First Admitted: 1975, California

Professional Webpage: https://www.pineappeals.com/norman-pine

Bar/Professional Activity:

Board of Governors of the Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC)
Member, Appellate Courts Section, Los Angeles County Bar Association
California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA), Amicus Curie Brief committee (former member)
Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA), Member
U.S. Supreme Court
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal
State Bar of California
U.S. District Court
Central and Eastern District of California

Verdicts/Settlements (Case Results):

Los Angeles Unified School District v. FH Paschen/S.N. Nielsen, Inc. (Cal. Ct. App., Feb. 8, 2023, No. B300332) 2023 WL 1811843 In this public contracting action (involving statutory Job Order Contracting) Pine Tillett LLP successfully reversed a damages award of over $5 million, plus attorney’s fees, that LAUSD had recovered against the contractor, FH Paschen/SN Nielsen and its sureties. The disputed project involved the upgrade and revitalization of cafeterias in over 30 schools as part of the Café LA Project. Years after FHP had fully performed the construction to LAUSD’s immense satisfaction (calling the work a “transformative success,”) LAUSD sued FHP for a refund, arguing that FHP had overpriced approximately 90 construction contracts. As if reversing a jury verdict on 90 contracts was not enough, the complexity of this task was magnified by the applicability of the public contracting laws, which are heavily slanted in favor of public entities. In fact, of the other two contractors that had performed work for LAUSD under the Café LA Project, one contractor settled with LAUSD and LAUSD enjoyed a complete victory (both at trial and on appeal, resulting in a published decision) against the other for similar claims. (See Los Angeles Unified School District v. Torres Construction Corp. (2020) 57 Cal.App.5th 480.) Pine Tillett LLP’s efforts resulted in a reversal of approximately 90% of LAUSD’s jury verdict against FHP, completely vindicating the contractor for any alleged fraud or intentional misrepresentations. That reversal included a complete victory in the third phase of construction, a complete reversal of the substantial prejudgment interest award, and a reversal of all but the first three schools for each contract in the first two phases. , 2023
J.W. v. Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc. (2018) 29 Cal.App.5th 1142

Representative Clients:

FH PASCHEN/S.N. NIELSEN, INC, Chicago, Ill. (contact CFO Jim Habschmidt, 2023

Special Licenses/Certifications:

Certified Appellate Law Specialist (State Bar, CBLS) continuously since 1997

Pro bono/Community Service:

Mediator for Court of Appeals' Voluntary Settlement Program (over multiple years)
Mentor: for young lawyers in California Employment Lawyers' Association
Justice, Roger Traynor Moot Court Competition (multiple years) Court of Appeal appointed mediator as part of its voluntary mediation service (multiple years) Williams v. Chino Valley Indep. Fire Dist. (2015) 61 Cal.4th 97 (handled Supreme Court briefing for plaintiff on pro bono basis)

Honors/Awards:

Named as one of the "Top Employment Lawyers in the State of California" (includes both plaintiff and defendant attorneys) in 2009 and 2011–2020, inclusive, "Top Labor and Employment Lawyers", Los Angeles Daily Journal
2004 (Inaugural Issue)–2020 (inclusive), Southern California Super Lawyers – Appellate Law
Appellate Lawyer of the Year Award, Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA), 2003
Awarded for highest achievement in appellate matters on behalf of consumers, employees, and/or victims of accidents or defective products, Appellate Lawyer of the Year Award, Consumer Attorney Association of Los Angeles (CAALA), 2003
Note and Comment Editor, California Law Review, University of California, Berkeley Law, CA, university records, 1975
Best Lawyers in America (Appellate), 2012–2019, inclusive
Since 1994, AV Preeminent Rating, Martindale-Hubbell
"In recognition of your continuous dedication to the advancement and protection of employee rights", Joe Posner Award (co-winner with Beverly Pine), California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA), 2008
2009–2019, inclusive, Top 100: Southern California Super Lawyers
Nominated for Consumer Attorneys of California's "Street Fighter of the Year" award, 2015
"In appreciation of his tireless efforts on SB 383 to craft a solution to demurrer abuse", Presidential Award of Merit, Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC), 2015

Educational Background:

University of California, Los Angeles, CA B.A., Summa Cum Laude, received June 1971 Phi Beta Kappa; Dean's List (four years) Education Abroad - University of Sussex, England: 1970 University of California, Berkeley, CA J.D., received 1975 (Note & Comment Editor, California Law Review)

Scholarly Lectures/Writings:

Editor, Employment Law Issue of Advocate, monthly magazine of CAALA
Speaker, CAOC, CELA, NELA, and CAALA annual conventions

Other Outstanding Achievements:

Martindale-Hubbell's AV Preeminent rating, continuously since 1994

Norman Pine