Olson, Robert A.

Current Employment Position(s)

Partner, since 1994

Year Joined Organization: 1987

Lawyer Overview

Bob Olson joined GMSR in 1987 and became a partner in 1994.

He graduated from Stanford University (with distinction) and from Stanford Law School (Order of the Coif). During law school, he served as an extern for the Honorable David L. Bazelon, United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia and, after law school, clerked for the Honorable Anthony Kennedy, then sitting on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, now an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.

Bob has briefed, argued, and won scores of appeals in both California and federal courts, including the California Supreme Court. His experience includes appellate briefs and oral arguments, petitions for extraordinary writs, amicus briefs, and petitions for review and certiorari, as well as related law and motion (e.g., motions for summary judgment, jury instructions, post-trial motions) in trial courts. He also provides insurance coverage advice to both carriers and insureds.

He is an officer of the California Academy of Appellate Lawyers and is a Certified Specialist in Appellate Law, State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. He has taught appellate advocacy as an adjunct professor at Loyola Law School and has acted as a volunteer mediator for the California Court of Appeal, Second District. He serves on the Appellate Courts Committee of the Los Angeles Bar Association and is an officer of the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel routinely participating in its amicus committee. Substantively, he has briefed and argued issues covering the breadth of civil law including general contract and tort issues, insurance coverage and insurance bad faith, enforcement of arbitration, medical and legal malpractice, employment discrimination and wrongful termination, malicious prosecution, products liability, agency termination, punitive damages, marital dissolution, partnership dissolution, easement and real property disputes, landowner liability, fraud, unfair business practices, antitrust, defamation, copyright, police misconduct, anti-SLAPP liability, and maritime wrongful death.

Besides his brief writing, Bob is a regular legal commentator, having authored numerous articles, and for more than 15 years has co-presented The Year in Review: A Summary of Recent Cases, at the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel Annual Seminar.

Areas of Practice

• Appellate Law
• Arbitration and Settlement Enforcement
• Business Litigation
• Employment and Agency Law
• Family Law
• Healthcare Law
• Insurance Law
• Punitive Damages
• Tort Litigation

Representative Cases

• Marriage of Burkle, In re, 139 Cal.App.4th 712 (2006)
• Fuller-Austin Insulation Co. v. Highlands Ins. Company, 135 Cal.App.4th 958 (2006)
• Alexander v. Farmers Group, Inc., Cal.App. Unpub. Lexis 6557 (2004)
• Kelly v. Methodist Hospital of So. California , 22 Cal.4th 1108 (2000)
• Sharon P. v. Arman, Ltd., 21 Cal.4th 1181 (1999)
• Surgin Surgical Instrumentation, Inc. v. Truck Ins. Exchange , 76 Cal.Rptr.2d 303 (1998)

West Practice Categories

Alternative Dispute Resolution, Arbitration, Business & Commercial Law, Employment Law -- Employer, Family Law, Health & Health Care Law, Insurance Law, Litigation & Appeals, Federal Appellate Practice, State Appellate Practice

Bar Admissions

• California, 1983
• U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 1984
• U.S. District Court Central District of California, 1985
• U.S. Supreme Court, 1990
• U.S. District Court Northern District of California, 1991
• U.S. District Court Southern District of California, 1991

Certification/Specialties

• Appellate Law, State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization, 1997

Professional Associations and Memberships

• California Academy of Appellate Lawyers (Member)
• Federal Bar Association, Los Angeles Chapter, 1995 - Present (Chair, Appellate Committee)
• Association of Southern California Defense Counsel (Co-Chair, Amicus Committee)

Honors and Awards

• Southern California Super Lawyers (Appellate), 2007 - 2011
• Named in The Best Lawyers in America (Appellate Law), 2010 - Present

Classes and Seminars

• Adjunct Professor of Law (Appellate Advocacy), Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, California, Fall, 1998
• Year in Review: A Summary of Recent Cases (annually), Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, 1996 - Present

Past Employment Positions

• Troy Casden Gould, 1985 - 1987
• Irell & Manella, 1984 - 1985
• Honorable Anthony M. Kennedy, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Law Clerk, 1983 - 1984
• Honorable David L. Bazelon, United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, Student Extern, 1982

Education

• Stanford Law School, Stanford, California, 1983
  J.D.
  Honors: Order of the Coif
• Stanford University, Stanford, California, 1979
  A.B.
  Honors: With Distinction
  Major: Political Science

Fraternities/Sororities

• Phi Beta Kappa

Published Works

• Examining the Rules - Divining Legislative Intent and Finding Statutory Meaning (Co-Author), Verdict Magazine, Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, 3rd Quarter, 2006
• Strategic Opportunities In The Statement Of Decision Process (Co-Author), Verdict Magazine Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, 2nd Quarter, 2005
• A Few Of My Favorite Things (Writing Tips), Verdict Magazine, Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, 4nd Quarter, 2004
• How Much is Enough? Evidentiary And Instructional Issues In Trying The Amount Of Punitive, Damages, Verdict Magazine, Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, 3rd Quarter, 2002
• The Meaning Of An Insurance Carrier's Reservation Of Rights, ABTL Report, ABTL Report, Spring and Summer, 2002
• Insured - Selected Independent Counsel: Rights and Limitations, ABTL Report, October, 1999
• California Civil Appellate Practice (Consultant), CEB 3d ed., 1996
• Issues in Trying the Amount of Punitive Damages, ABTL Report, September, 1996
• Is It Too Late to Settle? Problems with Settlement After Adjudication (Co-Author with Robin Meadow), ABTL Report, February, 1996

Address

5900 Wilshire Boulevard, 12th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90036

Phones

(310) 859-7811

Faxes

(310) 276-5261

Emails

Contact Us

Websites

http://www.gmsr.com