Legal Expertise

Business litigation with a focus on trial and appellate proceedings relating to real property, securities and insurance.

Insurance Litigation: Representation of insureds in complex insurance coverage disputes involving a variety of policies, including commercial general liability, directors and officers, errors and omissions, remediation, business interruption, workers compensation, fidelity bonds, motion picture and television liability, homeowners, uninsured motorist, and various types of first-party property coverage. Insureds' representation has been in areas of: (a) business litigation; (b) environmental coverage; (c) copyright and false advertising claims against motion picture producers; (d) wrongful termination; and (e) broker negligence. In conjunction with Public Counsel, Mr. Leonard also represented on a pro bono basis several small business owners whose businesses were burned and/or looted in the 1992 Los Angeles riot.

Real Estate Litigation: Extensive experience representing property owners, lessors, lessees and other interested parties in a wide variety of real estate litigation, including complex landlord-tenant disputes and actions for condemnation, judicial foreclosure, partition, quiet title, nuisance and trespass.

Securities Litigation: Representation of publicly held companies in state and federal courts in California and Delaware in actions for securities fraud under Section 10(b) and Rule 10b-5, for false or misleading statements in connection with initial public offerings and proxy materials, and against a hostile bidder for a publicly traded manufacturer of computer printers. Represent investors in claims against their brokers for fraud, professional malpractice, negligence and breach of fiduciary duty. 

Representative Matters

• Obtained an eight-figure recovery under a first-party policy for a pharmaceutical company in a hotly disputed matter seeking recovery of losses arising out of an FDA-imposed recall and shutdown order.
• Obtained a seven-figure recovery for a company under a first party policy arising out of "damage" to products caused by fluctuation of temperatures in situation where the carrier claimed there was no "physical damage."
• Participated with other members of MS&K's Litigation Department to secure a seven-figure recovery on behalf of an individual investor against a major brokerage company.
• Obtained summary judgment in federal court requiring client's liability insurers to defend complex business litigation relating to control of a major resort property, resulting in settlements in excess of $3 million.
• Obtained in excess of $2 million in payments on behalf of the producers of a motion picture in connection with Lanham Act false advertising suit by a prominent author.
• Obtained payments well in excess of $1 million on behalf of publicly traded companies in securities class action lawsuits.
• Defeated insurers' motion for summary judgment in suit in Los Angeles County Superior Court seeking coverage for costs of environmental remediation of real property resulting in payment of several hundred thousand dollars to client.
• Successfully negotiated with various insurance companies in connection with coverage for costs of remediation at several Superfund sites in Northern and Southern California.
• Successfully negotiated with uninsured motorist's carrier for payment of maximum benefits in connection with injuries sustained by members of a religious order caused by a hit-and run driver, where physical contact was a disputed fact.