Henry B. LaTorraca - Long Beach, CA

Experience

Mr. LaTorraca has represented parties in complex litigation, including, but not limited to, insurance coverage and bad faith, breach of contract, copyright infringement, trademark infringement, misappropriation of trade secrets, unfair competition, legal and medical malpractice, fraud, malicious prosecution and other intentional torts, negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress, conversion, strict liability for defective products and failure to warn of dangerous products, partnership dissolution, corporate director's and officer's liability and shareholder's rights, negligence, construction defect, trespass, nuisance and inverse condemnations of real property, employment litigation, including wrongful termination, discrimination and/or harassment on the basis of race, color, ancestry, national origin, sex, or perceived sexual orientation in violation of Title VII (42 U.S.C §2000e), F.E.H.A. (Government Code §§12900 et seq.), the Ralph Civil Rights Act regarding freedom from violence or intimidation in the workplace (Civil Code §51.7), and the Bane Act regarding interference with rights secured by the Constitutions of either the United States of America or California (Civil Code §52.1). He has successfully tried numerous cases in state and federal courts to conclusion over 30 years wherein punitive damages have been sought. He has written and argued numerous civil writs and appeals in state and federal courts. He has also drafted many documents pertaining to business transactions. He has an "AV" rating by Martindale-Hubbell, its highest rating. His undergraduate degree in business administration and his experience as managing partner of his past and present firms for over a decade adds to his qualifications as a lawyer in complex business litigation and commercial transactions.

Lectures

Mr. LaTorraca has given several lectures on theoretical and practical considerations regarding claims of insurance bad faith and management of insurance bad faith litigation. Mr. LaTorraca gave a three-hour course on "Defenses and Contemporary Legal Issues" at the National Arson Investigation Training Seminar sponsored by the Insurance Committee for Arson Control held on April 5-8, 1992 at the Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel in Pasadena, California. In 1999, Mr. LaTorraca gave several lectures on SB 1237 and AB 1309, which later became Propositions 30 and 31, the Fair Insurance Responsibility Act of 2000 and the Alternative Dispute Resolution Act. Mr. LaTorraca was one of a prestigious panel of speakers which included the risk manager of Fox Entertainment Group, a regional analyst from SAFECO Insurance Companies, and a claims advocate from Marsh USA, Inc. for a three-hour course, "You Be the Judge! Does This CGL Policy Provide a Defense/Indemnity," held on May 4, 2000 for the 38th Annual Conference and Exposition of the Risk and Insurance Management Society in San Francisco, California.

Expert Consulting Testimony

Mr. LaTorraca has been consulted as an expert in insurance bad faith, and he has testified in depositions and at trial as an expert in insurance bad faith, most recently, as an expert retained by State Farm in Masri v. State Farm, wherein the jury agreed with Mr. LaTorraca's opinion that State Farm's handling of Mr. Masri's claim was reasonable. Mr. LaTorraca was recently an expert witness for a client of a law firm in a binding fee arbitration before three arbitrators that unanimously found that a major downtown Los Angeles law firm overbilled the client by approximately $90,000. The panel's written opinion stated, in part, "The panel finds the analysis presented by Mr. LaTorraca regarding padding persuasive."