Team
Biography
John E. Rosenthal is a partner focusing his practice on complex product liability defense litigation, toxic tort litigation, insurance defense, as well as premises liability, environmental litigation, and general litigation matters. He represents individuals, small companies, and national corporations in all stages of state and federal litigation. John has resolved a wide range of cases as first-chair trial counsel, co-chaired several trials to defense verdict, and prevailed on appellate briefs including before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Serving as national coordinating counsel, John has worked with his clients to shape national litigation strategies, managing the coordination of lawyers in jurisdictions across the country, and joining trial teams in states other than California on pro hac vice admissions.
As a litigator, John has represented defendants and plaintiffs in matters involving business disputes, catastrophic personal injury or death, insurance coverage, construction defect, and intellectual property. He advises clients on regulatory compliance, including international agreements, federal regulations, and state law. He specializes in effectively communicating the technical, scientific, and medical issues often at the core of the defense of his clients. He has extensive experience in every aspect of complex litigation, from discovery to trial and appeal, including settlement negotiations, arbitration, mediation, and administrative hearings.
John has a strong track record for achieving favorable results for his clients. Most recently, John was part of the trial team which obtained a defense verdict for an electrical products seller in a living mesothelioma case filed in San Francisco. Working with the client’s national trial counsel and his partner Jeremy D. Huie, John conducted direct and cross examination of a plaintiff and several expert witnesses. The jury found that the plaintiff did not work with the client’s asbestos-containing electrical products despite new details which were disclosed for the first time during the plaintiff’s trial testimony. Judge Mary Wiss presided over the preference trial.
John’s winning strategy is to anticipate potential case outcomes and resolve litigation at the earliest available opportunity, often before trial, to limit his client’s exposure and contain costs. John believes that his client’s business operations and goals are paramount, taking both long and short-term litigation effects into consideration, and carefully calibrating legal representation at each stage of the case in order to best meet his client’s objectives. Applying fair and compelling legal analysis, John guides his clients through negotiation, mediation, and resolution.
John received his J.D. from the University of California, Davis, School of Law, where he was awarded the American Bar Association’s Certificate for Excellence in Health Law and taught Legal Writing as a graduate student instructor. He served as Articles Editor for the Journal of International Law and Policy, and debate finalist at the Jessup International Law Moot Court. During law school, he also completed a clerkship at the Superior Court of California in the civil motions and hearings department, and interned for the civil law division of the California Attorney General’s Office. Over the course of his practice, John has handled claims involving several pro bono matters, defending clients from underrepresented communities in unlawful detainer, debt collection, and bankruptcy proceedings.
Practice Areas
- Business Litigation
- Construction Law
- Environmental Law
- Product Liability
- Toxic Tort
Bar Admissions
- California, 2004
- U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit
- U.S. District Court Central District of California
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of California
- U.S. District Court Northern District of California
- U.S. District Court Southern District of California
Professional Associations
- American Bar Association, Member
- Bar Association of San Francisco, Member
Education
- University of California at Davis School of Law, Davis, California
- J.D. – 2004
- Honors: American Bar Association’s Certificate for Excellence Award in Health Law
- Honors: Debate Finalist, Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition
- University of California, Davis, California
- B.A. – 2001
- Honors: With Honors
- Major: English Literature
Past Employment
- Yolo County Superior Court, Clerk, Civil Law and Motion Department
- California Attorney General’s Office, Clerk, Tobacco Litigation Section
- Donnelly Nelson Depolo & Murray LLP, Attorney, 2004 to 2006
- Schiff Hardin LLP, Attorney, 2006 to 2008