New Law Blogs

Former AUSA to Manage Motley Rice West Coast Office

By Laterals, Etc.

Mark I. Labaton, a former California federal prosecutor, has joined plaintiff’s litigation firm Motley Rice LLC and will head up the firm’s new West Coast office in Los Angeles.

Labaton served for seven years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Central District of California, prosecuting white collar and health care fraud cases.

Full release after the jump. – LN

Plaintiffs’ Firm Motley Rice Launches a West Coast Office: Securities and Consumer Fraud Trial Lawyer Mark I. Labaton Joins New Office as Partner

Motley Rice LLC, one of the nation?s largest plaintiffs? litigation firms, today announces the expansion of its Securities and Consumer Fraud practice with the addition of an office in Los Angeles, California to help meet the needs of regional and national clients. Joining Motley Rice LLP as managing partner of the new California office is former federal prosecutor Mark I. Labaton. Labaton brings years of experience handling complex civil actions and a comprehensive background in securities, consumer fraud and shareholder derivative lawsuits, as well as lawsuits involving fraudulent trade practices, antitrust violations and whistleblower/qui tam claims. He represents consumers, institutional investors, unions, cities, municipalities and other entities victimized by fraud and corporate negligence.

Labaton first gained experience as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California. He prosecuted both False Claim Act actions against health care providers and other government contractors and white-collar fraud cases against senior executives of federally insured financial institutions. Labaton has since focused on complex whistleblower, securities fraud, corporate governance, consumer fraud litigation, and antitrust litigation and has handled high-stakes cases including lawsuits against major financial institutions, brokerage companies, media companies, Internet and other technology companies, telecommunications companies, healthcare providers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, defense contractors, retail and wholesale manufacturers and a variety of other businesses. He has also been integral in a number of cases whose outcomes resulted in reported court decisions in securities, corporate, whistleblower and False Claims Act law.

?The depth of his experience combined with his knowledge of the intricacies inherent in securities and consumer fraud litigation makes Mark a great addition to Motley Rice and also places him as a significant resource as the firm expands its presence on the west coast,? said Motley Rice Securities and Consumer Fraud practice group leader Bill Narwold.

Labaton?s background in securities and consumer fraud litigation has led to frequent appearances in the media and various speaking engagements regarding this highly complex area of the law. He has been featured in Los Angeles and Law and Politics magazines and appeared on the cover of Los Angeles Lawyer magazine. Labaton has also had numerous legal publications and commentaries published in such sources as Los Angeles Lawyer magazine, Los Angeles Daily Journal, San Francisco Daily Journal, the California Consumer Lawyer?s Advocate magazine, Legal Times, Banking Law Review and the Duke Law Journal. In 1988, Duke Law School bestowed Labaton with the ?Hervey M. Johnson Writing Prize,? an award given to the student having the best law review article. This article has since been cited in legal treatises, law articles, cases and the advisory notes of the Federal Rules of Civil procedure, and his recommendations were eventually adopted by the U.S. Supreme Court and contributed to an amendment to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. He is an elected member of the American Law Institute, serves on the Board of Governors of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers, and serves as a member of the Los Angeles Bar Association, Taxpayers Against Fraud, National Association of Securities and Consumer Attorneys and American Bar Association White Collar Crime Committee.

?With the continuing growth of our securities and consumer fraud practice, the opening of the Los Angeles office is a good fit. The California office confirms Motley Rice?s on-going commitment to serving clients nationwide,? said Motley Rice co-founder Joe Rice. ?I am excited to welcome Mark as we continue to grow and pursue new and innovative ways to fight on behalf of those harmed by corporate malfeasance. Mark?s passion for justice has been consistently reflected in his previous work, and we are fortunate to have a lawyer of his caliber joining our team.?

Located at 1100 Glendon Avenue, 15th Floor, the Motley Rice LLP office opens today and will primarily handle securities and consumer fraud, shareholder rights cases and whistleblower/qui tam claims. The office will also support the firm?s work involving mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases; burn pit exposure; environmental contamination such as the BP oil spill; aviation disasters; anti-terrorism and human rights; recalled drugs such as Levaquin® and Wellbutrin®; and medical devices such as the Composix® Kugel® Mesh hernia repair patch and Depuy hip replacement devices.

Full post as published by Main Justice on October 05, 2010 (boomark / email).