihr's focus in defense litigation has been the successful, early resolution of matters in an effort to achieve favorable results for his clients in the most expeditious and economic manner.

        CYRIL CZAJKOWSKYJ joined Veatch Carlson in 2001, bringing his extensive experience in all phases of civil litigation. He was a principal with Knapp, Peterson & Clark, for more than 16 years, specializing in insurance defense, products liability, professional malpractice, employment termination, business litigation, libel, insurance bad faith and civil rights litigation.

        Mr. Czajkowskyj's experience includes jury and bench trials and appellate litigation. Reported appellate opinions include Reid v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. (1985) 173 Cal.App.3d 557 [218 Cal.Rptr. 913], National Metal & Steel Corp. v. Colby Crane & Manufacturing Co. (1988) 200 Cal.App.3d 1111 [246 Cal.Rptr. 435], Robertson v. Chen (1996) 44 Cal.App.4th 1290 [52 Cal.Rptr.2d 264], and Melikian v. Aquila, Ltd. (1998) 63 Cal.App.4th 1364 [74 Cal.Rptr.2d 739].

        He joined the California State Bar in 1978. He is also admitted to practice in the United States District Court, Central and Northern Districts of California and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal. After obtaining his B.A. from Northwestern University, he earned his M.A. degree from the University of Chicago, and his J.D. from the University of San Francisco.

        ROBERT T. MACKEY graduated from the State University of New York in 1996 and thereafter completed his Juris Doctorate degree at the University of Quinnipiac, formerly the Bridgeport Connecticut School of Law, in 1999.

        While in Law School, he argued misdemeanor trials while interning with the Connecticut District Attorney’s office in New Haven. In addition, he captained his Mock Trial Team, which competed on a national level.

        He began his practice, litigating serious personal injury cases on behalf of plaintiffs and criminal cases on behalf of defendants, in both State and Federal Courts. He holds licenses in New York, Connecticut and California. He has worked as a trial attorney for the defense law firm of Early, Maslach & Rudnicki, where he tried over 20 jury trials, procuring 18 consecutive defense verdicts. In addition, he has successfully arbitrated and mediated hundreds of civil cases on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants.

        His current focus is jury trials and his cases have included automobile negligence, motorcycle and pedestrian negligence, slip and falls, premise liability, employment, products liability, assault and battery, malpractice, civil rights, fraud, libel/slander, property loss, landlord tenant, employment and wrongful death.

        SCOTT S. MIZEN graduated from the University of Illinois in 1987 and earned his Juris Doctorate Degree from Pepperdine University School of Law in 1990. Mr. Mizen is admitted to practice before all the California Courts and the United States District Court, Southern District of California. He is also a member of the Southern California Association of Defense Counsel and the Orange County Bar Association.

        Mr. Mizen has practiced general civil defense litigation, emphasizing construction defect and personal injury matters for more than a decade. His primary specialty at Veatch Carlson is personal injury and property damage defense. He is a seasoned litigator with numerous trials to his credit.

        STEVE R. SEGURA earned his Bachelors Degree in Political Science with an emphasis in Public Law in 1988 from the University of California, Los Angeles and his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law in 1991.

        Mr. Segura brings substantial litigation experience in a variety of fields to our firm. Recently, Mr. Segura's practice has primarily focused on complex business litigation where he has represented the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, several prominent financial institutions, commercial real property developers, health maintenance organizations as well as numerous mid-sized corporations, partnerships and individual business owners.

        In addition to his commercial litigation experience, Mr. Segura also has substantial experience in the fields of insurance coverage and insurance bad faith actions. His expertise in coverage and bad faith includes comprehensive/commercial general liability, professional liability, directors and officers and business policies. He has also handled the defense of insureds in a variety of matters, including employment, products liability, construction defect and general casualty litigation.

        Mr. Segura has significant experience handling appeals at both the State and Federal levels involving insurance coverage issues, intellectual property rights, antitrust violations and employment issues. He has secured favorable results for his clients in each appeal.

        WILLIAM J GLAZER received his B.A. in history and theater arts from U.C.L.A. In 1972. After graduating with honors from Loyola University School of Law in 1975, Mr. Glazer went to work as a Deputy Attorney General for four years handling all types of civil liability and condemnation matters for the State of California, its agencies and employees. He was a member of two Attorney General Task Forces regarding tort reform and governmental liability, both of which proposed and implemented legislation. He subsequently took a position with an insurance company as senior trial counsel where he handled all manner of large exposure cases. It was there that Mr. Glazer first became involved in the development of a program specifically aimed at the deterrence of fraudulent claims.

        Mr. Glazer joined a larger, well-known west side defense firm in 1982 and became a partner in 1985. He was one of the two senior partners in charge of the casualty coverage and litigation unit. He handled myriad insurance and defense matters, including first and third party coverage, auto and trucking cases, declaratory relief actions, suspect and fraudulent claims (property and casualty), multiparty, serious injury and high exposure cases, premises liability and products liability from inception through trial and appeal.

        Mr. Glazer subsequently opted to work in a smaller firm environment and specialized in product liability and toxic tort defense with two firms before reuniting with Mr. Weinstein, with whom he attended law school and served in the Attorney General’s Office, at Veatch Carlson.

        Mr. Glazer is a member of the California state and federal bars and was admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1980. He currently serves as a Special Master for the Los Angeles County Superior Court, is a member of the Defense Research Institute (serving on the Product Liability Committee), the Los Angeles County Bar Association and the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel and a former member of the American Bar Association Tort and Insurance Practice Section. He lives in Calabasas with his wife, Rea, and has two grown children.

        RICHARD COLLINS graduated in 1988 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of California, Davis, where he played varsity football for the Aggies and was an intern for United States Congressman Vic Fazio. Upon graduation, Mr. Collins was admitted to Whittier College School of Law and began his career in the insurance industry as a claims representative with a leading national insurer. He graduated from Whittier Law School in 1993 and was admitted to the California Bar that same year. Mr. Collins resides in Orange County with his wife, Noreen Collins, and their four children.

        With 16 years of experience as a litigation attorney, just over 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, and numerous jury and court trials, Mr. Collins possesses practical litigation experience and a firm understanding of the insurance business. Before joining Veatch Carlson in 2010, Mr. Collins was a partner in a mid-sized law firm in Orange County and, most recently, successfully managed his own civil litigation firm. He has handled virtually all types of matters relating to the business of insurance, representing insurance companies and consumers and businesses involved in disputes with their insurance companies. Mr. Collins has also assisted in the development of manuals and handbooks utilized by insurance companies in the litigation of claims. He regularly receives referrals from and is consulted by other lawyers on matters involving insurance coverage and claims handling issues, and he has lectured on the subject of insurance.

        In addition to insurance related matters, Mr. Collins represents consumers and businesses in personal injury matters, business, employment and real estate disputes, environmental and toxic tort litigation, product liability and other legal matters.

        Mr. Collins is a member of the State Bar of California; United States District Court, Central, Southern, Eastern Districts; Orange County Bar Association, Insurance Law Section. He most recently lectured on the following topics: “Triggering Coverage in a ‘Mold Case’ and what to do When Coverage is Denied,” Harris Martin’s Mold Conference: Science on Trial, September 21, 2007, St. Regis Hotel, San Francisco, CA; “Litigating the Small Bad Faith Case,” Orange County Bar Association, Insurance Law Section, July 28, 2006, Wyndham Hotel, Costa Mesa, CA.

        GREGG A. FOWLER graduated from the Colorado State University of Fort Collins in 1996, received multiple degrees and thereafter completed his Juris Doctorate degree at the University of Quinnipiac, in 1999.

        He began his practice litigating serious personal injury cases on behalf of plaintiffs and criminal cases on behalf of defendants, in both State and Federal Courts. He holds licenses in New York and California. He has worked as a litigation attorney for the defense law firm of Early, Maslach & Rudnicki, where he handled high exposure cases. In addition, he has successfully arbitrated and mediated hundreds of civil cases on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants.

        His current focus is litigation in the following areas: worker’s compensation, labor law and civil litigation. He has handled cases which have included, worker’s compensation, automobile negligence, motorcycle and pedestrian negligence, slip and falls, premise liability, employment, products liability, assault and battery, malpractice, civil rights, fraud, libel/slander, property loss, landlord tenant, employment and wrongful death.

        GARY P. ANDRE received his Bachelor of Science from Michigan State University in 1972 and his Juris Doctor from the University of La Verne College of Law in 1979.

        He is an associate in the Workers’ Compensation Department of Veatch Carlson where he specializes in all aspects of workers' compensation law. For more than 23 years, he has defended employers, insurance carriers and third party administrators throughout the State of California. In addition to defending the NHL, NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer and the Harlem Globetrotters, Mr. Andre has played and coached ice hockey for 5 decades. This unique experience provides insight in defending professional sports claims that include complex multi-party and multi-jurisdictional issues.

        Additionally, Mr. Andre has successfully represented employers in a wide variety of third party civil subrogation matters, Serious & Willful and Labor Code Section 132a Petitions, as well as alternative dispute resolution procedures, including mediation and arbitration.

        GINA GENATEMPO was admitted to the California bar in 2000. She received her Juris Doctorate degree cum laude in 2000 from Chapman University School of Law where she was honored as a member of the law review, and received multiple honors for top academic achievements in contracts, torts, criminal procedure, and bankruptcy. She has a 1989 B.A. in Journalism from Pepperdine University where she was a news editor for the award-winning school newspaper, and contributed to the university’s 50th Anniversary publication.

        Having worked with reputable plaintiffs’ litigation firms in other roles prior to law school, including for a former Orange County Superior Court judge, Ms. Genatempo applied her research and litigation skills to practicing law on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants in all facets of civil litigation, including personal injury, business litigation, contractual disputes, and risk management. Her appellate work includes an appellate decision which precipitated a change to the procedure for statutory offers to compromise in Bias v. Wright (2002).

        In 2003, Ms. Genatempo focused on bad faith insurance defense when she joined the firm of Hollins Schechter and defended insurance carriers including Farmers Insurance Exchange and Truck Insurance Exchange. Her successful law and motion work resulted in another appellate decision to defeat claims on multiple insurance policies, Davis v. Farmers Insurance Group (2005).

        Ms. Genatempo joined Veatch Carlson in 2009 as an associate specializing in law and motion. Her work continues to assist trial attorneys to strategically position complex cases for resolution and trial.

        DONNA M. MARYANSKI graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the California State University at Long Beach. Ms. Maryanski attended Western State College of Law in Fullerton. After passing the bar she devoted her career to the defense of catastrophic injury, wrongful death, and product liability personal injury cases. Other personal injury cases she has litigated include trucking accidents, criminal activity on the premises, toxic tort, commercial liability, general liability, premises liability, complex automobile litigation and construction site accidents. During her career she had defended professional liability claims of real estate brokers, real estate agents and home inspectors. Her most recent trial was for the plaintiff on a real estate non-disclosure case.

        In her 20 years of experience as a litigation attorney she has tried in excess of 25 Superior Court jury trials to verdict. Ms. Maryanski has been reviewed and rated by attorneys and judges and has received an AV rating from Martindale and Hubbell. She is an Associate Member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). Since 2005, Ms. Maryanski has volunteered as a Judge Pro Tem and mediator for the Los Angeles Superior Court. She has given seminars on litigation and evaluation of personal injury claims, mediations and liens to attorneys and adjusters. Seminars include :

• “Lien Recovery”, lecture presented to AIG Private Client Group
• “Medical Terminology & Fibromyalgia”, Lecture presented to AIG General Civil Claims Department, Portland, Oregon
• “Mediation Seminar”, California in house counsel at AIG

        PETER CROSSIN brings a unique and practical perspective to his practice of law with a considerable background in litigating civil matters on both sides of the Plaintiffs’ and Defense Bar. A New Jersey native, Peter earned his BA degree in Political Science from the University of South Carolina and his JD from the Whittier College School of Law. Prior to entering law school Mr. Crossin worked several years trading municipal bonds on Wall Street at the brokerage firm Dean Witter Reynolds, Inc.

        Mr. Crossin has held lead positions on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committees for the California In Re Intraocular Lens and Latex Glove coordinated litigations and has represented defendants in the In Re Welding Rod coordinated litigation. Mr. Crossin has prosecuted and defended a myriad of cases involving toxic torts, catastrophic injury, warranty claims, product liability, premises liability (with a particular emphasis in premises security litigation), construction defect, and contract disputes. He has arbitrated and mediated hundreds of cases on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants.

        Mr. Crossin has extensive brief and law and motion writing and oral argument experience. He has had articles published in legal periodicals and seminar and convention syllabuses. Along with his trial court oral argument experience, he has argued cases successfully before the California Court of Appeal.

        KEITH WILEMAN has been AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell since 1998, and has a quarter of a century of litigation and trial experience. He has tried jury and bench trials to victory in both federal and California state trial courts, argued successfully in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the California Court of Appeal, and practiced in the California Supreme Court, losing only one appeal in his entire career. Keith has appeared in the Superior Court of the State of California in a dozen California counties, and each of the federal district courts in California. He has never lost a jury trial and has only lost one court trial, for a sum less than the plaintiff’s demand. He has been lead trial counsel in all but one of his trials, in which case he was co-lead counsel and gave the opening statement and examined key witnesses. He has tried short, one-week cases and longer cases lasting weeks and even months.

        The principal focus of Keith’s practice is business litigation and intellectual property, including extensive defense work in copyright, trademark and patent cases. His reported cases in copyright and trademark include Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc. v. Fireworks Entertainment Group, Inc., 137 F. Supp. 2d 1177 (C.D. Cal. 2001) and Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc. v. Fireworks Entertainment Group, Inc., 156 F. Supp. 2d 1149 (C.D. Cal. 2001). His intellectual property clients have included studios, distributors, producers, writers, agents and photographers, as well as Internet companies and traditional broadcasters, and manufacturers accused of patent infringement. He has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in intellectual property matters.

        His general business litigation experience includes a wide variety of matters, including real estate, banking and mortgage issues, distribution issues, breaches of contract, insurance coverage and bad faith, and UCC Article 2 cases. His recent published decisions in business litigation include La Sound, et al. v. St. Paul Travelers Ins. Co., 156 Cal. App. 4th 1259 (Fourth Dist., Div. 3, 2007, rehearing denied, review denied), and Firestone v. Hoffman, 140 Cal. App. 4th 1408 (Second Dist. 2006).

        Keith’s most recent appellate victory was in a complex real estate investment scam in which he represents the plaintiff. Upon the trial court’s denial of a motion for trial setting preference without prejudice to later renewal, he filed a writ petition which was granted by way of an extraordinary Palma notice to the trial court, advising it that the appellate court intended to overturn the trial court’s decision unless the trial court entered a new and different order granting the motion, which the trial court of course did.

        Earlier in his career, Keith’s practice emphasized the defense of product liability actions and transportation-related personal injury and wrongful death litigation. When he first entered practice, Keith worked exclusively on aviation and aviation insurance coverage cases. He has defended airlines, manufacturers of fixed wing and helicopter air frames, manufacturers of reciprocating and turbine aviation power plants, fixed base operators, pilots and aviation insurers. In Belzer v. SIAI Marchetti, he successfully represented the defendant aircraft manufacturer against wrongful death claims. He has also had favorable experience with the General Aviation Revitalization Act, including the reported case of Lyon v. Agusta, 252 F. 2d 1078 (9th Cir. 2001).

        Outside the aviation context, Keith has represented manufacturers of automobiles, transmissions, wheels, tires, truck trailers, cranes and other aerial devices, construction equipment, scaffolds, prescription drugs and medical devices, chemicals, foods, food processing equipment, and a wide variety of consumer goods and cosmetics. One prescription drug/medical device trial victory was Lopez v. Voco, in which he represented defendants whose products allegedly failed to detect the presence of tuberculosis in an infant who developed meningitis and severe brain injuries.

        Much of his non-aviation product liability work has involved claims of injury or death resulting from exposure to various products alleged to be harmful or carcinogenic, such as organic solvents, petroleum distillates and their products of combustion, isocyanines, vinyl chloride compounds, adhesives and their components, volatile organic compounds in paints, and chemicals used in film development. He has also represented defendants in inhalation claims involving asbestos-containing products, metallic and non-metallic particulates, and smokes or vapors.

        He also represented railroads in cases ranging from derailment disaster litigation to Federal Employers Liability Act and cargo claims. While engaged in railroad practice, Keith was a longstanding member of the National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel, the defense lawyer association for that industry, for whom he wrote and spoke on trial technique and alternative dispute resolution, as well as serving as a CLE program director for that organization.