Success Stories

A corporate employee with many years’ service was accused by his employer of theft and fired. Marte Bassi represented the employee and brought causes of action against the corporation for wrongful termination and defamation.
Result: After a protracted trial, the jury found for the plaintiff and awarded him $6 million in damages.

In 2006, Fred Blum successfully represented Lyles Diversified, Inc, winning a defense verdict in San Francisco Superior Court. Pacific Bell claimed that Lyles was obligated to indemnify Pacific Bell for the $1.5 million in damages and attorney fees expended in defending and settling an asbestos lawsuit filed by a plaintiff whose father was employed by Lyles during the alleged time period of exposure.
Result: After a two week trial the jury found that Lyles had no obligation to indemnify Pacific Bell. The verdict was affirmed on appeal in 2008.

In a case with national and international press coverage, Noel Edlin won a defense verdict on behalf of Modesto Steam Laundry and Cleaners.
Result: After 7 years of hard-fought litigation and a 4 month jury trial in San Francisco Superior Court, plaintiffs' verdicts of $200 Million were awarded against several of the co-defendants, although these verdicts were later reduced by the trial court

A waste pile of 10 million tires was ignited by lightning in Stanislaus County, California. Also ignited was a class action lawsuit on behalf of approximately 20,000 nearby residents and workers against the tire pile waste to electrical generation plant at the site, and adjacent land owners. One of the defendants settled for nearly $10,000,000, leaving BEHB's client, Modesto Energy Limited Parterships, the sole target defendant in the lawsuit. Firm partners Noel Edlin, Fred Blum and Mark Jackson prepared the case for trial, rebuffing settlement demands in ranges similar to those earlier paid by other co-defendants.
Result: Ultimately, after prevailing on a number of pretrial motions, plaintiffs agreed to accept a total of $500,000, or approximately $85 per plaintiff. BEHB's expertise in environmental litigation, and in particular their ability to deconstruct plaintiffs' expert's modeling, was instrumental in bringing about this outstanding result.

In 2008 Jeffrey Fadeff and Gordon May tried a Los Angeles case on behalf of one of the Firm's asbestos clients involving an 81-year-old marine electrician dying of mesothelioma and his wife. Plaintiffs were represented by Waters & Kraus.  In closing arguments plaintiffs' counsel asked for non-economic damages in the $20 million to $30 million range. Economic damages were $100,000 by stipulation. Plaintiffs were also seeking punitive damages.

Result:  Defense verdict.  After a three week trial, the jury deliberated for only three hours.

Marte Bassi represented the defendant in an asbestos case dealing with “neighborhood exposure.“ The case could not be settled short of trial because the opponent’s law firm demanded $2.5 million for its client who was allegedly exposed to asbestos while working and living in a neighborhood that surrounded our client’s large shipyard. Any resolution of the case in plaintiff’s favor truly would have led to many more cases, as plaintiffs would have attempted to hold defendant responsible for all malignant cancers in the entire neighborhood and the surrounding area.
Result: After a lengthy trial, the jury deliberated and found in favor of the defendant.

The Firm represented a former investigator for the District Attorney’s Office for the County of Los Angeles who had been falsely arrested and assaulted by police officers for the City of Santa Monica. In making the false arrest, the plaintiff’s rotator cuff was torn, requiring surgery. As a result of the injury, the plaintiff was forced to retire from his employment with the District Attorney’s Office. Another counsel first tried the matter and a defense verdict was obtained. However, a motion for new trial was granted based on jury misconduct. Mr. Bell then hired Fred Blum who successfully defended the trial court’s granting of a new trial motion on appeal (63 Cal. App. 4th 919 (1998)). The case was tried before a jury in Los Angeles, California. The trial lasted almost one month, and nearly thirty witnesses took the stand and testified.
Result: The jury deliberated for over two days, and a verdict in favor for the plaintiff was returned in the amount of approximately $1.8 million.

Fred Blum represented the defendant owner of a Pleasant Hill shopping center who had leased space to a dry cleaner. As a result of the dry cleaner’s operation both the groundwater and the soil was heavily contaminated with chemicals which are known to cause cancer. The owner of adjacent property sued defendant claiming significant damages in the millions of dollars. It was agreed that the matter would be tried to a panel of experts sitting in combination with a retired appellate judge. After a six-week trial, the panel returned a verdict of no liability in favor of defendant.
Result: The panel found in favor of the defendant. The matter was affirmed on appeal.

Fred Blum represented plaintiff Optimization Marketing in an action against its ex-President and two employees. BEHB filed the action in Alameda County Superior Court after the defendants left plaintiffs ’ employment, illegally taking with them Optimization's clients and trade secrets.
Result: After a three week trial, the jury found for plaintiffs, awarded $335,000 in damages and found that plaintiffs were entitled to punitive damages. The Court also issued an injunction against defendants and awarded plaintiffs ’ attorney fees.