Elizabeth D. Le
Experience
- Business Litigation: Represents large corporations in the prosecution and defense of business tort claims that involve issues of consumer and business fraud, misappropriation of trade secrets, unfair competition and false advertising, and antitrust, including individual and class claims under California's Unfair Competition Law (UCL) and False Advertising Law (FAL) (Business & Professions Code §§ 17200 and 17500).
- Insurance Coverage and Litigation: Practice focuses on coverage litigation, insurance subrogation, and defense of bad faith litigation. Experienced in catastrophic fires, explosions, pipeline explosions and failures, generators and turbines, equipment failures, production facility losses, mechanical failures involving a diverse range of products and process equipment, industrial equipment, consumer products and losses caused by welders, construction workers, equipment operators, manufacturers, suppliers, and repair/maintenance providers.
- Child Advocacy: Handles pro bono cases for Public Counsel.
- Represents clients in immigration and consumer protection pro bono matters through the Asian Pacific American Legal Center.
- Member of the Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P. Diversity Committee.
Selected Results*
Counsel in In Re Chocolate Confectionary Antitrust Litigation, representing indirect purchasers of chocolate products in suit against four major chocolate makers for price fixing conspiracy.
MarkWest Hydrocarbon, Inc. et al, v. Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, Birmingham Fire Ins. Co., ACE American Ins. Co., ARCH Ins. Co., 2009 U.S. App. LEXIS 5265, March 9, 2009, rehearing and en banc consideration denied, April 17, 2009 (affirming summary judgment in favor of property insurer on insured's claim to recover more than $9 million, holding that the corrosion exclusion precluded coverage for costs arising from corrective actions taken insured pursuant to order from OPS and that all-risk insurance is not a maintenance contract).
Represented several foreign and domestic insurance companies in litigation arising from the Olympic pipeline rupture and explosion in Bellingham, Washington. As a result of the unavailability of the pipeline, Atlantic Richfield sustained business interruption and extra expense losses. The litigation involved the resolution of coverage issues with Atlantic Richfield and a subrogation action against the owner and operator of the pipeline. The subrogation case settled for a confidential amount a month before trial was scheduled to begin in federal court in Seattle.
Co-trial counsel in representation of insurer in breach of contract and bad faith action arising from fire to aquatics and recreation center.
Represented major insurer in multi-million dollar coverage dispute arising from construction defect of large hotel.
Represented insured and insurers in subrogation action arising out of catastrophic failure of power generator for recovery of property and business interruption damage.
Represented major ski lift manufacturer and construction company in a series of products liability actions.
Represented plaintiffs in civil rights litigation concerning unreasonable search and seizure and violations of due process and Fourth Amendment rights.
Recognition
- Named a "Southern California Rising Star," by Law & Politics (2008, 2010)**
Languages
Memberships
- American Bar Association, Advisory Panel
- Los Angeles County Bar Association
- Beverly Hills Bar Association
- Century City Bar Association
Civic Associations
- Asian Pacific American Legal Center, Executive Advisory Council
- Fashion for Freedom, Co-founder
Bar Admissions
- California
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth 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
Education
- Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, J.D. (2001); Editor of Loyola Law Review
- Brandeis University, B.A., cum laude (1997)
Selected Speeches
-
Poised for Leadership
London Women Insurance Leadership Seminar, London, England
(February 6, 2008)