The American Lawyer reports US Attorney Thomas O'Brien has taken on international drug cartels, some of the West Coast's toughest street gangs, and human smuggling rings. But now he has to do something that may be even more challenging: build a book of business.

Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker announced Tuesday that O'Brien, who has been US Attorney for the Central District of California since 2007, will become a partner in the firm's Los Angeles office, where he will focus on white-collar cases.

"The people I met at Paul Hastings are top notch attorneys and I look forward to working with the firm to help them develop a white-collar practice in Los Angeles," says O'Brien, who was appointed US Attorney by President George W. Bush after more than two years as the office's criminal division chief.

He joins the firm Oct. 1.

California Wrongful Death Attorneys Ringler Kearney Alvarez featured in Metrolink Article in the Burbank Leader:

Attorneys representing at least a dozen victims of the 2005 Metrolink derailment in Glendale that killed 11 people said Thursday that they had uncovered evidence that proved the train’s engineer was at fault for the accident.

Juan Manuel Alvarez was sentenced to 11 consecutive life terms last year after a jury found him guilty of parking his Jeep Cherokee on the tracks near Chevy Chase Drive on Jan. 26, 2005. The failed suicide attempt caused the derailment, which sent Metrolink 901 off the tracks into a parked Union Pacific freighter, killing 11 passengers and injuring nearly 200 others.

It was the worst crash in the rail agency’s history until Metrolink 111 crashed head-on with a freighter Sept. 12 in Chatsworth, killing 25.

In a press briefing Thursday morning on the steps of a Los Angeles Superior Courthouse, attorneys for the victims of the Glendale crash alleged the Metrolink 901 engineer violated operating policy when he failed to immediately apply emergency brakes upon seeing the Jeep Cherokee.

The engineer noticed the Jeep when he was about three-quarters of a mile away, but did not apply full emergency brakes until about 870 feet from the point of impact — a lapse of about six seconds, alleged Jerome Ringler, the lead plaintiff attorney in the class-action lawsuit.

The new evidence was based on a deposition the engineer gave in December and corroborated by the train’s “black box,” which records onboard operations, Ringler said.

The testimony amounted to “an outright indictment of Metrolink operator error, and just like Chatsworth, these horrible accidents were caused by engineer operator error,” he said.

Full Article Here

Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP announced today that Frederick J. Ufkes has joined the firm as a partner in its Los Angeles office.

A trial attorney with more than 25 years of experience, Ufkes focuses his practice on complex litigation, environmental, toxic torts, mass torts and products liability defense. He comes to Hinshaw from the Los Angeles office of K&L Gates LLP where he served as a partner since 2001.

“Fred is a savvy trial lawyer with a wealth of experience in environmental, toxic tort and products liability law,” said Donald L. Mrozek, Chairman of Hinshaw.  “As lawmakers from California to D.C. continue to heighten the level of urgency and attention to environmental rules, regulations and compliance, and products safety laws, Fred’s addition expands our capability to serve our corporate clients as they navigate these vast and evolving areas. We’re pleased to welcome him to our Los Angeles office and to our robust environmental, toxic torts and products liability practices.”

“Part of my reason for joining Hinshaw was to be reunited with old friends and colleagues from my days at Haight, Dickson, Brown & Bonesteel,” said Ufkes. “John (Sheller), DJ (Hinds) and I have known each other for many years.” Sheller is partner in charge of the Los Angeles office. He and Hinds joined Hinshaw from Haight, Brown & Bonesteel LLP in January 2004.

Ufkes has national and regional counsel experience in both products liability and mass torts, and has defended companies and manufacturers in a broad spectrum of products, including chemicals, pharmaceuticals, electronics, computer software and hardware, heavy machinery, construction equipment and consumer products. In addition, he has handled a substantial number of matters involving compliance and litigation surrounding California’s Proposition 65, the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act. He has also litigated matters under the federal CERCLA, RCRA, Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act statutes.

Ufkes has been lead trial counsel for a number of Fortune 500 companies in matters including plaintiffs’ claims for exposure to industrial solvents, degreasers, paints, adhesives and epoxies. He also served as trial counsel in asbestos litigation throughout California.

He is a graduate of the University of California at San Diego (1979) and earned his J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law (1982).
Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP is a national law firm with 475 lawyers in 25 offices. The firm offers a full-service practice, with an emphasis in litigation, corporate and business law, environmental, labor and employment law, professional liability defense, and wealth preservation and taxation matters. The firm provides services to a range of for-profit and not-for-profit clients in industries that include construction, financial services, health care, insurance, legal, manufacturing, real estate, retail and transportation. Firm clients also include government agencies, municipalities and schools.