John W. Amberg
John W. Amberg
John W. Amberg
Biography
John is an experienced litigator who has tried dozens of cases to successful conclusion in courts and arbitrations. He handles a broad range of commercial and product liability disputes for clients in the aircraft, banking, computer software, credit card processing, entertainment, food and beverage, medical device, and retailing industries, among others, as well as fiduciary and professional liability disputes for lawyers and other professionals. His creative strategic thinking, seasoned judgment, and responsiveness to his clients’ needs have gained him the confidence of litigants in major cases.
John has been an arbitrator for the Dispute Resolution Service of the Los Angeles County Superior Court and a Special Deputy Trial Counsel for the discipline department of the California State Bar, and is an arbitrator for the Los Angeles County Bar Association Mandatory Fee Arbitration Panel. He is former chair of the California State Bar’s Committee on Professional Responsibility and Conduct and former chair and a current member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Professional Responsibility and Ethics Committee. He serves as an expert witness on legal ethics and malpractice issues. A former managing partner of the Los Angeles office, John chairs the firm’s Ethics Committee in the United States. Prior to joining the firm, he completed a judicial clerkship for the Honorable Douglas W. Hillman of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan.
Professional Affiliations
Member, Standing Committee on Discipline - Central District of California
- Ethics Committee
Clerkships
Clerkship, Honorable Douglas W. Hillman, U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan, 1979-1980
Admissions
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California, 1983
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Missouri, 1981
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Michigan, 1980
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United States Courts of Appeals for the Ninth and Federal CircuitsUnited States District Courts for the Central, Eastern, Northern and Southern Districts of California; Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri; and Western District of Michigan
Education
University of Michigan, J.D., cum laude, 1979
Princeton University, A.B., 1974
Related Practice Areas
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Business & Commercial Disputes
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Workouts & Financial Restructuring
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Wealth Management
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Subchapter S
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Going Private
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Community Banking Litigation
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De Novo Banking
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Employment Class & Collective Actions
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Sports (Class Actions)
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Data Privacy, Telecommunications & Collections
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Toxic Tort
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Antitrust Class Actions
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Shareholder Securities and Mergers & Acquisitions
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Food, Ag & Nutrition (Class Actions)
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Class Actions & Mass Torts
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Financial Services
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Financial Services Corporate & Regulatory Team
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Corporate
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Litigation & Dispute Resolution
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Finance
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Catastrophic Accidents
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Consumer Fraud
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Consumer Products
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Food, Ag & Nutrition
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Insurance (Class Actions)
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Pharmaceutical & Medical Devices (Class Actions)
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Pharmaceutical & Medical Devices (Mass Torts)
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Class Actions
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Fiduciary Disputes
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Mass Torts & Product Liability
Experience
- Successfully tried Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit to establish client’s exclusive ownership of patent for contactless payment technology.
- Lead counsel for legal publisher in federal trial to enforce constitutional right to access to state court records.
- Defended national restaurant company in two-week trial in Los Angeles Superior Court breach of franchise contract lawsuit.
- Defended international entertainment company in wrongful death case after drug overdose of musical performer.
- Represented sex researcher Dr. William H. Masters in lawsuit for control of educational materials using his intellectual property.
- Successfully tried $25 million Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit by commercial real estate developer against national bank client for alleged predatory lending in San Fernando Valley land development.
- Successfully tried federal lawsuits against national retailer alleging severe head injury to minor child in store accident.
- Obtained dismissal of clients, Israeli chemical companies and their foreign subsidiaries, in toxic tort mass action for alleged injuries in the Philippines.
- Successfully tried three month toxic tort lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against chemical company client.
- Obtained dismissal of putative class action against national retailer client for sales tax refunds.
- Arbitrated intellectual property rights and license fees for streaming video and DVD sales under royalty and licensing agreements.
- Defended lawsuit for syndication royalties by California production company against clients, owners of Louisville, KY television station.
- Tried Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit against refining company client for royalties from state and city oil concessions in Long Beach coastal waters.
- Defended heirs of television industry executive in lawsuit alleging undue influence in estate plan.
- Tried Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit by heirs against client, the widow and administrator of the estate of an international trading company executive, and successfully defended verdict on appeal.
- Defended major U.S. brokerage firm in FINRA arbitration by former customer.
- Successfully argued appeals for major bank clients in lawsuits alleging mortgage fraud, lending law violations, and improper syndication of loans.
- Arbitrated attorneys’ fees disputes in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
- Testified as expert witness in legal malpractice cases in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Orange County.
Resources
Publications
John has written articles for Los Angeles Lawyer magazine, the Association of Business Trial Lawyers, National Institute of Trial Advocacy, Los Angeles Bar Association and State Bar of California.
Selected recent publications include:
- "Ethics Roundup," Los Angeles Lawyer, annually published review of California legal ethics developments during the prior year (April 2001)
- “The Ethical Duties of an Advocate,” LACBA Monthly Member Newsletter (Oct. 2022)
- “Don’t Insult the Judge,” County Bar Update, Los Angeles County Bar Association (May 2019)
- “Did the Unified Bar Have an Antitrust Problem?” County Bar Update, Los Angeles County Bar Association (Jan. 2018)
- “Commenting on Cases,” County Bar Update, Los Angeles County Bar Association (April 2017)
- “Penalty Called on Zealous Advocacy,” County Bar Update, Los Angeles County Bar Association (Nov./Dec. 2015)
- "Marketing Legal Services Ethically," County Bar Update, Los Angeles County Bar Association (Aug. 2014)
- “When Is It Ethical to Pay a Fact Witness?," County Bar Update, Los Angeles County Bar Association (July 2013)
Speaking Engagements
John has lectured to the Inns of Court, Association of Corporate Counsel, Association of Business Trial Lawyers, American Bar Association, Los Angeles County Bar Association, State Bar of California, Beverly Hills Bar Association, San Gabriel Valley Bar Association, Continuing Legal Education of the Bar, and Lorman Seminars.
Selected recent speaking engagements include:
- Los Angeles County Bar Association, “Ethics Highlights” (2010)
- Beverly Hills Bar Association, “California’s New Ethics Rules” (Dec. 2018)
- California State Bar Annual Meeting, San Diego, “Ethics and the Globalization of California Legal Practice” (September 2014)
- California State Bar Annual Meeting, San Jose, “Social Media and International Legal Ethics” (October 2013)
- American Bar Association Annual Meeting, San Francisco, “Ethics Rules: How Social Media and the Internet Have Internationalized American Practice” (August 2013)
- Seminars to law departments of major utility, retail, motor vehicle, and entertainment industry clients
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