Guy Gruppie and Mhare Mouradian Selected Top Attorneys by Pasadena Magazine

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Los Angeles, CA—In the inaugural Top Attorneys in the San Gabriel Valley listing, Pasadena Magazine named Senior Partner Guy R. Gruppie and Associate Mhare O. Mouradian, in its just-published November issue. The magazine sent ballots to the Pasadena-area legal community, announcing its online voting process for the most highly regarded lawyers in various specialties of practice who either practice or live in the San Gabriel Valley. An outside law firm verified the voting process and attorney credentials.

Pasadena Magazine selected Gruppie, who lives in Arcadia, for the Personal Injury/Defense category, and selected Mouradian, a resident of Pasadena, for the Civil Litigation specialty. Gruppie is Chair of Murchison & Cumming’s Complex Litigation Department and a senior member of the Firm’s Product Liability and General Liability/Litigation practice groups. Mouradian is a member of the Complex Litigation, Product Liability and General Liability practice groups.

Both attorneys are members of the Pasadena Bar Association and Gruppie participated in the 2009 Law Day sponsored by the City of Arcadia.

 

About Murchison & Cumming, LLP

With a firm history dating to 1930, Murchison & Cumming, LLP is a premier civil litigation firm with five offices in California and Las Vegas, whose attorneys specialize in the defense of domestic and international businesses, insurers and individuals, at trial and on appeal. The Firm’s attorneys also handle employment matters and business transactions. For additional information, please visit our website at www.murchisonlaw.com.

Murchison & Cumming Welcomes Eight Attorneys From Cotkin & Collins’ Santa Ana Office

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Los Angeles, CA – Murchison & Cumming, LLP is pleased to announce that eight attorneys formerly with the Orange County office of Cotkin & Collins have joined Murchison & Cumming, as partners and associates in the firm’s Orange County office.

Joining the firm are former Cotkin & Collins founding partner and Harvard Law alum James Phil Collins, along with shareholders William D. Naeve and David A. Winkle and member Ellen M. Tipping, each of whom has joined the firm as a Partner. Former Cotkin & Collins associates Terry L. Kesinger and Gregory A. Sargenti have joined the firm as Associate Partners, along with Cooper W. Collins and Kristie M. Mackey, who have joined the firm as Senior Associates. All are members of the California Bar, with Mr. Naeve and Ms. Tipping also being members of the Nevada Bar.

“We are excited and privileged to be joining Murchison & Cumming. We know from first hand experience that the firm has a strong litigation, trial, and appellate practice, with talented and resourceful lawyers,” Phil Collins said. “We are particularly happy it has such a vibrant Las Vegas office. Our practice areas blend perfectly with theirs. We expect a seamless transition.”

Collectively, the new Murchison & Cumming attorneys bring with them years of experience in defending general business and tort litigation in California and Nevada, with a particular emphasis in the healthcare, professional liability, employment, product liability, and life & disability fields. “It is exciting to have such a strong and dedicated group of lawyers join the firm. They bring a wealth of trial and problem solving experience with them,” said Dan Longo, Partner In Charge of the firm’s Orange County office.

Murchison & Cumming attorneys have a long history of participation and leadership in national and international legal organizations as do the former Cotkin & Collins attorneys, including the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, of which Claude Cumming was a founding member and of which Phil Collins and Michael Lawler are past presidents; the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel, of which Jean Lawler is a past president; the Federal Bar Association, of which Mr. Collins is a past president of the Orange County Chapter; and ABOTA, DRI and Lawyers for Civil Justice, for which organizations attorneys in the firm have served on the Board of Directors.

“We are very pleased to have our Orange County neighbors of more than 20 years join the firm. We have the utmost respect for their legal abilities and know them to be individuals of character, with whom we share similar values, backgrounds, legal experience and a culture of client service,” said Ms. Lawler, Murchison & Cumming’s Managing Partner. “This acquisition is consistent with the firm’s business plan that calls for steady, focused growth, seizing opportunities to expand and add depth to the firm’s existing areas of practice, which we believe will allow the firm to better serve the needs of our clients.”

 

About Murchison & Cumming, LLP

With a firm history dating to 1930, Murchison & Cumming, LLP is a premier civil litigation firm with five offices in California and Las Vegas, whose attorneys specialize in the defense of domestic and international businesses, insurers and individuals, at trial and on appeal. The Firm’s attorneys also handle employment matters and business transactions. For additional information, please visit our website at www.murchisonlaw.com.

Murchison’s Edmund Farrell Elected to Membership in IADC

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Murchison & Cumming, LLP congratulates senior partner Edmund G. Farrell, III on being elected to membership in the International Association of Defense Counsel in September 2010. Mr. Farrell serves as chair of the firm’s Appellate Law practice group and co-chair of its Professional Liability practice group. The International Association of Defense Counsel is a professional association with over 85 years of service and a membership of only approximately 2,500 attorneys. Membership is by invitation only. Several of the firm’s partners are long-time members of the IADC and the firm is honored to have Mr. Farrell admitted as a member.

About Murchison & Cumming, LLP

With a firm history dating to 1930, Murchison & Cumming, LLP is a premier civil litigation firm with five offices in California and Las Vegas, whose attorneys specialize in the defense of domestic and international businesses, insurers and individuals, at trial and on appeal. The firm’s attorneys also handle employment matters and business transactions. The firm is a member of the USLAW Network. For additional information, please visit our website at www.murchisonlaw.com.

Murchison & Cumming Attorney to Participate in USLAW’s “Fast and Furious” Drills

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Dan L. Longo, Partner in Charge of Murchison & Cumming’s Santa Ana office and Co-Chair of the Firm’s Health Law and Professional Liability practice groups, will participate in a five minute drill program of USLaw Network’s Fall 2009 Client Conference at the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco, California on September 25, 2009. Mr. Longo will present the topic, “Elder Abuse: Not As Hard To Prove As You Might Think” during a series entitled “Fast and Furious—The Five Minute Drill” during that day’s program. During this series, presenters will speak for five minutes each on a wide variety of developing legal issues in the professional liability arena to members of USLaw and their client guests.

USLaw Network is a national organization composed of more than 60 independent firms with over 3,500 attorneys. The organization’s client conferences are designed to advance the education of invited client guests and membership through timely, straight-forward presentations, as well as provide networking opportunities.

 

About Murchison & Cumming, LLP

With a firm history dating to 1930, Murchison & Cumming, LLP is a premier civil litigation firm with five offices in California and Las Vegas, whose attorneys specialize in the defense of domestic and international businesses, insurers and individuals, at trial and on appeal. The Firm’s attorneys also handle employment matters and business transactions. For additional information, please visit our website at www.murchisonlaw.com.

Four Named Southern California Super Lawyers

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Murchison & Cumming, LLP is pleased to announce that Jean M. Lawler, Friedrich W. Seitz, Michael B. Lawler and Guy R. Gruppie have been named Southern California “Super Lawyers” for 2009 based, on a vote of peers conducted by Law & Politics Magazine. Fewer than 5% of attorneys in the area are so recognized in this annual survey of more than 65,000 attorneys.

Jean M. Lawler is the firm’s Managing Partner, Chairs the Business Transactions Practice Group and Co-Chairs its Insurance Law Practice Group. Ms. Lawler is a Past President of the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (2004-2005) and was awarded the 2006 Service Award by the Defense Research Institute for her years of leadership and service for DRI.

Friedrich W. Seitz is a Senior Partner and Chairs the firm’s Product Liability, Business Litigation and International Law Practice Groups. A reputed trial attorney, Mr. Seitz is an Advocate in ABOTA and has served as Chair of the Product Liability Section of the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel.

Michael B. Lawler is a Senior Partner and Co-Chairs the firm’s Employment Law and Health Law Practice Groups. Mr. Lawler is a Past President of the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel and has successfully tried more than 100 cases in the federal and state courts. He is an Advocate in ABOTA and served on ABOTA’s National Board of Directors.

Guy R. Gruppie is a Senior Partner and Chairs the firm’s General Liability & Casualty Practice Group. Mr. Gruppie served as Vice Chair of the Trial Tactics, Practice and Procedures Section of the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel from 2004-2008. Mr. Gruppie is also a regular contributor to the FDCC Quarterly.

 

About Murchison & Cumming, LLP

With a firm history dating to 1930, Murchison & Cumming, LLP is a premier civil litigation firm with five offices in California and Las Vegas, whose attorneys specialize in the defense of domestic and international businesses, insurers and individuals, at trial and on appeal. The Firm’s attorneys also handle employment matters and business transactions. For additional information, please visit our website at www.murchisonlaw.com.

Murchison & Cumming Hiring Committee Member to Speak out on Diversity

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Gina E. Och, partner and Hiring Committee team member for Murchison & Cumming, LLP, is scheduled to be a panelist for the Beverly Hills Bar Association’s (BHBA) Diversity in Law Firms seminar at the Beverly Hills Country Club on May 21, 2009. The seminar, conducted by BHBA’s newly formed Diversity Committee, will focus on strategies for attorney career growth for minorities, women and immigrants. The panelists will be discussing ways in which law students can use their diversity to further their careers, and lawyers can increase client development during a time when law firms are facing more competition, fewer clients, shrinking markets, and fallout from the economic recession. As a panelist, Ms. Och will address issues such as the challenges and opportunities faced in career development, family friendly work policies in the office, and responding to discrimination in the workplace.

Ms. Och, a Guatemalan immigrant, has sought to set herself as an example for Latina professionals in the private sector and legal community during her years as both a law student and an attorney. At UCLA Law School, she served as Managing Editor of the Chicano-Latino Law Review, was a member of the Women’s Law Journal, and helped establish the California La Raza Law Students group. As a member of Murchison & Cumming’s Hiring Committee, Ms. Och continues her efforts to bring diversity to the law firm and legal field, and to advise her peers on the topic through events promoting diversity.

 

About Murchison & Cumming, LLP

With a firm history dating to 1930, Murchison & Cumming, LLP is a premier civil litigation firm with five offices in California and Las Vegas, whose attorneys specialize in the defense of domestic and international businesses, insurers and individuals, at trial and on appeal. The Firm’s attorneys also handle employment matters and business transactions. For additional information, please visit our website at www.murchisonlaw.com.

Murchison & Cumming Attorneys Serve as Featured Speakers for Elevator Industry Event

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Senior partner Guy R. Gruppie and associate Marieanne Zakarian were the featured speakers at the Elevator Industry Group (EIG) of Southern California meeting at historic Taix Restaurant in Los Angeles, on May 19, 2009. The presentation, entitled “Minimizing Your Chances of Being Sued and Maximizing Your Chances of Winning if You Are,” was presented to a group of industry representatives from elevator and escalator companies both large and small. Event speakers presented attendees with information on tort law and California litigation trends, and risk management and related strategies to help prevent EIG members from being involved in litigation, but also to better position them if litigation were to ensue.

Murchison & Cumming, a member of the National Association of Elevator Contractors and the EIG, has a long track record of success in defending elevator and escalator accident cases and related commercial litigation. Mr. Gruppie has served as Southern California counsel for Mitsubishi Electric & Electronics, a worldwide leader in elevator and escalator innovation and manufacturing, for 10 years and oversees a team of lawyers with experience in such cases both in the defense of elevator and escalator companies, and property owners whose premises include vertical transportation.

 

About Murchison & Cumming, LLP

With a firm history dating to 1930, Murchison & Cumming, LLP is a premier civil litigation firm with five offices in California and Las Vegas, whose attorneys specialize in the defense of domestic and international businesses, insurers and individuals, at trial and on appeal. The Firm’s attorneys also handle employment matters and business transactions. For additional information, please visit our website at www.murchisonlaw.com.

Murchison & Cumming Attorneys Support Their Community At Arcadia’s Law Day

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Murchison & Cumming, LLP Senior Partners Michael D. McEvoy, Sr. and Guy R. Gruppie participated in the City of Arcadia’s annual Law Day on May 9 at the Arcadia Public Library. McEvoy and Gruppie were among a panel of lawyers providing free consultations to San Gabriel Valley residents on a spectrum of legal issues and problems ranging from personal injury, business disputes and estate planning. Event rules forbade participating lawyers from making referrals and limited consultation time to no more than 15 minutes each. The Arcadia Chinese American Association sponsored the event, chaired by former Arcadia Mayor Gary Kovacic who, like McEvoy and Gruppie, is a longtime resident of Arcadia. More than 250 residents received free legal consultation at this year’s event.

 

About Murchison & Cumming, LLP

With a firm history dating to 1930, Murchison & Cumming, LLP is a premier civil litigation firm with five offices in California and Las Vegas, whose attorneys specialize in the defense of domestic and international businesses, insurers and individuals, at trial and on appeal. The Firm’s attorneys also handle employment matters and business transactions. For additional information, please visit our website at www.murchisonlaw.com.

Matthew H. Printz And Heather L. Mills Named Partners Of Murchison & Cumming, LLP

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Los Angeles, CA—January 5, 2009—Murchison & Cumming, LLP is pleased to announce that Matthew H. Printz and Heather L. Mills have been named Partners of the firm. “We are fortunate to welcome two lawyers of their caliber to our partnership, lawyers with a reputation for excellence in both their work and client service,” said Managing Partner Jean M. Lawler.

Matthew H. Printz is resident in the firm’s San Diego office where he focuses his practice on defending clients in construction defect, general liability and commercial litigation. Printz received his J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law.

Heather L. Mills is resident in the firm’s Los Angeles office where she focuses her practice on defense of product liability, catastrophic injury, professional liability and commercial litigation. She is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates Inns of Court, Los Angeles and received her J.D. from Pepperdine University Law School, Dean’s List.

 

About Murchison & Cumming, LLP

With a firm history dating to 1930, Murchison & Cumming, LLP is a premier civil litigation firm with five offices in California and Las Vegas, whose attorneys specialize in the defense of domestic and international businesses, insurers and individuals, at trial and on appeal. The Firm’s attorneys also handle employment matters and business transactions. For additional information, please visit our website at www.murchisonlaw.com.

Murchison & Cumming Attorney Elected to American Board of Trial Advocates Membership

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Senior Partner Guy R. Gruppie has been elected to membership in the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) and the Los Angeles Chapter of ABOTA.  Membership requirements include trial ability/experience, personal character, and reputation among the bench and bar.

ABOTA membership is one of that nation’s highest honors for trial lawyers, and Gruppie joins fellow Murchison & Cumming Senior Partners Friedrich W. Seitz, Michael B. Lawler and Michael D. McEvoy as ABOTA members.

Gruppie, 46, heads the General Litigation Department of Los Angeles-based Murchison & Cumming. He is national trial counsel for Fuji Film USA, and also regularly represents among other clients, Mitsubishi Electric & Electronics, USA, Jons Marketplace, Mitsubishi Cement Corporation, R.J. Noble Company, and the Beverly Hills Hotel in tort and commercial matters. He is a graduate of the University of Southern California and Loyola Law School, where he won the American Jurisprudence Award in Trial Advocacy. Gruppie, who joined Murchison & Cumming as a Summer Associate in 1990, was formerly a reporter and editor at the Los Angeles Times.

 

About Murchison & Cumming, LLP

With a firm history dating to 1930, Murchison & Cumming, LLP is a premier civil litigation firm with five offices in California and Las Vegas, whose attorneys specialize in the defense of domestic and international businesses, insurers and individuals, at trial and on appeal. The Firm’s attorneys also handle employment matters and business transactions. For additional information, please visit our website at www.murchisonlaw.com.