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John R. Lawless

Partner
E: jlawless@parklawless.com        T: 213.640.3770
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About John R. Lawless

John Lawless is a partner at Park Lawless & Tremonti with extensive experience handling complex matters involving commercial, products and premises liability, and toxic tort litigation for Fortune 100 and other large companies in both state and federal court. John brings the knowledge and skills he obtained as a litigator at large international law firms for 17 years. He now looks to provide this expertise to individuals and businesses with the goal of delivering exceptional and efficient services.

John received his J.D. from the University of Southern California in 2002. There, he was a member of the Southern California Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif. He received his B.A. from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1997. Before starting Park Lawless & Tremonti, John was one of three lawyers that helped found the Los Angeles office of King & Spalding, an international Am Law 50 law firm.

John is a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and serves as a mentor to law students by participating in the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity program.

John enjoys spending his free time with his wife, Michelle, and son, JD. Coaching his son’s baseball teams and breathing Dodgers baseball are his passions, but he also makes time for camping, fishing, skiing, and standing around the grill and smoker.
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John represented Cytec Engineered Materials Inc. in a matter involving claims of alleged breach of contract, in which a favorable settlement was secured.

John represented a large publicly-traded company in putative class actions related to alleged telephone call recording.

John served as counsel for Home Depot in putative consumer class actions related to various products sold in Home Depot locations.

John assisted a major automotive company in conducting internal investigations of and defended two different car manufacturers from allegations that they knowingly installed undisclosed auxiliary emission control devices in some of their vehicles.

John served as counsel for Ford Motor Company in warranty claims (Song-Beverly Act) in which the consumers alleged fraud and misrepresentation. John handled all aspects of these cases, including defending depositions of Ford’s corporate witness and dealership representatives, taking and defending depositions of experts, and preparing cases for trial.

John also served on a team representing General Motors in matters involving inquiries and orders from the U.S. Congress, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Justice Department, and other governmental entities pertaining to the recalls of various vehicles.

John has represented Shell Oil Company against product liability claims relating to alleged contamination of various California water systems as a result of historical use of agricultural chemicals.

John represented Atlantic Richfield Company and American Cyanamid Company in a nuisance action being prosecuted by cities and counties throughout the State of California against the manufacturers of paint pigments, seeking the abatement of lead paint from all buildings and homes within their boundaries.

John was counsel to GlaxoSmithKline in nationwide product liability litigation concerning allegations of a link between the company’s antidepressant, Paxil®, and an increased risk of certain congenital defects.

John was also a member of of the national defense team responsible for defending a major pharmaceutical company against alleged claims of heart valve damage and primary pulmonary hypertension due to the ingestion of diet medication.

John represented various clients, including AkzoNobel, American Cyanamid Company, Benjamin Moore & Co., Cytec Engineered Materials Inc., Ford Motor Company, Hewlett-Packard Company, ICI Americas, Inc. Johnson & Johnson, PPG Architectural Finishes, Inc., and Cargotec USA Inc. in products and premises liability matters involving alleged exposure to asbestos. He has significant experience handling all aspects of these cases, including defending depositions of corporate witnesses, and has frequently secured dismissals or favorable settlements for his clients.

John was a member of a trial team that obtained a complete defense verdict for Fiberite after a seven-week jury trial in Los Angeles Superior Court where the plaintiff claimed he developed mesothelioma as a result of exposure to a Fiberite molding compound.

He second-chaired a trial for American Cyanamid in which plaintiff alleged he worked with the client’s specialty adhesives in the manufacturing of airplane parts. John handled all aspects of the case from inception through trial, including portions of voir dire and the cross-examination of plaintiff’s key product identification witness. The team successfully resolved the matter at a sum favorable to the client after a week of trial.

John also represented a number of Fortune and Global 1000 companies, including AkzoNobel, Benjamin Moore & Co., D Aircraft Products, Cytec Industries, Inc., The Dow Chemical Company, The Glidden Company and Union Carbide Corporation in personal injury cases, involving claims of exposure to various chemicals, including benzene.

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