Representative cases successfully defended by Mr. Dongell include the following:

·          Served as lead trial counsel in Carla Clark, et al. v. The City of Santa Rosa, et al., Sonoma County Superior Court, Case No. SCV 227898, successfully defending the City of Santa Rosa in a toxic tort/cleanup action brought by a group of 32 plaintiffs that was organized by Erin Brokovich and who alleged damages in excess of $500 million;

·          Served as lead trial counsel in Baykeeper, et al. v. Kaiser International, et al, USDC, Central District, Case No. CV 97-07761 DDP (RCx), successfully defending National Metal & Steel Corporation and American Bulk Loading Enterprises, Inc. against a $50 million cleanup action brought by the Port of Los Angeles;

·          Served as lead trial counsel in Orange County Water District v. Northrop Corporation, et al., Orange County Superior Court, Case No. 04CC00715, successfully defending an aerospace/defense company against a $60 million cleanup action brought by the Orange County Water District;

·          Served as lead trial counsel in Roderick Stewart v. American Casualty, Los Angeles Superior Court, Case No. BC141713, successfully defending an insurer at trial against contract and bad faith claims made by rock star, Rod Stewart, and by his legal counsel, Christensen, Miller, et al;

·          Served as lead trial counsel in representing the nation’s largest shopping center developer in litigation brought by a consumer group to prevent the development of The Pike – a major waterfront development in the City of Long Beach.  The action sought to challenge the approval of a land exchange agreement with the City of Long Beach that was necessary for the $200 million development to proceed.  Mr. Dongell prevailed at trial on behalf of the developer, allowing The Pike development to be constructed.  California Earth Corps v. State Lands Commission and City of Long Beach, Sacramento Superior Court Case No. 01CS01556;

·          Served as lead trial counsel in the successful retrial before Federal District Court Judge Manuel Real following the appellate decision in Slottow v. American Casualty Company of Reading, Pa., 10 F3d 1355 (9^th Cir. 1993).  The retrial resulted in one of the nation’s most favorable rulings for directors and officers liability insurers for allocating liability between a corporate entity (a non-covered liability) and directors and officers (a covered liability);

·          Served as lead trial counsel in successfully defending at trial a nationally significant case involving a private enforcement action under Proposition 65’s “bounty-hunter” provisions.  Forbes magazine profiled this case.  California Earth Corps. v. U.S. Battery Manufacturing Company, Riverside County Superior Court, Case No. 277313;

·          Served as lead trial counsel in reaching a favorable and creative plea bargain agreement concerning 52 felony counts of unlawful transportation of hazardous waste in the first joint environmental enforcement action brought by the Los Angeles District Attorney and Mexico.  People v. New Frontier Trading Corporation, et al., Los Angeles Superior Court, Case No. BA062242;

·          Served as lead trial counsel in Accuride International Inc. et al. v. Parco, Inc. et al., San Bernardino Superior Court, Case No. RCV 052978 (consolidated with RCV 053938), successfully representing Accuride International, Inc., the world’s largest manufacturer of commercial/industrial slide devices, in a cleanup and business litigation case that proceeded to a two week trial;

·          Served as lead trial counsel in Jack Engle & Co. v. M.H. Whittier Company Ltd., USDC, Central District, Case no. 96-6477, representing Jack Engle & Co., one of the largest metal processors on the West Coast, in an action to collect its total estimated cleanup costs of $3 million.  Verdicts and Settlements profiled this case in its Year in Review edition; and

·          Lead responsibility in originating, organizing, and representing large defense groups against Superfund actions in several cases, including Courtaulds Aerospace, Inc. v. William C. Huffman, et al., USDC Eastern District of California, Case No. CV-F91-518 OWW; State of California v. Southland Oil, Inc., et al, USDC Central District of California Case No. 92-6344 WJR; and Department of Toxic Substance Control v. Interstate Non-Ferrous Corporation, et al., USDC Eastern District of California, Case No. CIV-F-97-5016 OWW DLB.

Most recently, the Regents of the University of California selected Mr. Dongell to serve as its lead counsel in a toxic tort/cleanup action (with alleged damages in excess of $500 million) brought by 133 plaintiffs – including 14 wrongful death claims – arising from alleged exposure to chemicals and pesticides allegedly used at a former University of California agricultural research facility.

Mr. Dongell’s political experience has also contributed to the Firm’s success, which includes serving for Kathleen Connell for Mayor of Los Angeles (Campaign Co-Chair) 2000-2001; Gray Davis for Governor of California (Legal Policy Advisor) 1998; the California Democratic Party Business and Finance Council (Chief Legal Counsel) 1995; John Garamendi for Governor of California (Campaign Advisor and Fundraiser) 1993-1994; Tal Finney for State Democratic Party Controller (General Counsel) 1993; Gil Garcetti for Los Angeles District Attorney (Campaign Advisor and Fundraiser) 1992; and John Garamendi for California Insurance Commissioner (Campaign Advisor and Fundraiser) 1990.

Mr. Dongell has also served on various public committees aimed at regulatory reform.  For example, the Director of the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research appointed Mr. Dongell to the state’s Environmental Justice Legal Task Force.  He was also appointed by the California State Controller to the Task Force to Reform the State Probate System; appointed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney and Los Angeles City Attorney to the Environmental Crimes Sentencing Task Force; and appointed by the California Insurance Commissioner to the Environmental Liability Insurance Task Force.