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• Law Offices of Thomas B. Cummings

Law Firm Overview

ABOUT OUR FIRM:

The Law Offices of Thomas B. Cummings will address your general litigation needs in defense of claims or lawsuits brought against you. The firm can provide extensive trial and appellate skills and experience through Thomas B. Cummings and Chiquita D. Ector, in order to achieve the optimal result for you, whether by way of negotiated resolution, or trial, in all manner of claims or litigation.

FIRM LOCATION:

The firm is centrally located in Orange County, adjacent to Anaheim Stadium. Our attorneys have easy access to all courthouses within Orange County. From our location, we can also easily attend court appearances in Los Angeles County, Riverside County, and San Bernardino County

All members of the firm combine their individual talents, high ethical standards and commitment to excellence to provide our clients with solutions to their legal questions in the most intuitive and innovative manner possible.

MISSION STATEMENT:

Our mission is to provide an excellent defense in the representation of our clients who may be presented with claims or lawsuits seeking money damages. Where possible, we will seek to achieve an early resolution of such claims in the most cost effective manner possible based on a specific litigation plan reached between our client and the firm. Where it is necessary to provide a defense to our clients through trial, we will undertake the necessary preparations for trial and participation in the trial, also based on an agreement with the client concerning the litigation plan and strategy, in order to achieve the agreed-upon litigation goal reached through jury verdict.

LAW FIRM QUALIFICATIONS:

Our firm can offer a wide range of experience to our clients on a variety of subjects, including litigation defense skills, mediation and negotiation of claims, writs and appeals that may become necessary during litigation, investigation through use of the firm's computer skills at a significant saving of cost to our clients, as well as research and writing skills to provide clients with legal opinions on any unique area of concern for an individual client.

RECENT RESULTS:

Recently, Thomas B. Cummings received a defense verdict, by a vote of 11 to 1, in a case where the plaintiff was pursuing the firm's client on a contractual indemnity theory.

The exposure on the case was up to $2 million dollars if the plaintiff had prevailed. However, in a bifurcated case, Mr. Cummings was able to achieve a defense verdict in favor of our client, thereby saving the exposure of $2 million dollars, plus any claims for interests, costs and attorney fees.

Another recent verdict includes a situation where a man in a wheelchair entered a store to conduct a transaction. The store was equipped with facilities that were facilitated to assist customers with disabilities. The man in the wheelchair attempted to exploit the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Unruh Act by claiming the store was in violation of the ADA guidelines. The Plaintiff filed suit and demanded settlement. Thomas Cummings defended the store owners through trial and received a unanimous 12-0 defense verdict in favor of the store owners.

Areas of Practice

• Defense of Americans with Disabilities Claims
• Defense of Housing Discrimination Claims
• Defense of Construction Defect Claims
• Defense of Mold Injury Claims
• Defense of Personal Injury Claims
• Defense of Breach of Contract Claims

Classes and Seminars

• Masters in Trial, American Board of Trial Advocates
• Trial Practices, Continuing Education of the Bar
• Trial Practices, National Business Institute

Pro Bono Activities

• Arbitrator, Los Angeles Superior Court, 1993 - 1977
• Arbitrator, Orange County Superior Court, 1977 - Present
• Settlement Conference Officer, Orange County Superior Court, 1977 - Present

Representative Clients

• National Business Institute
• Mercury Insurance
• Apartment Association of Orange County

Representative Cases

• Brendel vs. City of Garden Grove
• Jayne vs. Grant & Roth
• Tatum v. City of Garden Grove
• Doke vs. Bates-Lee
• Terry vs. Farmers
• Priestly vs. Lang
• Phelps vs. Estate of McCarthy
• 1120 Central Condo Association vs. Don Cox Construction
• Estate of Batman vs. Weaver
• Jeanmarie vs. Otis
• Pestano vs. Mid-Century Insurance Company
• Padgham vs. Foster
• GAB vs. Lindsey & Newsom Claim Services
• Allstate v. Smith
• Capone v. Harbor Econo Lube 'N Tune
• Smith v. Johnson
• Davoodi v. Turtle Rock Pointe Homeowners Association
• Stiller v. Roberts
• Bill v. Warino
• Haynes v. Morrow
• Avina v. Macias
• Southdown, Inc. v. BRD, Inc. dba Nu West Fabrication & Rubber Supply
• Gunther v. Chapman Plaza
• Reddy v. Montagu
• Estate of Kim
• Kaye v. Covenant
• Doan v. Nguyen
• Antonova v. Duringer

Ancillary Businesses

• Owner and Director, Apartment Association of Orange County

West Practice Categories

Alternative Dispute Resolution, Arbitration, Mediation, Business & Commercial Law, Contracts, Civil Rights, Age Discrimination, Disability & Illness Discrimination, National Origin Discrimination, Race Discrimination, Religious Discrimination, Sex Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, Constitutional Law, Discrimination, Construction Law, Housing & Construction Defects, Employment Law -- Employer, Affirmative Action -- Employer, Americans with Disabilities Act -- Employer, Employee Rights -- Employer, Employment Contracts -- Employer, Employment Discrimination -- Employer, Sexual Harassment -- Employer, Wrongful Termination -- Employer, Insurance Defense, Litigation & Appeals, Federal Trial Practice, State Appellate Practice, State Trial Practice, Personal Injury -- Defense, Animal Bites -- Defense, Assault & Battery -- Defense, Defamation & Privacy -- Defense, Motor Vehicle Accidents -- Defense, Premises Liability -- Defense, Property Damage -- Defense, Slip and Fall -- Defense, Wrongful Death -- Defense, Products Liability Law, Alcoholic Beverages, Apparel, Machinery & Tools, Recreational Products