Edmund Farrell to Speak at USLAW/Bowring Seminar

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BERMUDA – Edmund G. Farrell, III will speak at a seminar jointly sponsored by the USLAW Network and Bowring Marsh (Bermuda) Ltd., “Is Risk Getting Riskier?” The seminar will be held in Bermuda from September 12 to 13, 2011.

Mr. Farrell will speak on the “Effect of Federal Preemption in Product Cases” during a set of five-minute drills on products liability.

Mr. Farrell is Chair of the Appellate Law practice group and Co-Chair of the Professional Liability practice group. He regularly presents to USLAW Network audiences and serves as a speaker for other national and international professional organizations.

About the USLAW NETWORK
USLAW NETWORK is a national organization composed of 64 independent, defense-based law firms with over 4,000 attorneys covering the United States and Latin America. Among the firms, there are over 150 offices in 47 US states. An alliance with the Trans-European Law Firm Alliance (TELFA) gives them access to 25 European law firms each representing its own jurisdiction and a similar relationship with ALN Limited enables USLAW to partner with 10 firms in East and Central Africa. To learn more about USLAW, please visit www.uslaw.org.

M&C Adds Of Counsel and Associate Attorneys

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LOS ANGELES – Murchison & Cumming, LLP is pleased to announce that David M. Hall and Dana L. Tom have joined the firm. Mr. Hall joins as Of Counsel in the San Diego office, and Ms. Tom joins the San Francisco office as an Associate.

Mr. Hall returns to M&C after having worked at Zurich Insurance Company’s San Diego Staff Legal Office, where he specialized in the defense of subcontractors in construction defect litigation. Focusing his practice in the areas of construction law and general liability, Mr. Hall is experienced in handling matters involving vehicular and construction site accidents, premises liability and other torts. He worked as a news reporter in the Los Angeles area for nine years before becoming a lawyer.

Ms. Tom handles a variety of civil litigation matters, specializing in construction law and general liability defense. With a bachelor’s degree and background in architecture, Ms. Tom is uniquely suited to defend claims against architects, general contractors and other construction entities.

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.

Steven Spronz to Teach South Africa Commercial Law Practicum

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JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA—Steven C. Spronz is slated to teach the International Senior Lawyers Program (ISLP) Commercial Law Program, teaching lawyers in South Africa who have historically been denied the opportunity to participate or grow in this practice area.

In this program ISLP volunteers, all experienced commercial law attorneys from several countries, are paired with African business lawyers. The South Africa program, created in partnership with the Black Lawyers Association of South Africa and the Senior Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association, has been presented each year since 2004 and to date has enrolled over 500 South African attorneys in Johannesburg, Durban, and Cape Town.

Mr. Spronz has served as a volunteer since the pilot program launch.

About the International Senior Lawyers Project
ISLP, a 501(c)(3) organization, was incorporated in March 2000 to create a vehicle through which senior lawyers could use their skills and expertise to promote the rule of law and human rights. Since 2001, ISLP has deployed world-class legal counsel globally on economic development, human rights, and access to justice projects. ISLP partners with developing country governments who desperately need legal services but are without resources to pay for them, as well as with non-governmental organizations and other civil society groups throughout the developing world. To learn more about ISLP, please visit http://islp.org/aboutus.html.

Edmund Farrell Certified as Appellate Specialist

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LOS ANGELES – Appellate Law Practice Group Chair Edmund G. Farrell, III was certified as an appellate specialist by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. He is one of only 285 attorneys certified as an appellate specialist in California.

Currently in his 24th year as an appellate attorney for Murchison & Cumming, Mr. Farrell has over 75 published decisions and nearly three decades of practical experience in, and knowledge of, appellate law. He has been involved in the handling of over 200 appeals and writ petitions and has argued before the California Supreme Court, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and in all six districts of the California Courts of Appeal.

Mr. Farrell completed a rigorous certification process, which included passing a comprehensive written exam, demonstrating a history of experience in appellate law, and submitting positive evaluations from judges and fellow attorneys.

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.

M&C Named Top 500 “Go-To Law Firm” for Second Consecutive Year

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LOS ANGELES – Corporate Counsel’s annual survey of Fortune 500 Companies has identified Murchison & Cumming, LLP as a Go-To Law Firm® in the Litigation category for the second year in a row. Nominated by Avis Budget Group, Inc. and Textron, Inc., the attorneys of Murchison & Cumming, LLP have an 80-year track record of securing excellent results for its clients.

Corporate Counsel’s parent company ALM selects Go-To Law Firms® based on polls collected from the legal departments of the top 500 companies who name their primary outside law firms. Nominated firms then undergo comprehensive review by researchers in order to produce a final list.

A listing of selected firms appeared in ALM’s Eighth Annual Edition of In-House Law Departments at the Top 500 Companies. The publication, which is distributed to senior counsel of in-house law departments and law firms nationwide, will feature Murchison & Cumming for its litigation work. The firm’s profile was also published in American Lawyer’s July/August issue (see attached PDF below).

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.

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Michael Nuñez to Speak at FDCC Annual Meeting

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WILLIAMSBURG – Michael J. Nunez is slated to speak at the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel’s (FDCC) Annual Meeting on July 28, 2011 in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Mr. Nunez will present, “Strategies for Defeating ‘Crawford Claims’ and the Paradox of CH2M Hill,” for the event’s Construction Law section meeting. His presentation will focus on how to defeat or weaken contractual indemnity claims.

The Las Vegas office Partner-in-Charge, Mr. Nunez regularly defends entities in lawsuits arising out of construction accidents. Both an experienced trial lawyer and appellate lawyer, he has successfully argued dozens of cases before the California Court of Appeals and the United States Court of Appeal for the Ninth Circuit.

About the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel

The Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC), composed of recognized leaders in the legal community who have achieved professional distinction, is dedicated to promoting knowledge, fellowship, and professionalism of its members as they pursue the course of a balanced justice system and represent those in need of a defense in civil lawsuits. To learn more aboutthe FDCC, please visit http://www.thefederation.org.

Jean Dalmore Co-Authors Article to be Published by DRI

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LOS ANGELES – The Defense Research Institute (DRI) has selected Murchison & Cumming partner Jean A. Dalmore’s co-authored work, “Moving from the Minors to the Majors: Catastrophic Failures,” for publication in the August 2011 issue of its quarterly magazine, For The Defense.

Focusing on the causes of catastrophic construction failures, the article discusses legal issues that need to be addressed during the various stages of litigation, including a discussion of related insurance coverage issues. The work was originally co-authored by Ms. Dalmore, Robert M. Zaralban of forensic analysis company Sea Limited and David H. Kochman of Harris Beach PLLC for DRI’s fall 2010 Construction Law Seminar.

Ms. Dalmore serves as Co-Chair of the firm’s Construction Law practice group. She also serves as Chair of the Special Litigation Group of DRI’s Construction Law Committee and is a frequent speaker and author of articles on topics related to Construction Defect claims and litigation.

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.

M&C and ACCA-SoCal to Present Employment Roundtable

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LOS ANGELES – Murchison & Cumming, LLP and the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Southern California Chapter will present an employment roundtable for in-house counsel on May 25 and 26, 2011 in Orange County and Los Angeles, respectively.

M&C Employment Partners William D. Naeve and Pamela J. Marantz will address “Stray Remarks and Bullying in the Workplace,” providing information on risk assessment and protection against these rising workplace claims. In-house counsel for the United States Postal Service and Goodwill Southern California will also provide commentary on first-hand experience with the issues discussed.

Please see the below Employment Roundtable invitation for program details.

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.

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Guy Gruppie Serves as USC Program Alumni Host

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LOS ANGELES – Guy R. Gruppie served as an alumni host at the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communications & Journalism’s fourth annual Food for Thought program held at the school’s Davidson Conference Center. Mr. Gruppie, who earned undergraduate degrees in journalism and political science at USC, was one of several distinguished journalism, communications and business alumni to participate in the dinner event, along with current Annenberg students interested in communications-related careers, including law.

“I was very honored to be asked to participate and to represent Murchison & Cumming among such an accomplished group of USC graduates,” said Mr. Gruppie, who co-chairs the firm’s Emerging Risks & Specialty Tort practice group. “Attending USC was one of the great times of my life, it has played an integral role for me as a student and person in having careers both in journalism and law. I was happy to share my very positive experience and how I feel about being a member of what we call the Trojan Family.”

Mr. Gruppie worked as a reporter and editor at the Los Angeles Times, primarily in the sports department, before attending law school. He discussed both his pre-law and law experiences, including how a Media Law class at USC encouraged him to consider law as a career, with a group of more than 75 current USC communications and journalism students. Other alumni hosts for the event included Gordon Tokumatsu, a reporter with NBC in Los Angeles, Arash Markazi of ESPN, and USA Today Editor Michelle Kessler. Prior program hosts have included local news anchors Kent Shocknek and Frank Buckley and Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Victor Wright.

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.

M&C Adds Two Partners and Senior Associates

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LOS ANGELES – Murchison & Cumming, LLP is pleased to announce that Valarie H. Jonas and Gina Bazaz have joined the firm as Partners and that Mark M. Gnesin and Philip A. Kraft have joined the firm as Senior Associates.

Ms. Jonas, who joins the firm’s San Francisco office, focuses her practice in the areas of first and third party insurance coverage, bad faith and complex commercial litigation, including toxic tort and environmental insurance coverage matters, fine art, specie and marine claims, and employment litigation. She specializes in handling matters for the London market. Earlier this month, Ms. Jonas spoke on jury trials at the 2011 ABA Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee CLE seminar and this fall will serve as a delegate to the 2011 International Fine Art and Specie Insurance Conference.

Ms. Bazaz joins the firm’s Los Angeles office, bringing with her a depth of experience in defending clients in complex and large exposure litigation in the areas of product liability, personal injury, premises liability, habitability and construction defect. She is known and respected for her ability to think “outside of the box” to facilitate resolution of disputes. Ms. Bazaz works with the Barristers Domestic Violence Project, through the Los Angeles County Bar Association, assisting victims of domestic abuse with legal documents.

Mr. Kraft, whose areas of practice include general liability defense, business and real estate litigation, construction defect, CEQA and environmental and land use matters, has also joined the firm’s Los Angeles office. He volunteers as an attorney-coach for a Los Angeles County High School Mock Trial team, and was Executive Editor for the Southern California Law Review.

Mr. Gnesin specializes in the areas of general liability and construction defect, also handling arbitrations and mediations in the firm’s Orange County office. He also serves as an arbitrator for the Personal Injury Arbitration Panel of the Orange County Superior Court, and as Judge Pro Tempore for the Orange County Superior Court.

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.