Deanne L. Miller

Deanne represents clients across industries including energy, oil and gas, manufacturing, aerospace, automotive, and life sciences, and her practice includes matters involving federal and state statutes, including the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the California Hazardous Substance Account Act (HSAA) and California Proposition 65, as well as common law claims. In product liability matters, she has served as national coordinating and trial counsel for serial litigation pending in multiple jurisdictions in state and federal courts. In commercial litigation and business disputes, she counsels clients and litigates matters to successful resolution. Deanne has a track record of strategically resolving matters for her clients through effective case management, motion practice, summary judgment, trial, and favorable settlement.    

Deanne currently represents a client in a series of high profile, mass toxic tort litigation matters involving alleged contamination in a local residential neighborhood. The cases involve hundreds of plaintiffs claiming personal injuries and property damages based on negligence, nuisance, and strict liability claims, among others, allegedly arising from exposure to petroleum hydrocarbon contamination, including benzene and methane. The matters include work with the Regional Water Quality Control Board on the regulatory side and also involve complex indemnity issues.

Deanne represents a client in a major Judicial Council Coordinated Proceeding involving hundreds of complaints and thousands of private plaintiffs asserting toxic tort claims, class action claims, unfair business practice act claims, nuisance and trespass, among others, as well as government plaintiffs pursuing claims for civil penalties arising from a natural gas leak at a natural gas storage facility.  

Deanne served as national coordinating and trial counsel for a major food ingredient manufacturer in serial product liability matters pending in multiple state and federal courts throughout the United States. She developed cost-effective defense strategies across all pending cases and coordinated with local counsel. Deanne and the teams she leads have resolved more than 100 cases through early motion practice, summary judgment, jury trials, and settlement. Deanne served as a global strategist for these complex matters.

Deanne represented a client in a series of toxic tort cases involving hundreds of plaintiffs who alleged that low level radiation exposures caused them to develop various cancers and other illnesses. The matters were filed in federal court under the Price-Anderson Act.

Deanne represented a defendant in the Erin Brockovich-initiated high-profile mass toxic tort cases involving Beverly Hills High School, where more than 1,000 plaintiffs alleged that chemicals from operations in and around the high school caused increased incidences of various cancers. Deanne led the defense and successfully argued summary motions to exclude plaintiffs’ experts, resolving the plaintiffs’ claims before trial.

Representing a petroleum industry client in a three-month jury trial involving 42 toxic tort plaintiffs, Deanne’s team achieved a complete defense in favor of her client.

Deanne’s environmental law experience includes handling issues relating to air, soil, and groundwater contamination, toxic and chemical exposures, asbestos, pesticides, and other product liability. She represents clients in matters involving state and federal statutes such as the US Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation & Liability Act (CERCLA), which is commonly known as Superfund; the US Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA); and California Proposition 65. Deanne’s experience also extends to cases involving a variety of hazardous substances and chemicals, including benzene, hexavalent chromium, petrochemicals, hydrocarbons, chlorinated solvents, lead paint, dioxins, and asbestos.