Hurrell Cantrall LLP would like to welcome experienced litigator and trial attorney Peter Wucetich.  Since admission to the State Bar of California in December 1976,  Mr. Wucetich has participated as lead trial counsel in more than 180 jury trials on behalf of AAA; Mercury Insurance Group, Ohio Casualty Ins. Co., State Farm Insurance Co. and. Reserve Insurance Company.  Some verdicts have been published in national periodicals.  He was co-counsel in a significant case wherein he represented the County of Los Angeles in the case of Geffen vs. County of Los Angeles,  a quadriplegic case involving a dangerous condition of public property.

 

Mr. Wucetich  became a Member of the American Board of Trial Advocates in 1989, as well as a member of the Inns of Court of the American Board of Trial Advocates.  He is also a member of the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel.

 

To learn more about Mr. Wucetich, please visit his Profile.

 

 

The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in a published decision, overturned the district court’s decision that denied our law enforcement client qualified immunity.  In addition, the appellate court remanded the action to the district court for dismissal, and vacated plaintiffs’ award of attorneys’ fees and expenses.  In this case, the plaintiffs claimed that the defendants, a public entity and a number of law enforcement officers, violated their Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures when they were detained, their assets in a banking account were seized and their residence searched pursuant to a warrant.  Plaintiffs claimed that there was no probable cause to search their residence or to seize their assets even though probable cause may have existed to search their prostitution business at another location. They also claimed that the public entity defendant had unconstitutional policies, customs, and practices that caused their injuries. On behalf of the public entity and the law enforcement officers, we filed a motion for summary judgment, arguing that there was insufficient evidence supporting plaintiffs’ claims against the public entity client, and that the individual defendants were entitled to qualified immunity. The Court granted the motion with respect to plaintiffs’ claims against the public entity and some of the law enforcement officers. However, the Court disagreed with our argument that one of the law enforcement officers were entitled to qualified immunity. On appeal, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with us and determined that the law enforcement officer had a reasonable belief that probable cause existed, and that she was entitled to qualified immunity.

Ninth Circuit Decision
LA Times Article
Daily Journal

Congratulations to Thomas C. Hurrell, who is included in the 2009 Southern California Super Lawyers List.  As the managing partner of the firm, Mr. Hurrell has been bestowed with numerous awards and honors including the 2008 Los Angeles County Attorney of the Year Award, and is an Advocate in the American Board of Trial Advocates. 

Hurrell Cantrall LLP welcomes its new Associate, Noelle Shanahan Cutts. Prior to joining our firm, Ms. Cutts served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Arthur I. Harris of the Northern District of Ohio.  She was also a legal extern for a Member of Parliament (Canada) and for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.  

Ms. Cutts obtained her undergraduate degree at Wake Forest University in North Carolina and her law degree cum laude, Order of the Coif, at Case Western Reserve University School of Law.  While in law school,  she received CALI Awards for Excellence in Eminent Domain Law:  Litigation Techniques & Trial Practice, Immigration Law Practicum II, and International Real Estate Transactions.

To learn more about Ms. Cutts, please view her profile. 

Hurrell Cantrall LLP is a proud sponsor of the 2009 DRI Civil Rights and Government Tort Liability Seminar, which is being held in New Orleans from January 28, 2009 through January 30, 2009. Hurrell Cantrall maintains an active government tort liability practice, which involves the defense of law enforcement officers and governmental entities against claims of civil rights violations under 42 U.S.C. § 1983.

Associate Pauliana Nadjarians will participate in the 120th Rose Parade this year, which will be held on January 1, 2009. She has been a volunteer with the Tournament of Roses for four years now and will assist on the Parade Operations Committee. She will be on the Parade Route in the famous White Suit worn by all Tournament of Roses members.

Associate Anthony Perez joins Hurrell Cantrall LLP.  Prior to joining our firm, Mr. Perez was an attorney at a prominent insurance defense/litigation firm where he litigated and defended claims of premises liability, personal injury, wrongful death, and breach of contract. 

 

To learn more about Mr. Perez, please view his Profile.

Mr. Hurrell was recognized for the great legal work done on behalf of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.  The County of Los Angeles presented Mr. Hurrell with its 2007 “Attorney of the Year” award.