On June 29, 2011, Hurrell Cantrall LLP held a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony to celebrate the opening of its new offices in the Macy’s Plaza, located at 700 S. Flower Street in downtown Los Angeles. Over 60 Chamber and downtown community members attended the event. The Managing Partner, Tom Hurrell, presided over the ribbon cutting portion of the evening. Councilwoman Jan Perry of the Ninth District provided the attendees with a brief overview of upcoming developments in downtown Los Angeles.

The attorneys at Hurrell Cantrall LLP would like to thank everyone who participated in welcoming the firm to its new office. Hurrell Cantrall LLP represents Fortune 500 Companies, cities, counties, school districts, and small to medium-sized businesses in the areas of employment law, police misconduct, civil rights, insurance defense, premises liability, and products liability litigation. The firm consists of 17 attorneys, of which a considerable percentage are women and minorities.

You are Cordially invited to celebrate the opening of Hurrell Cantrall’s new office at our Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and Open House on June 29, 2011 from 5:30 to 8:30p.m. Fellow L.A. Chamber of Commerce members, local officials, and downtown business owners and merchants will be in attendance. Wine, appetizers, and raffle prizes will be provided. We hope you will join us and take the opportunity to learn more about our firm and to meet our attorneys in a relaxed and festive atmosphere.

Hurrell Cantrall LLP represents local businesses, Fortune 500 corporations, product manufacturers and distributors, school districts, cities, counties, and other government entities in the areas of employment law, products liability, toxic tort litigation, and general liability defense.

For the past few months, we have been designing our beautiful new office space on the 9th floor of the Verizon building at Macy’s Plaza on the corner of 7th Street and Flower Street. We will still be located in downtown Los Angeles, just two blocks from our current location. Please make a note of our new address, beginning May 21, 2011: 700 S. Flower Street, Suite 900, Los Angeles, CA 90017. Our phone numbers will remain the same.

In this products liability case, the surviving plaintiffs alleged that the decedent developed and died of acute myelogenous leukemia due to his occupational exposure to benzene, which was allegedly released from the manufacturing processes at our client’s chemical plant.  At the early stages of litigation, we engaged in a series of informal negotiations with the plaintiffs’ counsel.  We urged the plaintiffs’ counsel to dismiss our client from the action based on the lack of sufficient evidence to support the plaintiffs’ claims.  Before our demurrer and motion to strike was heard, the plaintiffs agreed to dismiss our client with prejudice in exchange for a waiver of costs.

In this action, a cross-complainant filed suit against our client, alleging fourteen causes of action, including, but not limited to breach of contract, fraud, misrepresentation, concealment, indemnity, and declaratory relief.  The cross-complainant also sought punitive damages against our client.  On behalf of our client, we demurred to the majority of the causes of action, and filed a separate lawsuit against the cross-complainant for breach of contract.  At the hearing of our demurrer to the operative cross-complaint, the Court dismissed twelve of the cross-complainants’ claims against our client without leave to amend.  Subsequently, we engaged in negotiations with the cross-complainant’s counsel, and argued that the evidence indicated that the cross-complainant had breached the contract at issue and owed our client damages pursuant to the liquidated damages clause.  The parties agreed to settle all actions under the condition that the cross-complainant pay our client the entire amount of damages owed under the liquidated damages clause of the contract.

Please join us for an open house with the attorneys of Hurrell Cantrall as we present a seminar on Documentation: what you and your company need to do to prevent and/or succeed in litigation. This FREE and interactive seminar will take place at our offices on February 23, 2011 at 6:30 p.m.  

Please see the attached brochure for more information and RSVP by February 21, 2011.

Documentation Seminar Pamphlet 

Hurrell Cantrall is pleased to present the inaugural issue of its firm newsletter. In this issue, you will find valuable information on the changing legal landscape of employment law, Medicare, and governmental liability. We have also included examples of our recent successes in the areas of toxic torts, municipal liability, and our defense of a local school district.

HC Newsletter (Vol 1, Issue 1)

Hurrell Cantrall handled an appeal of an attorneys’ fee award under 42 U.S.C. Section 1988 on behalf of a public entity.  In that case, the trial court awarded the plaintiff’s counsel over $300,000 in attorneys’ fees.  On the appeal, we argued that the statutory basis relied upon by the plaintiff did not apply due to procedural actions which occurred at the trial court level.  The appellate court agreed with our arguments and reversed the award to the plaintiff, and awarded our client costs.