Blog Archives

On December 1st, Bentley and More LLP Partner Keith More helped raise over $216,000 for charity as the live auctioneer at the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association’s (OCTLA) Top Gun Awards ceremony held at the Westin South Coast Plaza. Every year the annual event raises money for charity, and this year’s deserving non-profit was Together We Rise, an organization dedicated to helping children in foster care. Mr. More, a three time winner of OCTLA Trial Lawyer of the Year and former president of the organization, is in his eighth year of serving as live auctioneer for the annual event. Bentley & More also sponsored the sold out event. “We could not be more excited to help in raising a record amount for Together We Rise. Everyone involved is absolutely amazing,” said Mr. More. Please join us in our commitment this holiday season in giving back to the community. Photo by Rick Kraemer, Executive Presentations.

THIS JUST IN: Bentley & More partners Greg Bentley and Clare Lucich obtained a $947,000 verdict against Corona Del Mar Properties LLC. The offer going into Trial was $185,000! Defense asked the jury to award only $50,000 to $100,000, but clearly the jury did not buy the defense’s attempt to discount justice. In this case, the Plaintiff slipped and fell on a freshly painted walkway at a retail property and suffered serious injuries to her shoulder and bicep requiring surgery. The Plaintiff was additionally diagnosed with Neurogenic Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, a nerve compression disorder resulting in pain, numbness, and tingling. Great work Greg and Clare!

Randy Mac of KNBC Los Angeles ran an in-depth piece on one of Greg Bentley’s clients and her 18 month old daughter who were severely injured by a defective e-cigarette battery. Mr. Bentley also discussed the complete lack of regulation in the e-cigarette industry and how it continually puts consumers at risk.

https://www.nbclosangeles.com/investigations/E-cigarette-lawsuit-toddler-burned-unregulated-danger-explosion-500885471.html

November 19, 2018 – Orange County, CA – LG Chem, LTD. is the Korean company responsible for manufacturing many of the exploding lithium-ion batteries used in today’s e-cigarette devices. It is now attempting to shield itself from responsibility for the devastating injuries suffered by unsuspecting consumers when their defective LG battery exploded. Although California e-cigarette users can easily and routinely purchase LG lithium-ion batteries in retail stores and online, LG has filed seven motions (with more to come) throughout the state seeking to avoid legal responsibility for this harm based upon a “lack of California jurisdiction.”

Electronic cigarettes are an ongoing and burgeoning problem.  Beyond their obvious pitfalls, e-cigs can catastrophically explode—blasting shrapnel, flames, and corrosive chemicals onto helpless users. And what should seem like a straightforward liability case often turns into a different beast altogether. This article, written by Bentley & More partners Greg Bentley and Matt Clark, explores some of the issues arising in e-cig litigation, how to properly begin to address those potential pitfalls, and the new direction these cases may be heading.

Click HERE or Photo below to view the full article.

The Orange County Women Lawyers Association (OCWLA) held its 43^rd Annual Gala at the spectacular Pelican Hill Resort on September 13, 2018.  The event is a major fundraiser for the organization and supports its charitable giving, scholarship and other programs throughout the year.  At the helm was this year’s OCWLA President, Jaimi Groothuis.  Over 300 judges, attorneys, friends, and family were in attendance.

OCWLA President-Elect, Michelle Philo, did an incredible job planning this year’s Gala.  Guests were greeted with a glass of champagne on the resort’s veranda while they perused the silent auction baskets and enjoyed a beautiful sunset overlooking Crystal Cove.  The event then moved inside for the dinner program where Keith More emceed the evening, entertaining the audience and helping the organization raise over $12,000 in live donations throughout the course of the night.

The evening focused on this year’s honorees, Judge Karen Robinson, OCWLA’s Judge of the Year, Andra Greene, Attorney of the Year, and Best Best & Krieger, LLP, received the first ever Advancement of Women Award.  OCWLA’s major philanthropic recipients, WHW and Girl’s Inc., were also recognized for the great work they do to open doors for the girls and women of Orange County.

For the fifth year in a row, Bentley & More proudly sponsored OCWLA’s Gala, which has become one of the premier events for Orange County’s legal community.

Greg Bentley continues to fight on behalf of consumers who have suffered tragic injuries as a result of e-cigarette explosions. One young man in San Diego had his e-cig battery explode in his pocket while driving for Uber. His story, like so many others, was covered by ABC San Diego. Sadly, these senseless injuries are happening all too often. Bentley & More is at the forefront of e-cigarette litigation, fighting on behalf of consumers and pushing for regulation. The firm filed 9 new lawsuits all involving randomly exploding batteries, many of which were manufactured by LG Chem.