IRVINE, February 27, 2012: Morgan Lewis today announced that Collie James—the lead trial lawyer defending Pepsi against a series of Erin Brokovich toxic tort suits brought in California regarding a subsidiary holding—will join the firm as a partner in its Litigation Practice, resident in Irvine. His arrival continues the firm's recent expansion in the Golden State, where it has added more than half a dozen partners over the past year, and in Orange County in particular, where the firm has doubled its presence since 2010.
"At a time when toxic tort and environmental lawsuits are the stuff of everyday headlines, Collie is an important addition to our team," noted Jami McKeon, leader of the Litigation Practice at Morgan Lewis. "Our clients will benefit from his experience as a go-to trial lawyer for Fortune 500 companies fending off toxic tort suits in California."
Mr. James focuses his practice on complex business litigation matters, including environmental toxic tort cases, unfair business practices claims, corporate control disputes, trade secrets litigation, and commercial real estate-related disputes. He has handled matters on behalf of major companies in the oil and gas, healthcare, finance, and telecommunications industries, as well as real estate investment trusts and international construction companies.
Mr. James regularly advises clients on prelitigation issues and represents them in alternative dispute resolution proceedings, and has also litigated matters in state and federal courts across the United States and in international arbitration proceedings.
Within the 400-attorney strong Litigation practice, he joins a Products Liability & Mass Torts team of more than 60 litigators in 11 offices around the country-a group that collaborates with attorneys from the firm's Environmental, Regulatory, and Insurance Recovery practices to deliver results for clients across all major industries.