Wondie Russell joined the firm in 1978, and has a litigation practice emphasizing insurance coverage, complex commercial litigation, product liability (including toxic tort), and record systems liabilities.

Experience

Ms. Russell has represented a diverse range of clients in counseling, negotiations, arbitrations and jury and non-jury litigation. Ms. Russell has experience in the coordination of multiple plaintiff toxic tort litigation on behalf of manufacturers and mining companies. Over the years, she has been involved in a wide variety of product liability, workplace safety, toxic tort and "right to know" matters and issues arising in the processing, manufacture and distribution of minerals, steel and other metals, asbestos and other building products, industrial equipment and products, sports and recreational products, foods, paints, dyes, chemicals, restaurant and office equipment.

Ms. Russell has unique experience in the design, development, implementation and supervision of projects and litigation requiring the management of mega-document collections and the use of a wide variety of computerized litigation support systems.  She has written and lectured on emerging issues in the area of electronic evidence discovery.

Representative Engagements

• Represents Pacific Gas & Electric in an action against its insurers seeking recovery for 67 sites subject to environmental enforcement proceedings. Pacific Gas & Electric Company v. Lexington Insurance Co., et al., No. 948209 (San Francisco Superior) 
• Represented Cyprus Amax Minerals Company subsidiary against multiple insurance companies in a carrier filed declaratory judgment proceeding concerning the recoverability costs of EPA-mandated remediation of a former leather tannery site. Commercial Union Insurance Company v. Cannelton Industries, Inc., No. 2:92-CV-111 (W.D. Mich.) 
• Represented ARCO in an action against numerous insurers to recover costs of defense and environmental remediation at multiple sites located in various states and involving diverse operational histories. ARCO v. AETNA, et al., No. BC015575 (Los Angeles Superior) 
• Actively involved in the landmark California Coordinated Asbestos Litigation concerning the scope and interpretation of comprehensive general liability insurance coverage in the context of asbestos bodily injury and property damage issues.
• Represented numerous corporate policyholders in obtaining insurance coverage for product liability, toxic tort, environmental and other claims in the past decade. In connection with such insurance engagements, she has continued to assist policyholder clients in the management and coordination of defense, settlement and trial of underlying tort litigation.

Publications

• "Internalizing Zubulake and Other Recent Rulings: In House Planning for Electronic Discovery"  The E-Discovery Standard  6.9.2005
• Insurance Coverage For Trademark Matters  3.31.2002

Speaking Engagements

• "Document Retention and Destruction in California," Lorman Education Services, Northern and Southern California, 2005 – 2006. 
•  "New Technologies & Privacy Implications in the Post 9/11 Library," PLI Annual Presentation for Law Librarians (Webcast), San Francisco, California, March 3, 2005.
• "Practical Solutions to Avoid Legal Malpractice," (inter alia, outlines new obligations to advise clients in avoiding alteration or loss of electronic records), Presented to State Bar of California Annual Meeting, Monterey, California, October 8, 2004.
•  "Record Retention in the Post Sox and Enron Era," and "Creating and Implementing an Effective Retention Policy," Lorman Education Services Seminars,  September and October, 2004.
• "Before We Fast Forward to 2525," (overview of hot issues in liability for products), Presented to Plenary Session, First Joint ABA Conference: Environmental, Product Liability & Toxic Tort Sections, Orlando, Florida, March 26, 2004.
• "Product Recall, Recovering From a Recall: The Legal Ramifications," PWC/HEWM Invitational Corporate Leadership Conference, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, February, 2001.