County Home to Big Name Plaintiffs' Lawyers: Robinson, Aitken, Callahan

Orange County Business Journal, Jan 14-Jan 20, 2008 by Lee, Jessica C

Orange County has dozens of law firms that specialize in corporate work. But the county's also a hotbed for their rivals-plaintiffs' lawyers. The county counts a number of nationally prestigious plaintiffs' lawyers. The names and faces in mis story won't surprise you-chances are many law firms have gone toe to toe with these guys before. Here's a look at some of the big guns who take on Corporate America and the government.

Mark P. Robinson Jr.,

Senior partner

Robinson,

Calcagnie & Robinson,

Newport Beach

Robinson has taken on some of the biggest names in Corporate America, including drug makers, two of the Big Three automakers and one of the biggest medical device makers.

He spearheaded the product liability case against New Jersey's Merck & Co. over its Vioxx drug, an arthritis medication that has been linked to increased risk of heart attacks.

Merck faces more than 20,000 lawsuits over Vioxx, which was pulled from the market in 2004. Robinson, who represented Gerald Barnett-a retired FBI agent who suffered a heart attack after taking Vioxx for more than two years-in 2006 won a $51 million verdict from a federal judge in New Orleans.

Late last year, U.S. District Judge Eldon Fallon upheld the verdict but lowered the award to $ 1.6 million in damages. The original award was excessive, Fallon said. Barnett accepted.

"I was working every night... until 2 or 3 (in the morning)," Robinson told Lawyers USA. 'It was very intense and it really is a heavy battle."

Robinson also is spearheading lawsuits against New York's Pfizer Inc. for its Bextra and Celebrex drags. He's also led a case against medical device maker Boston Scientific Corp. over its cardiac defibrillators and pacemakers.

His other big wins include a $4.9 billion verdict against General Motors Corp. and a $3.3 billion Los Angeles County tobacco settlement Robinson also won a $ 128 million verdict against Ford Motor Co. over a Pinto that caught on fire.

Daniel Callahan,

Founding partner

Callahan & Blaine,

Santa Ana

He's called a "bull dog litigator" in many legal circles.

"My practice is a little different from most in that I handle complex business litigation and personal injury," Callahan said.

Callahan is best known in OC for representing Fullerton medical diagnostic test maker Beckman Coulter Inc. in a lawsuit against Singapore's Flextronics International Ltd. over a breach of contract that resulted in a $934 million verdict the largest in county history. The companies settled in late 2003 for $23 million.

"Being a part of a historical verdict was really something," Callahan said.

Callahan recently represented Stacy Neria and Carol Daniel in a lawsuit against the city of Dana Point after a driver strack them in April while jogging in a bike lane on Pacific Coast Highway. Callahan argued that the bike lane they were running in was poorly marked and too wide, leading motorists to believe it was another driving lane.

The case resulted in a $50 million settlement in November for the now quadriplegic women, the highest ever reported in California for a personal injury case, according to Todd A. Wolfe of Trials Digest a San Francisco-based publisher of nationwide verdicts and settlements.

Callahan also represented Philip Dorhman in a lawsuit against a tracking company, which resulted in a $28 million settlement the third largest personal injury settlement in California.

A good chunk of lawsuits are settled before they go to trial, Callahan said. He likes to prepare for trial no matter what he said.

"We go into every case aggressively and we prepare every case for trial, not for settlement" Callahan said.

Wylie Aitken,

Founding partner

Aitken Aitken Cohn,

Santa Ana

Catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death cases have catapulted Aitken into the spotlight.

Aitken likes to take on cases that deal with the government and corporate misconduct he said.

"I like to represent people who really need the help but aren't in a position to take on the government" Aitken said.

In 2005, he was lead plaintiff in Vuong v. Disneyland, a wrongful death lawsuit for a 34-year-old man and the severe disfigurement of his wife due to the dislodgment of a metal cleat on Disney's Sailing Ship Columbia.

This high-profile case sparked a national debate and implemented changes in California law to ensure the safety of theme parks. The case resulted in a confidential settlement that the Los Angeles Tunes estimated to be worth $25 million.

Aitken recently represented Leilani Gutierrez in a lawsuit against the U.S. government after a traffic accident with a federal employee left Gutierrez a quadriplegic. The case resulted in a $55 million verdict

Handling catastrophic personal injury cases can get stressful and emotional at times, Aitken said.

"The hardest part is the burden that's on your shoulders because you really do have someone's life in your hands if you don't win," he said. "They're in a very difficult financial and emotional position. Their future depends on your ability to be successful."

Brian Chase,

Partner