Filice Brown Eassa & McLeod Llp

Mr. McLeod is a founding partner of the firm with substantial trial experience. He specializes in counseling and defending Fortune 500 companies in the oil, chemical, and engineering industries in complex commercial and tort litigation involving products and premises liability claims. In over 30 years of practice, Mr. McLeod has defended suits brought by plaintiffs involving claims of alleged birth defects, cancers, burns, pulmonary abnormalities and neuromuscular deficiencies. In addition, he also has handled claims involving actual or suspected insurance fraud and has been involved in the prosecution of plaintiffs' cases involving significant injury and death. Mr. McLeod began practicing as a Deputy District Attorney in the Alameda County District Attorney's Office.

Mr. Brown is a founding partner of the firm and an exceptionally skilled and experienced trial lawyer. His practice emphasizes complex civil litigation including products and premises liability, commercial and P.I. defense, and labor and employment law. He has also defended public agencies in actions alleging police misconduct, discrimination and sexual harassment. Mr. Brown has tried innumerable actions to verdict. He regularly shares his extensive trial experience as a panelist and lecturer in trial practice educational programs.

Mr. Filice is a founding partner of the firm and an experienced trial and appellate lawyer. He has tried numerous cases to jury verdict in State and Federal Courts and has argued appeals in various appellate jurisdictions including the United States Supreme Court and the California Supreme Court. He pursues a general civil litigation practice with special emphasis on environmental, toxic substance, products liability and complex business litigation.

Mr. Strotz acted as national counsel for the manufacturer of synthetic pyrethrin pesticides in product liability actions filed throughout the United States, including California, Michigan and Tennessee. He obtained involuntary dismissals in these cases based upon, among other issues, federal preemption and lack of medical causation. Along with founding partner, Gennaro Filice, Mr. Strotz obtained a defense verdict in an alleged Paraquat exposure trial in a California state action. Mr. Strotz was a member of a team that successfully defended the personal injury claims of over 400 individuals arising out of a chemical fire at the Rhone-Poulenc sulfuric acid regeneration facility in Martinez, California.

Mr. Normington is a litigation partner with extensive experience in a wide variety of civil litigation matters, with a particular emphasis in the areas of toxic tort defense, class actions, Superfund, environmental litigation, environmental law, general civil litigation.

Mr. Eassa is a founding partner of the firm and an experienced trial and appellate lawyer. He specializes in areas of labor and employment law, products liability, business litigation, toxic tort litigation, and premises liability law. He also has an appellate practice and has successfully argued before the California Supreme Court. He has represented clients in more than 25 jury trials to verdict.

Mr. Valen is a litigation partner with significant experience handling hazardous substance exposure, environmental contamination, product liability, commercial liability, and mass tort matters. His practice includes the defense of manufacturers and distributors of commercial and consumer products in complex litigation and appeals. Mr. Valen has served as both national coordinating counsel and local counsel in multi-jurisdictional chemical and pharmaceutical litigation. He defends cases across the United States, primarily those involving issues of disease causation, product labeling and compliance, product defect, industrial hygiene, epidemiological and toxicological analyses. Mr. Valen also represents corporations in CERCLA and state common law litigation, including trials involving environmental contamination, cost-allocation, and waste disposal practices. His areas of experience in this area include: Superfund, fear of future disease, risk assessment, and soils and groundwater remediation. Mr. Valen has also successfully defended numerous corporations in automotive, pharmaceutical, commercial and class action litigation. Mr. Valen's experience also includes franchise litigation, subrogration, warranty, securities, and contractual disputes. He also has corporate in-house experience from his years managing Chevron Corporation's Benzene and Asbestos litigation.

Mr. McMahan is a partner of the firm with over fifteen years of experience defending various Fortune 500 companies in cases involving premises and products liability claims, maritime claims (Jones Act and L.H.W.C.A.) and business disputes involving the improper use of proprietary information.

Ms. Shelton's primary practice areas include employment and labor law, discrimination issues, wage and hour work, complex civil litigation, premises liability, commercial contract disputes, binding arbitrations. Her experience includes jury trials to verdict, post trial motions, writs and appeals. Ms. Shelton also assists clients with management training seminars, counseling on employee disciplinary matter, personnel policies and handbooks.

Mr. Steimle is a partner with significant litigation experience. Since joining the firm in 1999, he has represented clients in California state and federal courts in a variety of complex litigation, including pharmaceutical, antitrust, toxic tort, and asbestos lawsuits.

Mr. Lebe is a litigation attorney specializing in environmental law, products liability, toxic torts and commercial litigation. Prior to joining Filice Brown, Mr. Lebe practiced with a well-respected East Bay firm specializing in complex commercial and complex construction litigation.

Mr. Engel is of counsel to the firm. He specializes in areas of estate planning, trust planning, closely held corporations, commercial leasing, mortgage insurance, federal estate and gift taxation, and property tax law. He has represented an extensive array of public and private entities.

Mr. Nichols is a litigation attorney specializing in environmental, product liability, and toxic tort litigation. Of note, Mr. Nichols represented The Dow Chemical Company as second-chair trial counsel in the four-month long trial in the complex toxic tort case, City of Modesto Redevelopment Agency, et al. v. The Dow Chemical Company, et al. As associate of liaison counsel in this ongoing case, Mr. Nichols continues to assist and coordinate joint defense trial activities and operations.

Ms. Isvoranu is an associate with the firm specializing in the defense of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, wrongful discharge and other employment-related matters, including wage and hour claims. She also works in partnership with in-house counsel and Human Resources personnel to provide guidance and assistance in the areas of employee discipline, termination, layoffs, reductions in force, and responses to DFEH/EEOC and DLSE claims. While at Filice Brown, Ms. Isvoranu has also practiced in the areas of premises liability and commercial litigation. Ms. Isvoranu began working at Filice Brown in 2001, following completion of her first year of law school. While in Law School, she received an award for "Best Oral Argument" during the annual Moot Court Competition.

Jocelyn M. Soriano is a litigation associate on KC Ward's trial team. Ms. Soriano's practice focuses on civil litigation, products liability, premise liability, and tort liability. Before joining Archer Norris, Ms. Soriano's practice included defending large multinational corporations in complex products liability, premise liability, toxic tort and employment disputes. Ms. Soriano has also represented class-action plaintiffs in one of the largest anti-trust cases in California history against Microsoft.

Ms. Jones is an associate based in our Los Angeles office. Since joining the firm in 2005, she has represented various clients in California state and federal courts in a variety of products liability, toxic torts, and asbestos lawsuits. Prior to joining the firm, she worked for a well-respected civil litigation firm in downtown Los Angeles where she focused on defending multi-million dollar products liability matters for automobile, medical device, and tire manufacturers.

Ted Mechtenberg is a civil litigation defense attorney. His practice emphasizes toxic tort matters, complex civil litigation, premises liability and product liability litigation. In addition, Mr. Mechtenberg has a wide range of experience with defending consumer actions involving a variety of consumer protection laws. Mr. Mechtenberg has successfully mediated and arbitrated numerous consumer actions.