Sedgwick Opens Office in the Nation's Capital

SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire - Aug 11, 2011) - Sedgwick LLP has announced the August 15th opening of Sedgwick Washington, D.C., the firm's 15^th office globally and second new office this summer. Less than two months after opening Sedgwick Seattle, Sedgwick has expanded into the nation's capital. The 14 attorneys joining Sedgwick from Wallace Partners, PLLC will be led by managing partner Rick Wallace, a seasoned litigator specializing in product liability defense and environmental matters.

"Sedgwick Washington, D.C., like Sedgwick Seattle, represents the ongoing implementation of our strategy to leverage growth opportunities to benefit our clients," said Firm Chair Michael Tanenbaum. "The attorneys joining the Sedgwick family in Washington, D.C. are exceptional trial attorneys who strengthen the trial bench Sedgwick offers its clients across the globe. Sedgwick Washington, D.C. enables us to broaden our reach and the seamless service we provide our clients through the United States and beyond."

The attorneys joining Sedgwick's Washington, D.C. office are trial lawyers, specializing in complex cases with a focus on commercial, tort, product liability, and environmental cases and regulatory matters. They have longstanding relationships with their clients and serve an array of clients in various industries, including the energy industry.

"Sedgwick's reputation as a go-to trial firm is recognized on both the East and West Coasts," Wallace said. "I am honored to lead the firm's expansion in Washington, D.C. For the clients we share with Sedgwick, the transition will be seamless. As for our clients who will be introduced to Sedgwick, I am confident they will be pleased with the capabilities an international firm can offer, as well as Sedgwick's long history of excellent client service."

Wallace focuses his practice on complex litigation and arbitration, including product liability defense and environmental matters. He has defended hundreds of tort and contract cases and serves as national trial counsel and coordinating counsel for major clients in mass tort matters, including several major oil companies. In addition, Wallace has considerable appellate experience, having successfully defended trial court victories in state and federal appellate courts, and he has arbitrated cases around the globe. He earned his J.D. (1982) from Harvard Law School and graduated with a B.A. (1978), magna cum laude, from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Wallace will be joined by five other partners in Washington, D.C.: Peter Condron, William Hughes, John Kampman, Susan Watson and Michael Williams, Of Counsel David Dorsen, and associates Monty Cooper, Mimi Dennis, David Dorsen, Amanda Gilbert Sow, Paul Pittman, Ruben Reyna, Ben Snowden, and Mari Spears.

Condron, a toxic tort, product liability and commercial matters litigator, specializes in the defense of complex cases including class actions and multidistrict litigation. He earned his J.D. (1987) from College of William & Mary and B.S. (1984) from St. John's University.

Hughes, a litigator specializing in environmental, toxic tort, product liability and other complex civil litigation matters, represents his clients in matters focused primarily on property damage and hazardous material pollution. He has extensive experience in the prosecution and defense of CERCLA and common law claims seeking contribution for environmental remediation costs. He earned his J.D. (1990), cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center and graduated from Georgetown with an A.B. (1986).

Kampman, a toxic tort litigator and a certified toxicologist, focuses his practice on environmental matters, including litigation and regulatory matters under the Toxic Substances Control Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act. He earned his J.D. (1985), magna cum laude, from the University of Bridgeport School of Law and graduated with an M.S. (1976) and B.S. (1970) from California State University, Northridge.

Watson, a product liability and mass tort litigator, manages all aspects of litigation and counsels clients concerning complex e-discovery issues. She serves as the national secretary for Women in eDiscovery. Watson earned her J.D. (1997) from Georgetown University Law Center and graduated with a B.S. (1993), cum laude, from the University of Maryland.

Williams, a litigator who focuses his practice on commercial, mass tort and environmental matters, defends his clients in class action, civil conspiracy, breach of contract, Uniform Commercial Code and employment cases in state and federal courts throughout the country. He earned his J.D. (1998) from Northwestern University School of Law and graduated with a B.A. (1992), summa cum laude, from Albion College.

The international trial firm of Sedgwick LLP provides trial, appellate, litigation management, counseling, risk management and transactional legal services to the world's leading companies. With more than 370 attorneys in offices in Austin, Chicago, Dallas, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, London, Los Angeles, New York, Newark, Orange County (California), Paris, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C., and an affiliated office in Bermuda, Sedgwick's collective experience spans the globe and virtually every industry. For more information about Sedgwick, its attorneys and services, visit www.sedgwicklaw.com.