Practice Areas

General Liability.  Each senior attorney at FMG is first and foremost a trial lawyer. While each of our attorneys has developed selected areas of expertise, each attorney's career began in general liability litigation, and each has continued to practice and develop skills in this broad practice area.  As a result, we are well versed in the defense and presentation of a broad spectrum of tort, warranty, contract and statutory claims brought against self-insured, insured, and public entities arising out of business operations, automobile, motorcycle and recreational vehicle accidents, trucking operations, premises liability, and food service and restaurant/bar operations.

Commercial Disputes/Business Litigation.  We assist clients in resolving their business disputes, which often involve allegations such as breach of contract, fraud, negligence, unfair competition, theft of trade secrets, and other issues.   An increasingly important part of FMG’s litigation practice in terms of resolving disputes in this area is our ability to effectively utilize arbitration and mediation to provide the most cost efficient resolution for our clients.

Products Liability.  Products liability litigation is a specialty of many of FMG’s members. Our attorneys are intimately familiar with the defense of tort and warranty claims related to a wide variety of manufactured goods and food service operations. We have a special emphasis on the defense of manufacturers of construction-related products, as well as allegedly defective vehicles, presses, mills, conveyors, and other types of machine claims.

Construction Law.  The strength of FMG’s construction group lies in the breadth and depth of the experience of our members in this specialized area of complex litigation. We have represented many building trades, including a wide variety of insured and self-insured companies, on litigated construction defect matters, as well as transactional disputes. Our background has enabled us to cost effectively determine the nature of a construction dispute and the best way to resolve it.  FMG also has been involved in most of the major construction defect cases that have wound their way through the California and Nevada courts. The construction cases that proceed to trial that are handled by FMG generally involve the defense of a developer, general contractor or subcontractor having a potential for substantial monetary exposure.

Major Accidents.  FMG is able to assist clients with evaluation of causation, analysis of liability, and accurate damage assessment in this challenging, interdisciplinary area of practice.  Our familiarity with the various construction trades, combined with our medical and insurance expertise, allows us to provide the medico-legal analysis required in construction and trucking accident litigation.   In the trucking industry, we have litigated cases ranging from large catastrophic loss and accident claims to small property damage and warehouse claims. We also enjoy good relations with many forensic engineers and expert physicians, on whom we may call for their evaluation and opinions. More importantly, we understand that a timely response and effective liability assessment are important when handling major accident claims, whatever the cause. In that regard, we provide our clients the services of FMG’s Emergency Response Team in catastrophic loss situations, and are able to travel to the scene of any accident to properly document critical evidence.  If necessary, hat includes utilizing our team of forensic specialists to document the scene of the accident before it and witnesses’ memories are irreparably altered.

Trucking Claims.  Experience and expertise are the keys to FMG’s success when defending trucking companies and their insurers in trucking accident litigation, insurance coverage disputes, freight loss and damage claims, environmental claims, as well as pursuing collection of freight charges and undercharge claims. In that regard, FMG represents individuals and corporate clients, along with insurance carriers, who are involved in transporting passengers, freight or both. We know the trucking business, not only from the standpoint of the integral role it plays in our economy, but also from the vantage point of interstate and intrastate shipment of goods and the relationship between federal and state law, as well as insurance and liability issues.

Business Organization and Commercial Transactions.  FMG represents clients in a wide variety of business and corporate matters, including forming and maintaining corporations, limited liability companies, limited liability partnerships, general and limited partnerships, joint ventures, and other business entities. We also advise and assist clients in matters concerning the purchase and sale of businesses, financing, employee relations, and all manner of business agreements and transactions. Our unique combination of legal expertise and practical business experience enables us to effectively, economically, and efficiently achieve our clients' business objectives.

Professional Liability. FMG has extensive experience in the analysis, direction, management, and trial in the area of professional liability. Our depth of experience in this practice area has been gained through our successful defense of malpractice claims against hospitals, physicians, dentists, pharmacists, attorneys, architects, professional engineers, accountants, and corporate directors and officers.

Environmental Law/Toxic Torts.  We here at FMG have extensive experience in defending against toxic mold claims, asbestos litigation, and general environmental litigation. Given our depth of experience in this practice area, we have assembled a team of competent experts to assist us in the defense of our clients.  Asbestos litigation is a unique practice area handled by FMG which presents many different issues that do not exist in normal personal injury claims, and we always have been able to safely maneuver our clients out of harm’s way.

Insurance Law.  FMG’s attorneys in this practice group often have been called upon to render opinions relating to complex coverage issues. Our broad litigation background enables us to reconcile intricate insurance terminology with the details of specific claims. We have acted on behalf of both carriers and insureds in this regard.  Our practical experience, combined with our comprehensive understanding of insurance law, enables us to provide accurate and realistic evaluations regarding coverage issues. This same analytic process has proven invaluable to assist carriers in defending against or preventing bad faith claims.

Elder Care.  Some of FMG’s attorneys have developed a keen insight in this emerging practice area, based in large part on our former senior partner's long-time involvement in the administration of a private skilled care facility.  Our experience in premises liability defense, as well as our understanding of complex medical issues relating to the elderly or infirm patient population, allows us to provide economical and successful representation of the health care provider, RCFE, and their liability insurer in these problematic claims.

Employment Law.  FMG has aggressively defended and advised clients in the areas of wrongful termination, employment discrimination, sexual harassment and alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.  Not only have we assisted clients in pending claims, but we also have provided useful advice toward the implementation of programs and policies to avoid such claims in the future.

Pharmacy Law.  FMG has a growing practice section devoted to issues involving pharmacies and pharmacists. This section has handled representation of both individual and corporate clients in a variety of matters, including disciplinary actions before the California State Board of Pharmacy and the Department of Health Care Services. In addition, FMG has represented various pharmacy groups in dealings with the Federal Food and Drug Administration, the Federal Trade Commission and various state pharmacy boards outside of California. FMG is currently pursuing greater involvement in civil litigation involving pharmacies, pharmacists and related pharmacy issues.

Intellectual Property.  FMG has affiliated itself with a local boutique firm, including members of the U.S. Patent Bar, which specializes in providing its clients with cost-effective intellectual property protection in the United States and abroad.  This particular firm was one of the first IP firms in San Diego, and it has a long and proud history representing large and small companies and individuals in a wide range of IP matters, including issues involving patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, technology transactions (including licensing, acquisitions, and technology transfers), and litigation at the PTO and state and federal court levels. FMG's attorneys work in concert with the affiliate firm's IP attorneys to assist in meeting any business litigation or related business transactional needs that arise from the given client's IP activities.

Municipal Law.  Some of FMG’s attorneys are well versed in a wide range of issues that confront public entities, which allows FMG to serve as both general counsel and litigation counsel to our public entity clients.  FMG’s attorneys have experience in representing public entities in both litigated and non-litigated matters, including cases involving the California Environmental Quality Act, the Brown Act, the California Public Records Act, eminent domain, inverse condemnation, real property, inclusionary housing, contracts, leases, personnel matters, land use & redevelopment issues, governmental torts and constitutional law.