Los Angeles

The Los Angeles office is an integral part of Duane Morris’ global network of attorneys and professionals. Our attorneys in Los Angeles are positioned to offer the most up-to-date guidance and tailor representation to each client’s unique needs. While maintaining a focus on complex litigation, attorneys in our Los Angeles office offer a full range of services across the legal landscape. We have been ranked by national publications for aspects of our litigation, corporate and bankruptcy practices, and we continue to fill our Los Angeles roster with experienced attorneys in areas such as employment class action defense, franchising, sports and entertainment, and environmental and land use law. Seamlessly pulling resources from four total offices in California, Duane Morris lawyers are well-positioned to respond to clients quickly and effectively across all matters in Los Angeles.

Range of Services

Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution

Lawyers in the Duane Morris Trial Practice Group represent clients in an array of civil matters. From the initial complaint through the appeals process, our team offers bespoke strategies for each client’s needs. Duane Morris Trial Practice Group attorneys serve clients in an array of industries and have experience representing clients in securities and commercial disputes, professional liability, intellectual property, products liability, real estate controversies and bankruptcy matters. Our litigators often work with the attorneys in our Financial Services and Financial Markets groups to represent insurance companies and financial institutions.

While our lawyers regularly represent foreign and domestic clients in forums in the United States and before international tribunals, we also counsel clients on settling disputes without conventional litigation by using alternative dispute resolution options – and advise on methods to anticipate and avoid litigation. National publications have ranked Duane Morris among the leading law firms handling a wide range of litigation.

Mass Torts, Products Liability and Toxic Torts

The firm maintains a full roster of trial attorneys ready to defend companies from a variety of high-damages lawsuits. Duane Morris works with clients to develop cost-containment and strategic litigation plans designed to minimize the risk, business disruption and potentially staggering cost of products liability and toxic tort litigation. Our goal is to provide value by acting as proactive counselors and advisors, rather than simply responding to particular problems in isolation.

Commercial Litigation

Duane Morris’ Commercial Litigation Group tries and wins cases across the United States. Our aggressive, well-prepared approach enables us to achieve client goals in an efficient manner, in and out of the courtroom. Our clients turn to us for high-stakes, bet-the-company litigation, as well as strategies to avoid disputes and solve problems before they arise.

Employment Law and Workplace Class Action Defense

Duane Morris' lawyers represent employers of all sizes in a broad spectrum of labor and employment matters, including Equal Employment Opportunity Commission compliance, statutory compliance, employment termination and related litigation. The firm's attorneys provide a full range of labor relations services, representing clients in union-organizing campaigns, proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board, negotiations of labor contracts and disputes over labor contract provisions. The group assists employers in protecting their proprietary information and in enforcing noncompetition and nonsolicitation agreements. Duane Morris lawyers emphasize policies to prevent employment problems through problem-prevention programs and services, including seminars and workshops, customized training programs and employment practice audits. Duane Morris lawyers have significant experience in defense of class action employment litigation, including discrimination and wage-and-hour claims.

Environmental and Land Use

Duane Morris environmental attorneys represent clients in a diverse array of matters, including environmental litigation, regulatory compliance and enforcement proceedings, emergency response matters, site investigation and remediation, cost allocation disputes, real estate development and related environmental review, transactions with environmental concerns and sustainability-related matters. Our team has been involved in multibillion-dollar transactions and litigated complex cases before federal and state courts and administrative agencies. Our strategic approach to each matter is always formulated with our client's business goals in mind. Duane Morris attorneys bring deep experience from prior roles in federal and state agencies, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and local environmental bodies, as well as in-house corporate positions.

Appellate Practice

Duane Morris appellate lawyers have extensive experience in preserving our clients’ trial court wins and reversing their losses. We handle appeals at all levels of the federal and state court systems and in virtually every area of substantive law. Our appellate lawyers apply their knowledge of the legal landscape and procedural rules, using their ability to identify issues and arguments most likely to be successful on appeal and outstanding written and oral advocacy skills to serve our clients’ interests in the appellate arena.

Sports Law

Duane Morris represents current and former athletes, as well as teams, executives, coaches and venues at the recreational, collegiate and professional levels through a variety of complex matters. Whether pursuing new opportunities or investments, enforcing contracts or agreements, or protecting clients' rights, the firm's lawyers understand the unique issues presented by operating in the industry, including the importance of establishing and maintaining relationships, controlling sensitive information, maintaining privacy and confidentiality, and achieving goals in tight timeframes. Providing personal service similar to a boutique firm, which may have offices in only one or a few cities, Duane Morris provides clients access to lawyers around the world working in all the legal disciplines that clients may require.

Corporate, Securities, Mergers and Acquisitions

Duane Morris corporate law attorneys advise early-stage and mature companies on a wide variety of corporate and securities matters. Members of the Corporate Practice Group offer clients specific counsel through a spectrum of transactions. Whether an active acquirer, a company-driven auction process, an entity targeted for acquisition, an organization poised for a restructuring, a license to all assets or any other business combination or transaction, the Duane Morris team can help guide you toward outcomes that align with your business goals. Our attorneys have experience with venture capital and private equity transactions and work with the firm's entrepreneurial clients in developing and implementing creative strategies to accomplish their corporate finance and acquisition objectives. This experience has earned recognition from national publications. Duane Morris also represents clients in a range of securities offerings and advises public companies on compliance with ongoing reporting obligations and other securities laws. 

Product Safety: California Proposition 65

For companies that manufacture or sell products in California, Proposition 65, a law that relates to the disclosure of certain chemicals in products, raises a host of compliance issues and potentially expensive litigation claims. Complying with the law means keeping up with the continuous amendments and judgments regarding Proposition 65, formally known as the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986. Drawing on the resources of an international firm with a national product safety and compliance bench, Duane Morris lawyers experienced with Proposition 65 claims counsel companies, identifying potential exposure, offering informed risk-management audits and tools for compliance and, if necessary, efficiently litigating claims.

Pharmaceutical and Medical Device

From major multinational corporations seeking to expand market share to startups with ideas growing in the laboratory, life sciences companies of all levels of development turn to Duane Morris for counsel and representation aimed at improving their organizational health. Our attorneys have deep experience navigating the challenges posed by the development, manufacture, marketing and sales of medical devices, biologics and pharmaceuticals, including a significant focus on generic drugs. We seek to quickly and effectively clear regulatory hurdles while protecting our clients' intellectual property and monetary assets.

White-Collar Criminal Litigation 

Duane Morris counsels both individuals and corporations facing federal and state allegations of criminal conduct. Our lawyers advise clients accused of Medicare/Medicaid fraud and abuse, environmental crimes, securities violations, criminal tax fraud, fraud in government procurement, RICO violations, trade espionage and a variety of business-related offenses. Duane Morris attorneys also have extensive experience leading internal investigations, wherein they can exercise high standards of attorney-client privilege.

Banking and Financial Services

For decades, Duane Morris' global banking practice has provided leading national and international financial institutions with comprehensive legal services, including commercial loan documentation, corporate and mergers and acquisitions, regulatory and compliance, mortgage lending, asset recovery, securities, operations, project finance, litigation and financial technology. This extensive experience has forged strong relationships with several of the top U.S. bank holding companies, banks and financial services companies.

Commercial Finance

Members of the Commercial Finance Group represent lenders and borrowers in both secured and unsecured financings across many different industries. The firm's attorneys have experience in project finance, traditional investment-grade revolving credit agreements, secured restructuring arrangements and Uniform Commercial Code issues. Duane Morris attorneys have experience that begins with the development of the structure of the transaction, as well as with the negotiation, documentation, due diligence and closing. The firm's finance practice represents lenders and borrowers in documenting and negotiating real and personal property loans and secured transactions, including revolving lines of credit, asset-based loans, securitized credits and construction financing.

Insurance Coverage and Reinsurance

Duane Morris' presence in the Los Angeles market allows for deeper ties to the insurance industry. Attorneys in our Insurance and Reinsurance Industry Group have been engaged in representations of insurance industry interests for many years, having served as counsel to numerous property/casualty insurance companies, life insurance companies, reinsurance companies, HMOs and PPOs, rating bureaus, captive insurers offshore and alternative market entities and guaranty associations. The firm has also represented underwriters of public offerings of insurance securities.

Our background in the industry contributes to our ability to address client concerns effectively. We have an in-depth understanding of actuarial, underwriting and policy coverage matters affecting the business and legal issues of our clients. We have handled matters affecting financial examinations, market conduct examinations and other regulatory issues, as well as general corporate matters. Our experience has earned recognition from national publications such as Chambers and Partners and The Legal 500.

Business Reorganization and Financial Restructuring

Business publication The Deal consistently ranks Duane Morris as one of the most active bankruptcy practices in the United States. Lawyers in our Business Reorganization and Financial Restructuring Practice Group work in tandem with each client, whether debtor, trustee, lender or other creditor, to determine appropriate strategies to help derive maximum value from a troubled entity while simultaneously remaining mindful of each client's goals. Clients draw on the firm's extensive reorganization experience as one of the most active bankruptcy practices in the United States with a national team of dozens of bankruptcy lawyers in numerous jurisdictions. 

Intellectual Property

Duane Morris' intellectual property lawyers focus on leveraging their clients' intellectual property to help them achieve success in the marketplace. Our IP lawyers provide counsel on the most efficacious methods of establishing and developing IP capital and protecting IP rights to help clients realize the most value from those assets. From patents to trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets, to licensing and technology transfers, to e-commerce, to IP audits and IP asset due diligence, our attorneys offer clients portfolio management and strategic advice on obtaining and protecting valuable intellectual property. We also have extensive experience with the California Uniform Trade Secrets Act and have advised clients on the implications of the federal Defend Trade Secrets Act for clients in the state.

Education

Educational institutions operating in the United States, from K-12 to postsecondary, are facing unprecedented challenges on many fronts related to technology, economics, demographics and increasing domestic regulation. Duane Morris serves all sectors of education, along with the various businesses that support them. Our attorneys provide these organizations with deep experience and trusted guidance regarding complex issues that impact school decision-making on operations, finances and strategic planning for the future.

Real Estate

Duane Morris' real estate attorneys represent a broad range of high-profile institutional and individual clients in all aspects of real estate transactions and related matters. Duane Morris' clients include investors, corporations, developers, asset management firms, insurance companies, title companies, construction companies, property owners, financial institutions, communities, public agencies, educational institutions and others. The Real Estate Practice Group handles real estate acquisitions and dispositions, financings, workouts and restructurings, development and leasing, land use, title and zoning issues.

Franchise and Distribution

Franchisors, manufacturers and others who use third-party relationships as a distribution mechanism nationally or internationally face a myriad of legal issues in pursuing their business goals. The Duane Morris Franchise and Distribution Group is a multidisciplinary team of attorneys with extensive experience in working with all aspects of vertical distribution and all of its formats, including franchising, dealership and distributorship programs, sales representative and commercial agency relationships, commercial licensing and co-branding arrangements, management agreement formats, and direct selling and business opportunity relationships. Our lawyers help business clients comply with regulatory, statutory and other legal mandates through practical, creative and focused legal counsel. The Franchise and Distribution Group shares its clients' entrepreneurial focus and delivers responsive representation.

For More Information

For more information, please contact Cyndie M. Chang or any of the lawyers referenced in the Attorney Listing.