Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P. has announced the addition of seven attorneys to its new Orange County office. Joining the firm are Partners, Frank C. Rothrock and Michelle M. Fujimoto, Of Counsel, Joel Lamp and D. Susan Wiens and Associates, Paul B. LaScala, Darolyn Y. Hamada and Grace Lee. The attorneys were previously with Palmieri, Tyler, Wiener, Wilhelm & Waldron, LLP.
Frank C. Rothrock has joined the firm’s Products Liability Litigation Division, with an impressive background that includes experience at both the trial and appellate levels. His representative litigation expertise includes prosthetic heart valves, orthopedic appliances, breast implants, contraceptive devices, pharmaceuticals, heart-lung machines, ophthalmic instruments, dental appliances and hematolgic analyzers.
Mr. Rothrock has practiced before both the California Court of Appeal and the California Supreme Court in cases involving medical devices, environmental torts and eminent domain.
Mr. Rothrock is the former Chairman of the Orange County Bar Association College of Trial Advocacy. He is a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel, the Defense Research Institute, the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, the Federation of Insurance and Corporate Counsel and the Federal, American and Orange County Bar Associations.
Mr. Rothrock received his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law in 1972, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif. He received his A.B., cum laude, from Occidental College in 1969.
Michelle M. Fujimoto has joined the firm’s Products Liability Litigation Division, with more than sixteen years experience in complex product liability litigation, specializing in pharmaceuticals, all medical devices and in the defense of toxic tort litigation.
Ms. Fujimoto has handled cases involving orthopedic products, CT scan injectors, surgical instruments and solutions, tracheotomy tubes, intraocular lenses, respiratory protective devices and several chemicals. Her trial experience includes the defense of medical device design, chemical exposure, breach of contract involving the divestiture of product lines, research agreements, distributor agreements and environmental remediation agreements.
Ms. Fujimoto received her J.D. from the University of Southern California Law School in 1986. She received her B.A., magna cum laude, from Pepperdine University in 1983.
Joel C. Lamp has joined the firm’s Products Liability Litigation Division as Of Counsel. He is a member of the Orange County and American Bar Associations, the Association of Defense Counsel of Northern California, the Association of Defense Counsel of Southern California and the Defense Research Institute.
D. Susan Wiens has joined the firm’s Products Liability Litigation Division as Of Counsel. She is a member of the Orange County and American Bar Associations.
Ms. Wiens received her J.D. from Loyola Law School in 1989, where she was a member of the Scott Moot Court Honors Board and the Traynor Moot Court Team. She received her M.A. from California State University in 1974 and her B.A. from the University of California, Irvine in 1972.
Paul B. LaScala has joined the firm’s Products Liability Litigation Division as an Associate. He is a member of the Orange County and the American Bar Associations.
Mr. LaScala received his J.D. from Loyola Marymount University, Loyola Law School in 1996, where he was a member of the St. Thomas More Law Honor Society. He received his B.A. from the University of San Diego in 1992.
Darolyn Y. Hamada has joined the firm’s Products Liability Litigation Division as an Associate. She is a member of the Orange County and American Bar Associations. She was the Judicial Extern to The Honorable David F. Levi of the United States District Court, Eastern District of California.
Ms. Hamada received her J.D. from the University of California, Davis School of Law in 1997, where she was Senior Research Editor of the University of California, Davis Law Review. She received her B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley in 1991.
Grace Lee has joined the firm’s Products Liability Litigation Division as an Associate. She is a member of the Orange County and American Bar Associations.
Ms. Lee received her J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law in 1999. She received her B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1993.
