Biography

PATRICK G. ROGAN is a trial attorney and advocate with a wealth of trial experience in both civil and criminal matters.  He has tried over 80 jury trials to verdict in California courts, both state and federal.  Upon admission to practice in 1972, Mr. Rogan joined the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s office where he tried numerous matters, including murder cases.  He joined the law firm of Lillick, McHose & Charles in 1978, becoming a partner in 1979.  The firm, later known as Lillick & McHose, merged with Pillsbury Madison & Sutro LLP on January 1, 1991.

Mr. Rogan’s practice includes complex commercial and high risk tort litigation in state and federal courts with extensive experience at both the trial and appellate levels.  He has had extensive experience in high exposure and complex commercial litigation lender liability, telecommunications, product liability, maritime torts and environmental litigation.

RECENT MATTERS INCLUDE:

Morris v. City National Bank

Successful defense and resolution of major lender liability action for City National Bank.

Apollo Cable Vision & T.L. Robak v. GTE; GTE Media Ventures, et al.

Represented GTE Media Ventures, Inc., GTE California, Inc., GTE Finance Corporation and GTE Service Corporation against Apollo Cable Vision, Inc. and its principals. This matter proceeded in federal court, state court and the 9th Circuit. The litigation was favorably resolved through an advantageous purchase by GTE of Apollo Cable Vision’s assets as a result of mediation.  The purchase of assets represented the first acquisition of a cable company by a telephone company under the new telecommunications act.  In addition to this, Mr. Rogan has handled a class action involving cell phone rates which was disposed of by summary judgment.

Public Storage v. AT&T, GTE, et al.
U.S. District Court action seeking damages and findings of non-applicability of tariffs as to numerous long distance and local carriers.  Action quickly and economically resolved on behalf of GTE.

Directed Electronics v. Chrysler Corp.
Injunctive relief was sought by plaintiff regarding use by Chrysler of the name “Viper” claimed to be a proprietary trade name of plaintiff.  Action proceeded in U.S. District Court, Central District of California, the Eastern District of Michigan and on state related causes of action in Los Angeles District Court.  Action successfully defended and findings of non-infringement obtained.

Janicki v. Ford Motor Company
SUV rollover.  Two deaths, one brain damaged plaintiff; two injury/emotional distress plaintiffs.  Successful settlement of the case tried by Patrick G. Rogan in second week of trial after favorable rulings on Motions in Limine.

Studer v. Ford Motor Company
Defense verdict in six week jury trial, Los Angeles Superior Court, Central District, involving brain damaged plaintiff in product liability suit against Larry Grassini (Inner Circle of Advocates).

Montoya v. Ford Motor Company
Defense verdict in major product liability case after five week jury trial, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California against plaintiff attorneys Robert Keese and Tom Girardi.

Gustafson v. Security Pacific National Bank
Successful three month jury trial defense of bank against auto dealer represented by Browne Greene (Inner Circle of Advocates) and Patrick Frega (now disbarred).

Mr. Rogan also has handled significant commercial litigation including high exposure lender liability matters.  Examples include a case favorably concluded at trial against Browne Greene and Patrick Frega entitled Gufstafson v. Security Pacific National Bank.  Mr. Rogan has also represented oil companies in bankruptcy preference litigation.  One such matter involved Oasis Petroleum and its principal and was successfully resolved in the Los Angeles bankruptcy court. Mr. Rogan has represented manufacturers of prosthetic devices (hip implants, knee implants and pacemakers), cranes, boats, diving equipment and automobiles.  In addition, Mr. Rogan has handled significant bankruptcy preference matters, federal banking fraud criminal matters, as well as environmental crime cases on behalf of individuals, foreign and domestic vessel owners, and corporate defendants.

Mr. Rogan has also been involved in commercial white collar crime matters.  Examples include the representation of the president of a national bank on numerous felony counts of bank fraud which surfaced following the financial institution going into receivership.

In the product liability area, Mr. Rogan has represented a number of automotive manufacturers in high risk individual and class action fuel tank fire, crashworthiness and other major tort litigation.

Mr. Rogan is a member of the American Bar and Los Angeles County Bar Association.  He has been a frequent lecturer on behalf of the LACBA and has lectured as well on behalf of the Rutter Group, the State Bar of California Litigation Section, CTLA, and other trial organizations.  He serves as a settlement officer for the Los Angeles County Superior Court JASOP Program and as a judge pro-tem.  He has served on the Los Angeles County Bar Litigation Section Executive Committee, and as a Los Angeles County Bar Delegate to the State Bar Convention.  Mr. Rogan has also been active in training new lawyers with lectures for Bridging the Gap, participation in firm training for associates, and was initiator of the District Attorney’s office attorney loan program to provide associates with jury trial experience.  He is a Fellow of the International Society of Barristers.  He is a member of the Chancery Club.  Mr. Rogan serves as a director of the Constitutional Rights Foundation.

Mr. Rogan graduated from Loyola University School of Law in 1971, where he served as a student teaching fellow.  His law school education had been interrupted by the Vietnam conflict.  Drafted into the Army in 1967, he served with the Army Special Forces (Green Berets) and First Field Forces in Nha Trang, Vietnam, receiving the Army’s Commendation Medal.  Mr. Rogan graduated from Claremont Men’s College (now Claremont McKenna College) in 1966, with a B.A. in Government.  He was a member of the Dean’s List, and a letterman in varsity football and track.  A lifelong skier and surfer, when not doing battle for his clients, Mr. Rogan frequents California surf breaks, particularly Malibu and Rincon.

Birth Date

May 4, 1944
Fifth generation resident of Los Angeles area.

Education

Villanova College Prep
1962

Claremont Men’s College
Bachelor of Arts (Government), 1966

Activities included membership in Student Council, Class President, Dorm President, Stags (honorary service organization), member of varsity football and track teams.

Loyola University of Law
Juris Doctor, 1972

Graduated in top 10% of class; Dean’s List; Student Teaching Fellow.

Trial Experience

Over 85 jury trials in State and Federal Court; numerous court trials, mediations and arbitrations. Primary Professional Emphasis: Complex civil trial work — business, tort, product liability, insurance and maritime; criminal trials — individual and corporate, state and federal courts.

Representative clients have included: City National Bank; Bank of America; Security Pacific Bank; General Telephone; GTE CA; GTE Mobilenet; RREEF Funds; RREEF REIT; Chrysler Motors Corporation; Bethlehem Steel; British Petroleum; Ford Motor Company;  Hyundai Motor America; Honda North America, Inc.; Intermedics, Inc.; HARSCO Corporation; Sherwood Industries; Mazda Motor Corporation; Petrolane, Inc.; Union Oil Company; Texaco; and Chevron.  Cases involving prosthetic devices include pacemakers, hip implants and knee implants.  Cases involving motor vehicles, have included high risk design defect allegations in areas including fuel tank, alternative fuel vehicles, brake systems, transmissions, linkages and gear selector mechanisms, crashworthiness, rollover accidents, active and passive occupant restraint systems, steering controls and handling characteristics.

Significant trial work has involved defense of lender liability suits, insurance coverage disputes (including those dealing with allegations of “bad faith”), aviation personal injury and property damage cases, and a number of business cases in cooperation with the business litigation and creditor’s rights departments.

Mr. Rogan recently successfully concluded a major lender liability matter on behalf of City National Bank and  represented RREEF Funds and its affiliated corporations in litigation against the REIT for general and punitive damages on a premises liability matter.

Maritime Work:  Principal emphasis has been on the defense of ship owners and charterers under the Longshore and Harbor Workers Act, the Jones Act, OPA 90 and State and Federal civil and criminal pollution cases.  Cases within the maritime area have been handled for most of the P&I Clubs with whom the firm is listed as correspondent.

Representative clients within the maritime field include Lykes Bros. Steamship Co., Inc., Keystone Shipping, Leif Hoegh, U.S. Lines, Westwood Shipping Corporation, Hudson Waterways, Texaco, Inc., Korea Shipping Corporation, Star Shipping, NYK Lines, Matson Navigation, MOC.

Criminal trials are handled on a selective basis in state and federal courts on behalf of individuals and corporations.  Criminal cases include major maritime oil spills, federal banking fraud trial on behalf of a former bank president, criminal toxic pollution cases, and building and fire code criminal cases for individuals and corporations.

Prior Legal Experience

First chair responsibility for major product liability, maritime and oil company litigation.  Firm merged with Pillsbury in 1990.

Assigned to the Central Felony Trial Division.  Primary responsibility included the management of serious felony cases from preliminary hearing through discovery, pre-trial motions and trial in the Superior Court.

Cases handled in Superior Court included eight murder trials, as well as many other serious cases involving charges of arson, forcible rape, assault with intent to commit murder, armed robbery, kidnaping, sale of heroin, perjury, fraud, forgery, burglary and grand theft.

Other responsibilities included assignments to Municipal Court, preliminary hearings, extraditions, sanity hearings, conservatorship and guardianship matters, preparation of briefs and writs, and supervision of other attorneys and summer law clerks.

Taught courses to first year law students.  (Selected by law school faculty)

Professional Activities and Associations

State Bar of California

Disciplinary Examiner, 1974 to 1978.

Prosecution under the State Bar Act of attorneys charged with violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct.

Member, Committee on Rules of Court Procedure

Consideration, debate, and drafting of proposed changes in California Rules of Court, Code of Civil Procedure, Civil Code, Evidence Code, etc., upon request of the Board of Governors and Judicial Council.

Member, Criminal Law Section; (1978) Vice-Chairman Special Actions Committee; member, General Criminal Justice Committee

Los Angeles County Bar Association

Executive Committee, Los Angeles County Bar Litigation Section, 1988-1992

Executive Committee, Los Angeles County Bar Conference of Delegates, 1985 to 1990; Delegate to 1974, 1976, and 1977 through 1990 Bar Conventions on behalf of the Association.

Member (elected to two year term) Barristers Executive Board, 1975-77

Member, Litigation Section

Member, Committee on Victims and Witnesses

Member, Public Affairs Committee

Barrister Liaison, Trial Lawyers Section Executive Committee, 1977

Chairman, “Civil Trial Advocacy — An Introduction”, July, 1978 program, jointly sponsored by Barristers and Trial Lawyers Section

Chairman, “Civil Proceedings Before Trial — Law and Discovery, Settlement Conferences,” program jointly sponsored by Barristers and Trial Lawyers Section, June, 1979

Member, CEB and New Lawyer Orientation Committee

Master; Inn of Court, 1992 - 1995

Mediator/Settlement Officer, Superior Court JASOP Program

American Bar Association

Member, Litigation; Antitrust; Tort and Insurance Section

International Society of Barristers

Inducted as a Fellow, 1991

Chancery Club

Member

Constitutional Rights Foundation

Member, Board of Directors

American Board of Trial Advocates

Advocate Member

Lecturer

Product Liability:  Tactics for Successful Defense ABA/ALI meeting, Phoenix, March, 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999; lecture for automotive clients and outside counsel.

RIMS (Risk Insurance Management Society); Featured Speaker, Oil & Gas Section.  April, 1995

Litigation and Corporate Law Section, Los Angeles County Bar:  May, 1990, “The Ins and Outs of Corporate Representation”, with Justice William J. Rea, United States District Court

Litigation Section, Los Angeles County Bar:  November, 1989, “How to Prevail on your Appeal or Writ”, with Hon. H. Walter Croskey and Hon. Arthur Gilbert, Associate Justices, 2nd Appellate District

Litigation Section, Los Angeles County Bar:  September, 1989, Trial Court Delay Reduction Project: “Fast Track”

Litigation Section, State Bar of California:  May, 1988, “Good Faith Settlements, The House that Tech-Bilt”

Pillsbury Madison & Sutro LLP — in-firm training program development and lecturer for new associates

California Trial Lawyers Association (CTLA) — Tahoe Convention, 1985, “The Defense Perspective”; Tahoe Convention, 1991 — Expert Witness examination in the trial of a product liability action.

Rutter Group — participant in planning and program development for lectures on Civil Procedure and Discovery, 1984

“Bridging the Gap” for new admittees, sponsored by the Los Angeles Daily Journal, 1983, and January, 1984

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