Friedrich W. Seitz

Friedrich W. Seitz, a Senior Partner of the firm, chairs the Wildland Fire Litigation and International Law practice groups and co-chairs the Product Liability and Business Litigation practice groups.  Mr. Seitz served as Managing Partner of the firm from 1986 to 2007. He focuses his practice on domestic and international product liability, aviation, catastrophic injuries and business litigation and is a specialist in defending wildland fire cases. 

Mr. Seitz has tried more than one hundred jury trials, most involving product liability matters. He is "AV" rated by Martindale Hubbell and has been recognized as a "Southern California Super Lawyer."  Mr. Seitz was featured as a guest speaker, discussing the nature of defense litigation and his practice specialties, on radio show "Champions of Justice," which aired across California.

Mr. Seitz served as arbitrator for the Los Angeles Superior Court - Special Arbitration Panel, and the Attorney Settlement Panel for the Los Angeles, Van Nuys, Santa Monica, and Torrance Superior Courts.

Mr. Seitz is a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, the American Bar Association - Litigation Section, the State Bar of California, the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, the International Association of Defense Counsel (member, Product Liability Committee and International Litigation Committee), the Defense Research Institute, the American Board of Trial Advocates (Rank Advocate), the American Inns of Court (Master), the Product Liability Advisory Council, Inc., and the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (Product Liability Section, Chair, 2003 - 2004; Product Liability Section, Vice Chair, 1997-1998; International Insurance Law Section, Chair, 1997-1999); Deutscher Anwaltverein (German Bar Association); the German-American Lawyers Association and USLAW.

Languages

• German

Published Works

• "Behind the Privacy Veil, What E-Discovery Are You Entitled To and Developing Useful Strategies When Faced With Propounding Discovery for Essential Electronic Communications," IADC Committee Newsletter, Business Litigation, January 2012
• "Navigating Discovery Abroad: Obtaining Witnesses and Materials Located Outside of the US," Los Angeles Daily Journal, August 24, 2011
• "California's Application of Strict Products Liability to the Hybrid Enterprise," IADC Committee Newsletter, July, 2009
• "Product Safety Regulation in the US and Europe - Challenges for Global Manufacturers", Australian Product Liability Reporter, August, 2007
• “How to Prevent Bad Results in a Good Case: Document Discovery in the Electronic Age,” FICC Quarterly, Spring 2001
• "The Effect of Products Liability Law on Engineers in the United States", Oxford University, U.K., September, 1998
• "Die Produkhaftung im US-amerikanischen Recht," Die Versicherungs Praxis, Deutscher Versicherungs-Schutzverband E.V., September 1995 and October 1995

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel
  Past Chair of Product Liability and International Insurance Law Sections. 
• International Association of Defense Counsel
  Product Liability and International Litigation Committees
• Deutscher Anwaltverein (German Bar Association)
• German-American Lawyers Association
• Association of Southern California Defense Counsel
• American Board of Trial Advocates
  Rank Advocate
• Defense Research Institute
• American Inns of Court
  Master
• Product Liability Advisory Council, Inc.
• American Bar Association, Litigation Section
• Los Angeles County Bar Association
   

Classes/Seminars Taught

• “Shared Risk: Defense and Indemnity Clauses in Supplier Agreements” September 2014, San Francisco, CA
• "Firearm Liability and Firearm Liability Insurance: Where do we go after Sandy Hook and other recent tragedies?" USLAW Network/Murchison & Cumming, LLP 2013 CLE Program & Summer Beach Bash, June 25, 2013, Santa Monica, CA
• "Sunshine and Hot Topics," USLAW Network/Murchison & Cumming, LLP 2013 CLE Program & Summer Beach Bash, June 25, 2013, Santa Monica, CA
• “Deposing Foreign Witnesses Under the Hague Convention,” USLAW Network Client Conference, Colorado Springs, CO, October 2010
• "Product Liability," Johanson Dielectrics Seminar, July 2009
• Panelist, A Hypothetical ESI Request With Focus on Practical Tips and Strategies, International Association of Defense and Corporate Counsel, Munich, Germany, 2007
• Product Safety Regulation in the U.S. & Europe - Challenges for Global Manufacturers, Joint International Conference, London, 2007
• US-Produkthaftpflicht: Welcome To The Wild West, US-Haftpflicht-Symposium, Linz, Austria, 2007
• US-Produkthaftpflicht: US Product Liability Litigation, Preventative Measures and Defense Strategies, US-Haftpflicht- Symposium, Dusseldorf, Germany, 2006
• Recurring Issues in Product Liability Litigation, M&C Fall Symposium, Los Angeles, CA, 2004
• A Primer on Service of Process Abroad, FDCC Mid-Winter Meeting, Big Island, HI, 2004
• Risk Management, The Attorney's Role and the "Black List" Myth and Fact, Euroforum, Hamburg, Germany, 2004
• Risk Management, The Attorney's Role and the "Black List" Myth and Fact, FDCC Product Liability Seminar, London, England, 2003
• The Devil is in the Discovery: Problems, Foreign Defendants and Electronic Discovery, FDCC 2001 Winter Meeting, Tucson, Arizona, 2001
• Year 2000: A Perspective for Manufacturers, The Tokio Marine and Fire Insurance Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, 1999
• U.S. Administrative Requirements (of the FDA) to Pharmaceutical Suppliers, 1st European Conference, Pharma Training Service, Compiegne, France, 1998
• U.S. Products Liability and Environmental Liability Update, Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie e.v., Cologne, Germany, 1998
• U.S. Directors and Officers Liability, Swiss Reinsurance Company, Zurich, Switzerland, 1998
• Cultural Differences When Representing Foreign Clients in the United States, Federation of Insurance and Corporate Counsel, London, England, 1996
• EMF Litigation in the United States, EMF Seminar, Frankona Reinsurance Company, Munich, Germany
• Environmental Claims in the United States, Swiss Reinsurance Company, Zurich, Switzerland, September 26, 1995
• Television Guest Speaker on Product Liability, 1990
• Lecturer, Products Liability at Munich, Cologne, Braunschweig and Zurich
• Product Liability, Johanson Dielectrics Seminar, Sylmar, CA, 2009