Shea Stokes handles environmental matters ranging from front-page, multimillion-dollar complex cases to simple environmental cleanup matters in both state and federal courts. Our trial attorneys have a proven track record for managing large, complex, document-intensive mass tort lawsuits.

Members of our environmental team have also handled hundreds of transactions, including the largest sale of petroleum refining facilities in U.S. history, and have litigated more than 150 environmental exposure cases involving soil and/or groundwater contamination, mold and asbestos cases, mass toxic tort cases, and hundreds of product liability matters. They have also represented major participants in state and federal superfund sites, as well as individual property owners dealing with contaminated or potentially contaminated real property. We have a team of attorneys who have extensive experience in litigating claims relating to exposure of asbestos fibers.

TOXIC TORT LITIGATION

Hexavalent Chromium

Our environmental team represented a Fortune 500 chemical manufacturer and its seven primary insurance carriers. The company asked Shea Stokes to assume the company's ongoing defense in what was one of the largest high-profile toxic tort cases ever brought in the U.S. Over 4,000 plaintiffs were involved in five cases brought against our client and a co-defendant (the largest utility company in the country) regarding the chemical hexavalent chromium. After two years we gained what our client considered an extremely favorable resolution.

Subsequent to the completion of this case, Shea Stokes was named as national coordinating counsel for all chromium litigation for one of the largest chemical manufacturers in the United States.

Asbestos

Shea Stokes attorneys coordinated the defense of approximately 20 defendants, including Fibreboard and the Long Beach Naval Shipyard. Members of the firm serving as co-trial counsel coordinated, reviewed, edited and approved motions; coordinated the retention, preparation and use of more than a dozen consulting and testifying experts; identified and managed key trial documents out of the hundreds of thousands produced; and prepared for and performed direct examination of expert and lay witnesses.

Environmental Property Litigation

Our firm is successfully representing five defendants on behalf of a national insurance company in a major lawsuit involving the drinking water supply for the City of Santa Monica.
Shea Stokes represented a major public utility in litigation involving contamination of the San Gabriel Valley drinking water and participated in the landmark California Supreme Court decision, Hartwell v. Southern California Water Co.

We have represented the meat packing industry in cleanup litigation involving contaminated groundwater resulting from long-term exposure to livestock and leaking underground storage tanks.

Shea Stokes has successfully represented potentially responsible parties in complex multiparty CERCLA, RCRA, as well as state statute and common-law based environmental property cases. These cases include lawsuits by landowners to cap or export hundreds of thousands of cubic yards of hazardous waste, cases involving tank farms with millions of gallons of annual throughput of hazardous materials and petroleum hydrocarbons, cases involving underground storage tanks, and cases involving a variety of chemicals such as those found at dry cleaners and printed circuit board manufacturing facilities.

Mold

The firm has defended cases involving sick building syndrome, property damage and other mold-related issues. Shareholder Jeffrey Leist is the author of "Emerging Issues in California Indoor Air Quality and Toxic Mold Litigation" (National Business Institute Press 2002), and a recognized authority on mold issues in California.

Environmental Insurance Coverage

One of the first reported California environmental coverage cases, Truck Insurance Exchange v. Pozzuoli, 17 Cal.App.4th 856 (1993) was handled by our environmental lawyers. We provide comprehensive environmental-insurance coverage work for our clients. Shea Stokes currently represents insurance carriers whose insureds are the County of San Diego and the State of California in multiple environmental claims.

Governmental Compliance

We provide legal assistance in environmental matters that require working with administrative agencies such as the Department of Health Services, Hazardous Materials Management Division, Regional Water Quality Control Board, Integrated Waste Management Board, Department of Toxic Substances Control, Department of Fish and Game, Fish and Game Commission, Department of Forestry, and other county and city entities. Shea Stokes also pursues administrative appeals on behalf of its clients.

Preparation of Environmental Experts

Shea Stokes' environmental attorneys have prepared executives of Chevron Corp, Chevron USA Inc., Chevron Chemical Co., Unocal, Dupont, Fibreboard, Owens Corning and other Fortune 500 companies for deposition or trial.

Our team has also retained and briefed a broad range of experts including radiologists, pathologists, pulmonologists, oncologists, and causation specialists such as epidemiologists, toxicologists, and industrial hygienists.

REPRESENTATIVE CASES

Aguayo v. Pacific Gas & Electric Company and Betz Laboratories, Inc.; Acosta v. Pacific Gas & Electric Company and Betz Laboratories, Inc;, Aguilar v. Pacific Gas & Electric Company and Betz Laboratories, Inc.; Adams v. Betz Laboratories, Inc.

PUBLISHED OPINIONS

Hartwell Corporation v. Superior Court of Ventura County, 27 Cal.4th 256 (2002)

TEAM MEMBERS

Lawrence W. Shea II