About the Author
Jayme Long is a trial attorney in McKenna Long & Aldridge's (MLA) Los Angeles office. Ms. Long’s practice is concentrated in litigation with a primary focus on toxic torts, premises liability and product liability. She represents companies in the petrochemical, construction, environmental safety, maritime and automotive industries.
About the Contributors
Frederic Norris (Hazards on Land) is a Litigation Associate in the Mass Tort team of McKenna Long & Aldridge’s Los Angeles office. Mr. Norris represents companies in the petrochemical, construction, aerospace, maritime and automotive industries, with a particular focus on premise liability, products liability and maritime law. Mr. Norris has been trial counsel on numerous cases resulting in successful verdicts for Fortune 500 clients, including a case selected by the Los Angeles Daily Journal as one of the “Top Defense Verdicts of 2012.” Mr. Norris’ was also recently named as a 2014 “Rising Star” by the Southern California Super Lawyers.
Michelle Burns (Special Circumstances) is an associate in the Orange County office of McKenna Long & Aldridge. She is a member of the mass tort litigation team involving the defense of product liability and premises liability cases. Ms. Burns has defended product manufacturers and suppliers through all stages of litigation and has significant experience in discovery issues and law and motion. Ms. Burns has experience working on numerous types of cases including toxic tort, construction defect, and ground contamination. She also has appellate acumen, including brief writing and arguing before the Court of Appeals. Most recently, she successfully obtained an order by the Court of Appeal affirming summary judgment in a product liability case. Ms. Burns graduated cum laude from law school in 2010, and was a recipient of the CALI Awards for Excellence (Trademark Law, Copyright Law, Wills & Trusts, and Legal Analysis). She has been recognized as a 2014 “Rising Star” by Southern California Super Lawyers as well as being named in the 2014 "Top Women Attorneys" list in Los Angeles Magazine.
David A. Rawi (Persons Hired to Work on Land) is a litigation associate in McKenna Long & Aldridge’s Los Angeles office where his practice focuses on mass tort and complex litigation cases. Mr. Rawi has extensive experience serving as local and national counsel for major U.S. companies and U.S.-based international conglomerate companies doing business in the automotive, construction, and safety equipment industries. Mr. Rawi regularly defends his clients at the state and federal levels against premises, manufacturing and distribution, and retail-based liability claims. Mr. Rawi has also defended numerous cases on behalf of local healthcare and medical professionals involving claims of general and professional negligence.
Julia M. Beckley (Interest in the Land) is an associate in the Orange County office of McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP. She is admitted to practice in California, Massachusetts and Rhode Island and has litigated through all stages of mass torts and products liability cases on both coasts, in state and federal courts. She has significant experience in discovery issues, law and motion, and trial preparation. On behalf of small local companies and as well as Fortune 500 corporations, she has served as trial counsel. Ms. Beckley obtained her J.D. from Boston College Law School, graduating cum laude.
David Schultz (Liability to Persons Outside the Land) is a partner in the Los Angeles office of Polsinelli LLP, an Am Law 100 firm with 19 offices throughout the country, where his practice focuses on civil and appellate litigation. He has over 20 years of experience litigating high exposure cases involving a wide variety of claims, including premises liability, product liability, toxic torts, business litigation, fraud, breach of contract and insurance defense matters. Mr. Schultz is experienced in all phases of litigation in state and federal courts, through trial and appeal. He has also litigated cases in various states, including California, Nevada, Hawaii and Arizona. Mr. Schultz’s appellate experience is extensive, having briefed and argued many matters before the California Courts of Appeal, Ninth Circuit and as pro hac vice in courts such as the Nevada Supreme Court. He has obtained reversals of jury verdicts with judgment entered notwithstanding the verdict, and affirmances of favorable judgments arising from jury verdicts, directed verdicts, nonsuits, summary judgments, demurrers, and terminating sanctions. Over 10 of these decisions are published in the official reports, Westlaw and Lexis, which have helped shape the law for his clients. Mr. Schultz has been recognized by his peers as a “Southern California Super Lawyer” in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. He also serves on the amicus committee of the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, and is an active member of the Defense Research Institute.
Matthew Ashby (Damages) is a Principal located in the Century City, CA office of Polsinelli LLP. For more than a decade, he has served as local and national trial counsel for some of the largest US companies in the chemical, construction, maritime and automotive industries. In addition to publishing articles on litigation trends in leading legal publications, he has participated as a lecturer and faculty member at national Toxic Tort and Products Liability conferences, including seminars for the Defense Research Institute and Harris Martin. He can be contacted by email at
[email protected] or by telephone at 310.203.5307.
Caren J. Dombrowski (Alternative Remedies) is an associate in McKenna Long & Aldridge's Los Angeles office. Caren's practice covers a wide variety of litigation areas though her current focus is mainly on complex product liability and toxic tort cases. She has experience in general civil litigation as well as real estate financing, acquisitions, development and leasing, and energy contracting. Caren's trial experience includes serving as co-chair in numerous complex toxic tort trials. Two cases were tried to verdict, both resulting in defense verdicts for her clients. In addition, Caren has defended product manufacturers in numerous toxic tort and products liability lawsuits. She has considerable experience in all discovery issues, law and motion, depositions and trial preparation.
Kenneth M. Natelborg (Common Defenses) is an associate in McKenna Long & Aldridge's Orange County office. Mr. Natelborg’s practice focuses on products liability and premises liability, with extensive experience in complex business litigation and construction defect. He represents manufacturing, construction, automotive, and chemical industries in all phases of litigation, including trial. He has written and successfully argued numerous dispositive motions including motions for terminating sanctions, motions to dismiss, motions for judgment on the pleadings, motions to strike, and motions for summary judgment. Mr. Natelborg is a cum laude graduate of Pepperdine University School of Law.
