H. Christian L'Orange |

Bio

Chris spent 39 years handling large scale litigation in the business, environmental, toxic tort and pharmaceuical arenas. After leaving the large firm environment, he joined his wife in practicing trust and estate litigation ranging from the prosecution of elder abuse complaints to bringing and defending trust contests. Chris served as a Marine Officer from 1969 to 1973 and saw service in Vietnam. He is a scuba diver and avid cyclist.

Education:

Virginia Military Institute (1965-1969), B.A. History with Minors in German and English

George Washington University (1971-1973), MSA in Computer Science

Emory University (1973-1976), Juris Doctor

Honors:

Charles R. Martin Award, Sumpter Lowery Award, Elected to Kappa Alpha (VMI Honors Fraternity-Invitation Only), Honors Graduate (VMI), Rhodes Scholar Candidate; Society of Cincinnati Medal, Selected by Naval Institute Proceedings as the Outstanding College Graduate in 1969 Accepting a Naval Commission, Awarded the Guy, Goodin and Jones Scholarship (1965-1968), Order of the Barristers (Emory Law School), Elected to American Board of Trial Advocates

Trial Experience:

Defense of a major agricultural pesticide manufacturer in a six-month trial of coordinated actions involving 70 plaintiffs, the first California trial dealing with issues of increased risk and fear of cancer in the chemical context, including the successful defense against plaintiffs' punitive damage claims.

Represented a major herbicide producer in Northern California and Oregon litigation involving claims of birth defects, increased incidence of spontaneous abortions, and fear of cancer.

Successful defense of a manufacturer in a complex groundwater contamination action involving 92 plaintiffs, with claims including genetic complications, immune system disregulation and cancer causation.

Represented manufacturer before local and state agencies regarding large groundwater enforcement action.

Lead defense counsel in the first, and only, United States trial involving allegations of cancer causation from combustion by-products of metal working fluid exposures, resulting in the successful resolution of a series of identical cases in several venues, and appointment as the client's designated trial counsel in similar litigation throughout the United States.

Successful defense of the Asbestos Claims Facility in several lengthy personal injury and wrongful death trials involving colon and lung cancer, mesothelioma and pulmonary disease causation.

Served as one of the lead defense attorneys in the Guichard trial in Los Angeles, including principal responsibility for presentation of the defense industrial hygiene case and motion practice which eliminated most of the significant opinions of plaintiffs' industrial hygiene expert.

Represented major manufacturer of PCBs in litigation involving personal injury and property damage claims arising out of inhalation and contamination by combustion by-products of PCBs as a result of a transformer fire in a major San Francisco office building.

Lead trial counsel in a complex soils and groundwater contamination case in Sacramento County, including principal responsibility for defending against plaintiffs' remediation claims, and presenting the defense scientific case on remediation, resulting in a directed verdict for the client and the firm's designation as preferred counsel for chemical exposure and environmental litigation.

Defended several clients involved in the emerging litigation area of indoor air quality, carpet toxicity and sick building syndrome.
Lead counsel for clients in several state and federal Superfund sites, in which he organized and administrated the groundwater investigation, and coordinated and supervised groundwater monitoring.

Lead defense counsel for L-tryptophan litigation. Organized the defense, selected national teams of experts, coordinated translation of 150,000 documents, created and led team of attorneys to Tokyo, Japan for seven weeks of depositions resulting in full indemnification for United States manufacturers by the Japanese supplier.

Represented manufacturing defendant and its distributor in class action involving allegations of misrepresentation, fraud and deceptive business practices. Case was venued in Phoenix, Arizona and the class was estimated to be in the 500,000 to 1 million range.

Represented pesticide applicator in large groundwater contamination enforcement action. Supervised remedial contractor and dealt with Regional Board representatives.

Represented a party in Cameron-Yakima Superfund site and participated in negotiating a settlement and consent decree.

Represented a Salinas based company before the Regional Board regarding water contamination issues.

Selected as defense counsel for actions brought by California Attorney Generals, certain county District Attorneys and private litigants against Lorillard Tobacco Company.
Defense Counsel for Lorillard Tobacco Company for two statewide actions involving alleged violations of Proposition 65.
Represented manufacturer in multiple consumer class actions wherein plaintiffs alleged fraud and misrepresentations concerning product development and suitability, unfair and deceptive business practices, and violation of several consumer protection statutes. Action involved $465 million settlement fund and addressed claims in 10 states.

Represented major retailer in multiple class actions involving allegations of price fixing and deceptive business practices.

Selected as defense counsel for Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. in consumer action alleging violations of California's Unfair Competition Act.

Represented two manufacturers of solvents and chlorinated solvents in litigation involving allegations of personal injuries arising out of exposure to combustion by-products during a fire at a chemical plant and storage facility.

Represented Reader's Digest in a consumer class action involving allegations of deceptive business practices regarding subscription agreements.

Represented Canadian brokerage house in securities fraud litigation where broker/dealer was alleged to have negligently handled the transaction. Obtained summary judgment. Prevailed on appeal.
Represented major pharmaceutical company in resolution of 228 cases venued in Texas, Arizona and California involving allegations of contaminated sutures.

Successful defense of real estate company in 13-week partnership dissolution trial involving allegations of business and real estate fraud.

Successful defense of Monsanto Company in 3 separate actions involving allegations of personal injury arising out of exposure to company products.

Represented national vocational training institution in consolidated action consisting of 13 students alleging fraud and misleading business practices.

Represented national online community in discrimination/retaliation and SLAPP (Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation) actions: successfully defended SLAPP action and now on appeal to the 9th Circuit.

Represented several private litigants in multiple arbitrations and mediations involving trust contests, accounting issues and elder abuse allegations

Publications:

L'Orange: Liability for Pollutants Found on Site During Construction; Environmental Liability on Construction Sites, Who Should Pay; ABA Publications, 1991

L'Orange, et al.: Fear of Future Injury: Compensation or Not?; San Francisco Barrister, June 1985

L'Orange: Evidentiary Overlap in Enforcement and Toxic Tort Cases; Proceedings, Fourth Annual Seminar on Special Problems in Toxic Tort Litigation, October 1985

L'Orange: Defense Perspectives in Toxic Tort and Environmental Litigation; Proceedings of the Hazardous Materials Management Conference West, December 1985

L'Orange: Defending Increased Risk and Fear of Cancer Cases; Proceedings of Industrial and Toxic Tort Litigation, September 1983

L'Orange: Future Disease, Emotional Distress, and Medical Monitoring in Chemical Exposure Litigation; For the Defense, August 1995

L'Orange, et al.: An Analysis and Application of Medical Monitoring Damages; Proceedings of the ABA Toxic and Hazardous Substances and Environmental Law Seminar, March 1997

L'Orange: Conducting Business In and Out of California? What You Need To Know About California's Unfair Competition Act; ILS Publications, January 2002

Speaking Engagements Accompanied be Written Materials

Toxic Tort and Hazardous Waste Symposium, New Orleans, Louisiana, September 1983

Toxic Substance and Hazardous Waste Seminar, Atlanta, Georgia, October 1985

American Conference of Chemical Labeling, Annual Conference on Chemical Labeling and Hazardous Communication, San Francisco, California, October 1985 (Speaking and participant in mock chemical labeling trial)

Hazardous Materials Management Conference, Long Beach, California, December 1986

Risk Mangers' Annual Conference, Toronto, Canada, April 1986

National Hazardous Materials Conference, Atlantic City, New Jersey, June 1987

Defending Toxic Tort Litigation, San Antonio, Texas, October 1987

Business Factors in Environmental Litigation, National Business Institute, San Francisco, California, April 1990

The Role of Risk Assessment in Environmental Negotiations, Law and Science Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 1990

Frye and Daubert: The Aftermath, Law & Science Institute, San Francisco, California, January 1991

Risk Assessment in Environmental Litigation, Defense Research Institute, San Diego, California, February 1991

Misuse and Abuse of Risk Assessment, Law & Science Institute, New Orleans, Louisiana, April 1991

Environmental Liability on Construction Site: Who Should Pay? American Bar Association, Atlanta, Georgia, August 1991

Overview of Environmental Law, National Business Institute, Oakland and San Francisco, California, September 1991

Offensive Use of Regulatory Science; Law & Science Institute, San Francisco, California, October 1991

Planning the Defense Strategy; Toxic and Hazardous Substances and Environmental Law Seminar, San Diego, California, April 1995

Update on Novel Damage Theories; Defense Research Institute, San Francisco, California, April 1996

Panel discussion on Daubert/Frye, Defense Research Institute, San Francisco, California, April 1996

Chairman, 1997 Spring Program on Groundwater Contamination; Toxic and Hazardous Substances and Environmental Law Seminar, Chandler, Arizona, April 1997

Role of Environmental Professional as a Percipient and Expert Witness, Presented at the Association for Environmental Health & Sciences, West Coat Conference, San Diego, California, March 2001

Getting the Moist Out of Mold, Firm Presentation to Building Owners and Managers, San Francisco, California, January 2002

Mission Possible: Using Private Investigators to Uncover Employee Misconduct While Avoiding Liability for Invasion of Privacy, San Francisco Bar Association, June 13, 2002

Panel Discussion on Updates in Complex Litigation, ABA Litigation Section, Scottsdale Arizona, March 2003

Participant in panel discussion presented by American Board of Trial Advocates, Civility Matters, San Francisco, November 2009

Participant in panel discussions presented by American Board of Trial Advocates, Civility Matters, San Francisco, January 2010

Participant in panel discussions presented by American Board of Trial Advocates, Civility Matters, Fairfield, November 2010

Scheduled speaker at the International Association of Defense Counsel, Toxic Tort Seminar, Premises Liability, Retained Control and the Federal Register, San Francisco, May 2011

H. Christian L’Orange

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