(949) 705-0080
(949) 705-0080
(949) 705-0080

William E. Wegner

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William E. Wegner

William E. Wegner passed away on Thursday, October 14, 2021, at age 71.

Contact Information

  • Address:11661 San Vicente Boulevard, Suite 710, Los Angeles, CA 90049
  • Phone:(949) 705-0080
  • Email:William E. Wegner
  • VCard:VCard
  • Areas: Business and Commercial Litigation, Copyright and Trademark Law, Products Liability, Trials and Appeals

bill brown and bill wegner lca badgeHe is consistently named in the Top 100 Lawyers in Los Angeles, Los Angeles Business Journal, and is also listed in the 2014 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, for Product Liability Litigation – Defendants.  Best Lawyers® also named him 2014 Lawyer of the Year, Product Liability Defense in Los Angeles, and 2017 Lawyer of the Year, Product Liability Defense in Orange County.  He is a perennial Super Lawyer in the area of Civil Litigation and holds an AV Preeminent® rating with Martindale-Hubbell.  Mr. Wegner is a past President of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers and served as the 2014 President of the Litigation Counsel of America.

He co-authored the California Practice Guide – Civil Trials and Evidence, Volumes 1-3; and the Federal Practice Guide – Civil Trials and Evidence, Volumes 1-3, (The Rutter Group/Thompson West).  He has also published the comprehensive work Relations Among Competitors in Restraint of Trade – Horizontal Price Fixing (Practicing Law Institute), and various articles, including “Fifty Ways to Leave Your ‘Judger’ – Challenging the Judge” (Litigation Magazine, American Bar Association).

Mr. Wegner’s career highlight was successfully defending the James Dean family against a $90 million claim that Warner Brothers brought in Federal Court over the rights to James Dean’s publicity rights.

Admissions to Practice

  • All state trial and appellate courts in California
  • All United States District Courts in California
  • Ninth and Federal Circuit Courts of Appeals
  • Supreme Court of the United States

Education

Seattle University (University of Puget Sound) School of Law

  • Graduated first in class.

University of Santa Clara

  • B.A. Philosophy

Military Service

Captain, U.S. Army Medical Services Corps (Third Infantry Division) (1973-1980)

Organizations

Litigation Counsel of America, Past President (2014)

Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Past President

Highlighted Representation as Lead Counsel

Defended market leader U.S. food manufacturer against a mass tort action claiming factory odor nuisance, brought by 470 plaintiffs.

Defended major pet food manufacturer in multi-district litigation for over 200 consumer class actions for food contamination.

Defended a national, publicly traded U.S. real estate investment trust against two consolidated securities class actions.

Defended major oil company in dealer termination case.

Recovered personal property of Marilyn Monroe stolen from her estate.

Defended the James Dean family ownership of his post mortem publicity rights.

Defended at State trial and court of appeal vertical price fixing antitrust case against Whirlpool.

Defended CAL OSHA, OSHA and state wrongful death action against a major steel erection company for building collapse.

Represent Governor Chris Christie and the State of New Jersey in action brought by the NCAA, MLB, NHL, NFL and NBA alleging violation of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act.

Defended the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and preserved its ownership of the trademarks of the Hollywood sign and Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Publications

Co-Author of the multi-volume California Practice Guide – Civil Trials and Evidence, and the multi-volume Federal Practice Guide – Civil Trials and Evidence, both published by The Rutter Group.

Litigation Losers, The Journal Section Of Litigation, Vol. 22  No.3  Spring, 1996

Relationships Among Competitors in Restraint of Trade – Horizontal Price Fixing Practicing Law Institute

Challenging the Judge: Fifty Ways to Leave Your Judger, ABA LITIGATION MAGAZINE

Speaking Engagements

2005 Bias, Ethnicity & Language: Handling the Culturally Diverse Witness (Association of Business Trial Lawyers Seminars)

Preparing for Trial – 120 Days to Go! (1994 Civil Procedure Update, Rutter Seminars)

Evidence Rules and Tactics – Inside and Outside the Courthouse! (1994 Civil Procedure Update, Rutter Seminars)

1996 Trial Practice in Superior Court (Rutter Seminars)

1997 CJA/TRG Courtroom Evidence, Preparing for Trial (CJA/TRG Courtroom Evidence)

1998 Evidence Issues in Employment Litigation – Under the Federal Rules (CJA/TRG Courtroom Evidence)

1999 Federal Rules of Evidence – Complex Issues….Practical Solutions (CJA/TRG Courtroom Evidence)

2000 Trial Practice in Superior Court (CJA/TRG Courtroom Evidence)

2001 Federal Litigation in a Cyber World (CJA/TRG Courtroom Evidence)

Preparing for Trial: Survival Skills in Federal Court (CJA/TRG Courtroom Evidence)

2002 Expert Testimony (California Judges’ Association)

2016 Civil Trial Evidence (Rutter Seminars)

2017 Persuasion – Try To See Things My Way (Rutter Seminars)

 

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