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Partner
Litigation & Intellectual Property Practice
Los Angeles
(213) 532-2103 Phone
(213) 532-2020 Fax
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| Practices |
Class Action,
Multidistrict
Litigation
Competition Law &
Intellectual
Property
Copyright
Environmental
Litigation & Toxic
Torts
Food and Drug
Practice
Intellectual
Property
Labor & Employment
Life Sciences
Litigation
National Business
Tort and Product
Liability
Trademarks
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Practice focuses on product liability, environmental and toxic tort, and complex business transactions. Ms. Mortimer's practice includes counseling clients on risk management and litigation avoidance in addition to providing trial-tested litigation strategy, preparation and trial representation in matters involving both individuals and class actions, with a focus on early case resolution of media sensitive cases through strategic motion practice. Through her extensive product liability practice, Ms. Mortimer has developed a special interest in the related areas of risk communication and jury strategy development and defusing juror anger in media charged cases. In connection with her work on mass tort cases, Ms. Mortimer's practice focuses on pre-trial claim winnowing, through case management techniques and motion practice designed for early testing of causation evidence and early challenges to the admissibility and sufficiency of scientific expert opinion. Experienced in class actions, Ms. Mortimer has successfully decertified a nationwide class in a mass tort product liability case, and defeated certification in numerous other product liability and complex civil cases.
Relevant Experience 
- Represented several Fortune 500 companies in defense of alleged violations of California's Unfair Competition Law, Consumers Legal Remedies Act, including class actions regarding advertising claims.
- Ongoing counseling to clients on issues involving the Alien Tort Statute, Torture Victim Protection Act, Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act and related state and federal statutes.
- Represented automobile manufacturers, financial institutions and nationwide retail outlets in contract disputes and individual and class consumer actions.
- Represented major automobile manufacturers in franchise disputes.
- Represented major pharmaceutical company in its defense of hundreds of product liability claims involving its diabetes drug.
- Successfully obtained summary judgment on failure to warn claims involving an antidepressant drug.
- Managed a nationwide products liability case involving a medical device on behalf of a major pharmaceutical company, and defeated certification of the claims before advantageously settling the matter.
- Successfully mediated claims involving hundreds of California residents claiming personal injury and property damage based upon alleged exposures to chemicals including PCE, TCE and CR-6.
- Participated in successful defense of aerospace manufacturer in multiple action suits brought by 3,000 California residents claiming harmful health exposures and property damage, in which summary judgment on causation was granted in favor of the manufacturer.
- Designed and implemented multiple mock trials and focus groups involving hundreds of participants regarding fate and transport and medical causation issues in environmental/toxic tort cases.
- Successfully represented hair care leader in a highly publicized lawsuit against Procter & Gamble, regarding P&G's handling of the client's brand.
- Represented former employer and technology holder in patent, trade secret and non-competition lawsuit involving misappropriation of valuable design, client and technology trade secrets.
- Successfully defeated jurisdiction in cases involving tort and contract claims.
- Ongoing counseling on the enforceability of non-competition and non-solicitation agreements.
Additional Experience
Worked on landmark case of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. v. American Honda Motor Co, Inc., 900 F.Supp. 1287 (C.D. Cal. 1995), which recognized federal copyright protection of the fictional movie character James Bond. Participated in the successful effort to halt Sony Pictures efforts to develop a competing James Bond franchise. Participated in the appellate phase of the landmark Buchwald v. Paramount case, which successfully challenged Hollywood accounting practices and contingent compensation calculation as unconscionable and violative of California law.
Background
Managing Partner, O’Donnell & Mortimer LLP, 1996–2006 Associate, Kaye, Scholer, Fierman, Hays & Handler, 1993–1996 Clerk, Hon. Laughlin E. Waters, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, 1992–1993
Membership
Member, California State Bar Member, Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles
Awards and Professional Recognition
- Named a “Rising Star Southern California Super Lawyer” in 2005 and 2006 by the publishers of Los Angeles magazine
Education - J.D., University of California School of Law (Boalt Hall), Editor, California Law Review, 1992
- M.Sc., London School of Economics, 1989
- A.B., Smith College, cum laude, 1988
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Ann Mortimer
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