Charles Malaret

Partner

Charles Malaret is a partner in Morgan Lewis's Litigation Practice. Mr. Malaret focuses his practice on insurance coverage advice, insurance coverage litigation, and complex commercial litigation. Mr. Malaret represents policyholders in providing advice to maximize and preserve insurance assets with regards to catastrophic losses. He has assisted policyholders in obtaining insurance coverage for environmental liabilities, toxic tort liabilities, and catastrophic third-party bodily injury claims. Mr. Malaret has been lead counsel for manufacturing, chemical, and consumer product companies in insurance coverage disputes involving liabilities arising from benzene, asbestos, dioxin, solvents, and wood preserving materials. He also has advised pharmaceutical and medical companies in dealing with alleged product liability claims relating to thimerosal, latex, and malfunctioning medical devices, in addition to advising many various companies with mergers and reorganizations, including bankruptcy, to deal effectively with catastrophic liabilities, including seeking 524(g) protection under the bankruptcy code for asbestos liabilities.

Also, Mr. Malaret has assisted policyholders in obtaining insurance for first-party property claims, fidelity/employee dishonesty claims and defamation claims. Mr. Malaret’s work recently resulted in a favorable multimillion-dollar settlement of a mold/water damage claim on behalf of one or our clients. Additionally, Mr. Malaret routinely handles various complex commercial litigation matters. Mr. Malaret defended two money transmitters against unfair business practice claims made pursuant to California Business Code 17200 and 17500. He also obtained a defense ruling and attorneys’ fees as lead counsel after a three-week private trial, where the plaintiff was seeking in excess of $9 million dollars based on breach of contract, tort, and unfair business practice claims.

In these matters, Mr. Malaret has been lead counsel in actions filed in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, and San Diego Superior Courts, as well as the United States Federal and Bankruptcy Courts.

Prior to joining Morgan Lewis, Mr. Malaret was managing partner of the Los Angeles office of Zevnik Horton LLP and moved his practice to Morgan, Lewis & Bockius with all of his fellow partners from Zevnik Horton LLP. Mr. Malaret also was previously an associate at a national law firm where he worked on litigation matters involving business disputes, government contracts, and the False Claims Act.

Mr. Malaret is admitted to practice in California and before the U.S. District Courts for the Central, Southern, Northern, and Eastern District Courts of California.