Casselman, David B.

Current Employment Position(s)

Senior Partner

Lawyer Overview

Senior Partner at Wasserman, Comden, Casselman & Esensten L.L.P., Mr. Casselman leads the litigation department, specializing in prosecution and defense of complex litigation matters, with a focus on jury trials.  He is equally comfortable representing defendants and plaintiffs in major litigation matters. 

Mr. Casselman has specialized expertise in public entity liability; inverse condemnation, public construction contract litigation; product liability litigation; landslide litigation, general business litigation, real property litigation; insurance matters and animal welfare causes.

Mr. Casselman was lead trial counsel in two of the top ten largest verdicts in the State of California in 2001.  The $94.5 million judgment in the case of Border Business Park v. City of San Diego was the 2nd largest in the State and the 10th largest in the United States in that year.  His $63.9 million dollar judgment on the MTA cross-complaint in the case of Tutor Saliba vs. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority was the 9^th largest verdict in California the same year.  This is believed to be the only time that the same lawyer has tried two of the top ten largest verdicts in California in the same year.  

Mr. Casselman was the 2009 President of Cal-ABOTA and the 2005 President of the Los Angeles Chapter of ABOTA, the American Board of Trial Advocates.  He is a well-known trial lawyer, speaker, expert, law professor and published author.  He has been AV rated by Martindale Hubbell for decades and has been consistently selected as a Southern California "Super Lawyer.

Mr. Casselman is an active member of the National Board and Los Angeles Board of the American Board of Trial Advocates and the writer and produce of "Civility Matters" a DVD used by ABOTA nationwide to teach civility to law students and lawyers. 

Mr. Casselman was an original Co-author of the 3 Volume "California Practice Guide: Insurance Litigation" published by The Rutter Group.  He was also an Adjunct Professor of Insurance Law at Southwestern Law and trial advocacy at West Los Angeles School of Law.  His speaking experience includes testimony before the California State Senate, as an expert witness, various legal seminars, including Rutter Group seminars, presentations to the California State Bar Convention, as well as various Bar Groups and the California Judges Association.

Mr. Casselman is also a member of the American Bar Association, Los Angeles County Bar Association and the San Fernando Valley Bar Association.  He is also the Founding Director of the Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary and Elephants in Crisis.

Mr. Casselman is a graduate of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, B.A. in Psychology, awarded with distinction, 1975; and Southwestern School of Law, Los Angeles, California, Juris Doctor, 1978; Law Review and Moot Court Member; honored as Alumnus Of The Year, 1993.

Member:   American Board of Trial Advocates; the Los Angeles Chapter of ABOTA; The State Bar of California; the Los Angeles County Bar Association; American Bar Association; International Association of Defense Counsel; Association of Southern California Defense Counsel (Past Member, Board of Directors); Defense Research Institute; American Trial Lawyers Association; and San Fernando Valley Bar Association .

Areas of Practice

• Complex Litigation
• Government Liability
• Product Liability
• Breach of Contract Actions
• Fraud Actions
• Business Litigation
• Earth Movement
• Insurance Law
• Intellectual Property

Representative Clients

• MTA (LA County)
• Sycamore Canyon Homeowners (Landslides in Santa Barbara)

Representative Cases

• Lang v. Hochman, 77 Cal.App.4th 1225 (2000)
• Re-Open Rambla v. Board of Supervisors, 39 Cal.App.4th 1499 (1995)
• Belair v. Riverside County Flood Control Dist., 47 Cal.3rd 550 (1988)
• Geffen v. County of Los Angeles, 197 Cal.App.3d 188 (1987)

West Practice Categories

Business & Commercial Law, Contracts, Criminal Fraud, Insurance Law, Complex Litigation, Products Liability Law, Real Estate Law, Municipal Liability

Bar Admissions

• California

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Supreme Court Historical Society (Member)
• American Board of Trial Advocates
• California State Organization (President)
• American Board of Trial Advocates, Los Angeles Chapter (President)
• American Board of Trial Advocates (Member, National Board)
• American Board of Trial Advocates (National Co-Chair, Civility & Professionalism Committee)
• Association of Southern California Defense Counsel (Past Board Member)
• Defense Research Institute (Past Member)
• San Fernando Valley Bar Association
• American Bar Association

Honors and Awards

• Southern California Super Lawyer, 2005 - 2010
• President, the California State Organization of the American Board of Trial Advocates, 2009
• President Elect, California State Organization of the American Board of Trial Advocates, 2008
• Vice President and Secretary, California State Organization of the American Board of Trial Advocates, 2007
• Recipient, Lee V. Wenzel Civility Award, Los Angeles Chapter, American Board of Trial Advocates, 2006
• President, Los Angeles Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates, 2005
• Alumnus of the Year Southwestern University School of Law, 1993

Classes and Seminars

• Adjunct Professor, Insurance Law, Southwestern Law School
• Trial Advocacy, West Los Angeles School of Law
• Frequent Lecturer, Insurance Law, California State Bar Convention
• Masters in Trial Presentations, American Board of Trial Advocates
• Seminar, California State Bar Convention

Pro Bono Activities

• Founder of Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary (www.cambodiawildlifesanctuary.com)

Past Employment Positions

• Brill, Hunt, DeBuys & Burby, 1978 - 1980

Education

• Southwestern University School of Law, Los Angeles, California, 1978
  J.D.
  Honors: Member, Moot Court
  Honors: 1993 Alumnus of the Year
  Law Review: Southwestern University Law Review, Member
• University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1975
  B.A.
  Honors: With Distinction
  Major: Psychology
  Major: Speech and Theatre

References

• Robert Reagan (213) 922-2508

Published Works

• Training Materials, California Judges Association
• California Practice Guide: Insurance Litigation (Co-Author), The Rutter Group
• Lang v. Hochman, 77 Cal.App.4th 1225, 2000
• Re-Open Rambla v. Board of Supervisors, 39 Cal.App.4th 1499, 1995
• Belair v. Riverside County Flood Control Dist., 47 Cal.3rd 550, 1988
• Geffen v. County of Los Angeles, 197 Cal.App.3d 188, 1987

Address

5567 Reseda Boulevard
Suite 330
P.O. Box 7033
Tarzana, CA 91357-7033

Phones

(818) 705-6800
(818) 609-2323

Faxes

(818) 705-8147

Emails

Contact Us

Websites

http://www.wcclaw.com
http://www.wccelaw.com