Tag Archive for: julie-esposito

Summary Judgment Granted in Burn Injury Case

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A manufacturing company represented by our firm has secured summary judgment in a product liability case involving burn injuries, decided in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Senior Partner Guy R. Gruppie, Partner Matthew E. Voss, and Associate Partner Julie E. Esposito of Murchison & Cumming, LLP represented the defendant.

The plaintiff suffered burn injuries while using a crock pot/slow cooker and brought suit, alleging product liability. At issue was whether the celebrity endorser of the product could be considered part of the chain of distribution. After extensive briefing and oral argument, the court took the matter under submission for several months before issuing its ruling in favor of the defense.

Since the plaintiff had previously rejected a Statutory Offer to Compromise under California Code of Civil Procedure Section 998, the defendant is now entitled to recover prevailing party costs and expert witness fees. This marks the second summary judgment victory for a Murchison & Cumming client in a product liability burn injury case this year.

M&C Team Obtain Summary Judgment in Product Defect Case

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Congratulations to Senior Partner Guy R. Gruppie, Partner Matthew E. Voss, and Associate Partner Julie A. Esposito on their summary judgment victory in the Van Nuys branch of the Los Angeles Superior Court. The team successfully defended a pharmaceutical company in a case alleging product defect/failure to warn.

The lawsuit stemmed from a claim by the plaintiff, who alleged permanent burns from using a popular heat patch for pain relief. After careful legal strategy, the court granted summary judgment, concluding that the plaintiff failed to adequately establish a failure to warn as the legal cause of the injuries. The plaintiff previously rejected the defendant’s Statutory Offer to Compromise, enabling our client to recover expert expenses in addition to prevailing party costs.

This marks the second major dispositive motion victory in as many years for Mr. Gruppie and Mr. Voss on behalf of our insurance client, following a prior partial dismissal secured for an international entertainment company. Ms. Esposito played a pivotal role in shaping and implementing the early discovery strategy, which included obtaining records from the plaintiff’s primary care physician confirming the heat patches were used in a manner inconsistent with the product’s instructions.

Murchison & Cumming Names Two New Associate Partners

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Murchison & Cumming, LLP is pleased to announce that Julie Esposito and Tyler Ure have been elevated to Associate Partner.

Julie A. Esposito is based in the Los Angeles office, focusing her practice on general liability, products liability, and professional liability. Her experience includes handling matters in the arena of SIU (fraud) claims as well as assisting in the investigation of suspicious motor vehicle accidents and various property theft claims for several major insurance carriers.

Ms. Esposito served as a Judge pro tem for Los Angeles County and worked pro bono for the California Innocence Project and in the arena of constitutional law.

Julie received her B.A. in Political Science at California State University Northridge, awarded cum laude. She earned her J.D. at Loyola Law School, attending school at night while she worked as a law clerk during the day.

Tyler N. Ure is based in the Las Vegas office focusing his practice on insurance coverage, commercial litigation, and general liability. His experience includes representing clients ranging from national financial institutions to small business in the area of creditor’s rights.

Tyler received his Bachelor of Music with an emphasis in jazz studies from University of Nevada, Las Vegas, awarded cum laude. He continued onto William S. Boyd School of Law (J.D.) graduating magna cum laude. While in law school, he was an Editor of the Nevada Law Journal.

About Murchison & Cumming

Murchison & Cumming, LLP is a premier “Go-To” civil litigation firm with six offices throughout California and Nevada. Our attorneys specialize in the defense of domestic and international businesses, insurers, and high net-worth individuals, at trial and on appeal. Additionally, the firm’s attorneys handle employment matters and business transactions. Murchison & Cumming, LLP is a member of the USLAW Network and other prestigious bench and bar organizations, including the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC) and American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA).

Murchison & Cumming Welcomes New Senior Associate to Los Angeles Office

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Murchison & Cumming is pleased to announce Julie A. Esposito has joined the Los Angeles office as a Senior Associate focusing her practice on general liability, products liability, and professional liability.

With extensive experience in the arena of SIU (fraud) claims, she has assisted in suspicious motor vehicle accidents and various property theft claims for several major insurance carriers. Known among her peers as attentive to detail, she consistently works toward obtaining a successful outcome on clients’ behalves as early as possible.

Julie received her B.A. in Political Science at California State University Northridge, awarded cum laude. She earned her J.D. at the Loyola Law School, in which she attended law school at night and worked as a law clerk. After law school, Julie moved on to a legal career, practicing all phases of litigation, including real property litigation, civil litigation, construction defect litigation, and more.

Among her recent accomplishments, Julie succeeded on a motion for summary judgment in a civil fraud case where her client, an insurance carrier defrauded by a former employee, was awarded a large sum of money. The motion was based upon the proceedings and disposition in a criminal case in which the former employee was convicted of the same underlying facts that constituted the fraud in the civil action.

Julie sits on the board of directors for a non-partisan civil liberties organization and is involved with the Daughters of the American Revolution, a historical society advocating for education concerning the United States Constitution. Moreover, Julie served as a volunteer Judge Pro Tem for Los Angeles County for three years and has also represented indigent clients pro bono and prepared amicus briefs on crucial constitutional issues.