EDITORIAL REVIEW

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Lack is unmatched at taking on the toughest causes for those harmed or killed by industrial pollution, natural disasters and transportation industry neglect.



Don't mess with Cool Hand Lack, who's nearing $1B in awards against Dole, Dow and Shell for banana workers poisoned by DBCP pesticide in Latin America. Death squads in Colombia allegedly financed by Chiquita are next.


This quiet titan lacks nothing in the victory department, nailing Dow Chemical, Shell Chemical and Dole Food for $800 million for Nicaraguan workers exposed to pesticide.


This steely litigator’s punch brings billions for victims of energy scams, insurance bad-faith and mass toxic torts.


This famed plaintiffs' lawyer makes giants like Pacific Gas and Sempra tremble.


The tough-as-nails litigator consistently rakes in multimillion verdicts, but may be best known for his work with fellow Los Angeles litigator Tom Girardi in the famed Erin Brockovich case. Walter Lack is in trial representing California ratepayers who claim that Sempra Energy engaged in price fixing during the state's energy crisis. With a specialty in aviation cases, Lack won $43.5 million verdict in 2004 on behalf of the families of three victims of a 1997 Silk Air crash in Indonesia. Also last year, Lack partially settled an antitrust suit against gas company El Paso for $1.7 billion. This attorney is a member of the prestigious International Academy of Trial Lawyers.




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Areas of Practice:

• Aviation Crash Litigation
• Class Actions
• Complex Business Litigation
• Environmental Litigation
• Insurance Bad Faith
• Mass Toxic Tort
• Professional Liability

Litigation Percentage:

• 100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation

Bar Admissions:

• California, 1973
• U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 1979
• U.S. Supreme Court, 1981

Education:

• Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, California, 1973
  J.D.
• Loyola Marymount University, 1970
  B.A.

Honors and Awards:

• Finalist, Consumer Attorneys of California Trial Lawyer of the Year, 2003 - 2004
• Finalist, Trial Lawyer of the Year Award from Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, 1997
• Recipient, Daily Journal California Law Business Award for Top 10 California Jury Verdicts, years '93, '94, '96, '99, and 2004
• Daily Journal's "One Hundred Most Influential Lawyers in California", 2004 - 2005
• Los Angeles Business Journal "Top 50 Litigators in Los Angeles", 1999 - 2004
• Los Angeles Business Journal "Los Angeles' 25 Most Powerful Attorneys,", 2002
• Pat Summerall "Success Story" Aired on Fox News, 2002 - Present
• Southern California Superlawyers, Top 100, 2005 - 2006
• Southern California Superlawyers, Top 10, 2007 - 2008
• Southern California Superlawyers, Top 10, 2008 - 2009
• Best Lawyers in America 2009 - 2010
• California Governor's Judicial Selection Committee, 1998 - 2003
• Deputy Attorney General, State of New Mexico, representing state in Natural Resource Damage Litigation

Professional Associations and Memberships:

• Superior Court Arbitration Panel, 1976 - Present
• Los Angeles County, 1979
  Chairperson, Bar Fee Dispute Committee
• The Standing Committee on Discipline for the Central District of California, 1997 - 2000
  Member
• Governor's Los Angeles Judicial Selection Advisory Committee, 1999 - 2003
• American Arbitration Association, 1976 - Present
  Member, Panel of Arbitrators
• Los Angeles County and American Bar Association
  Member
• State Bar of California
  Member
• The Association of Trial Lawyers of America
  Leaders Forum Member
• Consumer Attorneys of California, 2001 - Present
  Board of Governors
• Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles
  Member
• Trial Lawyers for Public Justice
  Member
• Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers
  Member, Board of Directors
• American Board of Trial Advocates
  Advocate
• American Board of Trial Advocates, 1998 - 2001
  National Executive Committee Member
• Loyola Marymount University, 1986 - 1989
  Alumni Board of Directors
• Loyola Marymount University, 1991 - 1994
  Alumni Board of Directors
• Loyola-Marymount University, 1999 - Present
  Board of Regents
• Supergen, Inc.
  Board of Directors

Past Employment Positions:

• State of New Mexico, Deputy Attorney General

See Library Tab for articles, publications and presentations
by Walter Lack

EVALUATION

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Walter Lack

Biography Title: Managing Partner Firm: Engstrom, Lipscomb & Lack Law School: Loyola Law School of Los Angeles Graduation: 1973   Notable case(s), past or present (include date if possible):   Selected clients: Areas of Expertise:   Bar Memberships:   Clerkships:   Honors:

Q&A Best moment of career: Securing jury verdicts for more than the amount asked for.   Worst moment of career: Still waiting for something bad to happen.   Attorney you most admire: Joe Jamail (Houston) Tom Girardi (Los Angeles)   Favorite activities (besides the Law): Deep sea fishing, golf, gin rummy.   Favorite Sports Team (if you have one), or Favorite Theater or Museum, etc: L.A. Lakers   If you weren’t a lawyer, what would you be?:   What do you read most often:   Notable law school classmates:   Why are you proud to be a lawyer?:

Published Works:

• "Shifting the Burden of Proof to the Defendant", Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles ADVOCAT, November, 2003
  
  
• "Construction Defect Law Caved in by Supreme Court: The Land of Aas", Consumer Attorneys of California, FORUM, April, 2002
  
  
• Fiduciary Duties; What Are They? When Do They Exist? and Why Use Them? , Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles ADVOCAT, March, 2001
  
  
• Insurance Bad Faith: Expert Witnesses and Evidence, Consumer Attorneys of California, Forum, November, 1999
  
  
• Surviving a Toxic Tort Case from Retainer to Trial", Consumer Attorneys of California, Forum, May, 1997
  
  
• "Spoiliation: A Defense Perspective", Consumer Attorneys of California, Forum, January, 1996
  
  
• "Formulating a Defendant's Discovery Plan in a Mid-Air Collision", Southern Methodist University School of Law, Journal of Air Law and Commerce, Vol. 47, No. 4, 1982
  
  
• "The Availability of Strict Liability in the Excess Judgment Case", California Trial Lawyers Journal, Spring, 1973
  
  
• "The Anatomy of a Federal Employer's Liability Act Case", California Trial Lawyers Journal, October, 1972
  
  
• Who's Who in Law - "Los Angeles' 25 Most Power Attorneys", Los Angeles Business Journal, March 4-10, 2002
  
  
• Three Trial Attorneys, Loyola Lawyer, Winter, 2001
  
  
• "100 Most Influential Lawyers in California", The Daily Journal, Extra Edition September 30, 2002
  
  
• "100 Most Influential Lawyers in California.", The Daily Journal, California Law Business, October, 2000
  
  
• Top Ten Cases , Verdicts and Settlements, supplement to the L.A. Daily Journal, DeWald v. Knyal, listing #6, March, 2000
  
  
• Who's Who in Law, Los Angeles Business Journal, February, 1999
  
  
• Who's Who in Law, Los Angeles Business Journal, February, 2001
  
  
• Personal Injury, The National Law Journal, February, 1999
  
  
• Bum Deal , Verdicts and Settlements, Supplement to the L.A. Daily Journal, June, 1999
  
  
• Two Law Firms' Teamwork Keys Success, Verdicts and Settlements, Supplement to the L.A. Daily Journal, June, 1999
  
  
• Who's Who in Law, Los Angeles Business Journal, March, 2002
  
  
• "Leading Lawyers in America", Lawdragon Magazine, Fall, 2006
  
  
• "Top 500 Leading Plaintiffs' Lawyers in America", Lawdragon Magazine, January, 2007
  
  
• "Top 500 Leading Lawyers in America", Lawdragon Magazine, Spring, 2008

Classes/Seminars Taught:

• Frequent Lecturer, Trial Lawyer Groups throughout Country
  
  
• Guest Lecturer, California Judicial College, 1995 - 1997