News
Daily Journal Top 100 California Lawyers
Posted by Martin Buchanan on Tuesday, September 27th, 2011 at 5:05 pmThe Daily Journal has named Martin Buchanan as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in California for 2011.
Girardi & Keese v. City of Los Angeles
Posted by Martin Buchanan on Wednesday, September 14th, 2011 at 9:54 pmOn September 14, 2011, Martin won a reversal of an order directing a plaintiffs’ law firm to pay the City’s legal fees for defending a case that was dismissed on summary judgment. The Court of Appeal found that the trial court had erred in ruling that the law firm did not maintain the action in good faith or with reasonable cause.
Juvenile Justice Commission Award
Posted by Martin Buchanan on Wednesday, July 20th, 2011 at 3:22 pmOn July 20, 2011, Martin received the annual Volunteer Award from the San Diego County Juvenile Justice Commission. The award recognized Martin’s ”outstanding commitment to youth in the juvenile justice system” based on his volunteer work at San Diego Teen Court and as a board member for Social Advocates for Youth – San Diego.
In re Ortho Evra Litigation
Posted by Martin Buchanan on Monday, June 6th, 2011 at 10:26 pmOn June 6, 2011, Martin won a writ proceeding in the California Court of Appeal on behalf of three plaintiffs who sued Johnson & Johnson for blood clots caused by the Ortho Evra birth control patch. Martin was retained to brief and argue the matter after the defendants filed a petition for writ of mandate and the Court of Appeal issued an alternative writ. After full briefing and oral argument, the Court of Appeal discharged the alternative writ and summarily dismissed the defendants’ petition.
San Diego Super Lawyers Top 50
Posted by Martin Buchanan on Thursday, June 2nd, 2011 at 10:13 pmOn June 2, 2011, Martin was named as one of San Diego’s Top 50 lawyers by San Diego Super Lawyers. Martin was one of only three attorneys named in both the Top 50 list and the top Appellate Lawyers list. The Top 50 list includes lawyers in all practice areas who received the highest point totals in the Super Lawyers nomination, peer evaluation, and review process.
Montz v. Pilgrim Films & Television, Inc.
Posted by Martin Buchanan on Thursday, May 5th, 2011 at 3:50 pmOn May 4, 2011, Martin and his co-counsel won an appeal before the en banc Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in a case involving the theft of an idea for a television show. Martin represents plaintiffs who allege that the defendants stole their idea for “Ghost Hunters,” a television show about paranormal investigators. In September 2010, a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit ruled that the plaintiffs’ claims were preempted by the Copyright Act. However, the Ninth Circuit subsequently took the case en banc and reached the opposite conclusion. Martin was primarily responsible for the en banc briefing and his co-counsel at Girardi & Keese argued the case.
Shalant v. Girardi
Posted by Martin Buchanan on Thursday, May 5th, 2011 at 3:40 pmOn May 4, 2011, Martin argued a case in the California Supreme Court on the proper interpretation of California’s vexatious litigant statute. Martin represents an attorney who was sued by a vexatious litigant. The issue in the case is whether a vexatious litigant must obtain permission of the presiding judge to proceed in propria persona if he is initially represented by counsel, but later becomes self-represented during the pendency of the case.
Walkowiak v. MP Associates
Posted by Martin Buchanan on Wednesday, March 9th, 2011 at 11:07 pmOn March 9, 2011, Martin obtained a reversal of a judgment in a products liability case against the manufacturer of a simulated stinger missile. In the appeal, Martin represented a pyrotechnic operator who was seriously injured when the simulated missile exploded in his face while he was working on a movie set. The California Court of Appeal found that the trial court had erred by granting summary judgment in favor of the manufacturer on a design defect claim.