SUMMARY
Jessica J. Mead is a partner at the firm’s Pasadena office. Ms. Mead’s practice focuses on defending cases on behalf of professionals, including architects, engineers, and attorneys in complex litigation. In addition to professional liability matters, Ms. Mead also has extensive experience in public entity liability, litigating matters involving employment claims, constitutional rights violations, dangerous conditions of public property, catastrophic personal injuries and wrongful death. She has successfully tried cases to verdict in state and federal court. She further handles appellate matters, and the Ninth Circuit has affirmed multiple judgments in her clients’ favor.
In addition to handling all stages of litigation, Ms. Mead also provides pre-litigation consultation, contract review, and negotiation strategies for her clients to assist in preventing litigation before it begins.
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
- State Bar of California
PUBLICATIONS/SEMINARS
- Spearin Doctrine at 100! Everything Old is New Again
- The Limits of Reasonable Accommodation
- SB 1383- Expanding Family Leave Rights
- California’s Workplace Violence Prevention Law
- Resilience and the Evolving Standard of Care: Legal Perspectives
EXPERIENCE
Motion for Summary Judgment (MSJ) Victory for Design Professional on Claims Stemming from the Release of Naturally Occurring Asbestos on Catalina Island Project Affirmed by Ninth Circuit:
Ms. Mead successfully defended her civil engineering client in federal court from a lawsuit seeking millions in damages following a claim of substantial release of naturally occurring asbestos on Catalina during the re-development of a multi-acre ranch in the center of the Island. Prior to trial, Ms. Mead filed an MSJ challenging all of the Plaintiffs’ claims against the civil engineer, including claims based on CERCLA and the California Hazardous Substances Account Act (HSAA), breach of contract and negligence. After the motion was fully-briefed, the Judge granted the MSJ in its entirety and entered judgment in favor of the civil engineer finding that there was no genuine dispute of any material fact and that Ms. Mead’s client was not liable under CERCLA/HSAA, had not breached its contract and was not professionally negligent. Plaintiffs subsequently appealed the Court’s ruling. After briefing and oral arguments, Ms. Mead’s client prevailed by convincing the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold the trial court’s ruling. Ms. Mead was also able to obtain a substantial cost award against Plaintiffs and recovered all costs inclusive of interest for her civil engineer client.
Favorable Jury Verdict for Public Entity Client in Personal Injury Trial:
In defending a public entity in an admitted liability personal injury suit where a public employee rear-ended the plaintiff, Ms. Mead and her team successfully convinced the jury that the plaintiff was not entitled to millions in claimed damages. Following Ms. Mead’s cross-examination of the plaintiff’s endocrinologist, the jury rejected the plaintiff’s claim that whiplash from the collision injured her pituitary gland. The jury declined to award the plaintiff any damages based on her alleged pituitary injury, which the plaintiff claimed resulted in weight gain, cognitive deficiencies, fatigue, depression, and a loss of productivity, that reduced her work capacity and required expensive lifelong human growth hormone replacement therapy.
Arbitration Victory for Corporate Client on Claims by Former Employees:
Ms. Mead and her team prevailed on summary disposition of former founding employees’ fraud claims against her corporate client in arbitration, thereby limiting the issues for the arbitration hearing. At the hearing the claimants sought the value of options granted to them in certain stock option agreements on the grounds the options were provided to them in exchange for a reduced rate for their services. In the alternative, the claimants asserted they were entitled to recover the difference between the reasonable value of their services and the reduced rate they were paid under a quantum meruit theory. After presenting testimony from select key witnesses and cross-examining the claimants, Ms. Mead and her team persuaded the arbitrator that the claimants were not entitled to recover anything under either theory.
MSJ Victory for Employer Client in Retaliation Lawsuit:
Ms. Mead represented an employer in a Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”) retaliation action brought by a current employee based on the employee’s enrollment in an allegedly incorrect retirement plan. Ms. Mead persuaded the court that the employer did not owe any duty to oversee the plaintiff’s retirement plan and that the employer did not subject the plaintiff to any adverse employment action as defined by the Fair Employment and Housing Act. The court granted summary judgment and awarded costs to Ms. Mead’s client.
MSJ Victory for Deputy District Attorney in Civil Rights Action in Federal Court Affirmed by Ninth Circuit:
Ms. Mead represented a deputy district attorney and district attorney’s office against claims of Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment violations brought by a material witness in an underlying criminal prosecution. Ms. Mead prevailed on a motion to dismiss on behalf of the district attorney’s office and prevailed on MSJ on behalf of the deputy district attorney. The plaintiff appealed the district court’s ruling and Ms. Mead continued to handle briefing and oral argument on behalf of her clients before the Ninth Circuit, which affirmed the district court’s ruling.
MSJ Victory for Public Entity Client on Dangerous Condition of Public Property Wrongful Death Case Affirmed on Appeal:
Ms. Mead successfully defended a public entity client against claims that a driveway immediately following a blind curve on a public roadway that resulted in the death of a motorcyclist. After Ms. Mead prevailed on summary judgment at the trial court level, Ms. Mead and her team continued to handle the matter through appeal where the court of appeal affirmed the trial court’s grant of summary judgment.
Successfully Negotiated Early Dismissal of Attorney Client:
Ms. Mead secured an early dismissal of her attorney clients in a federal lawsuit alleging malicious prosecution, tortious interference and statutory trade secret violation claims. Shortly after the plaintiff served Ms. Mead’s attorney clients with the complaint, Ms. Mead contacted opposing counsel and threatened to bring an anti-SLAPP motion and motion to dismiss. In response, the plaintiff voluntarily dismissed Ms. Mead’s clients before they had to appear in the action.
Motion to Dismiss Public Entity Granted Without Leave to Amend in Federal Court:
Ms. Mead represented a public entity sued for civil rights violations after the plaintiff was arrested and prosecuted on charges that were dropped after a preliminary hearing. Ms. Mead brought on a motion to dismiss the initial Complaint on the grounds that the claims were barred by the statute of limitations. The court agreed with Ms. Mead’s argument that the Plantiff would not be able to amend to state an actionable claim and dismissed all claims against Ms. Mead’s client with prejudice
Obtained Early Dismissal on Behalf of Design Professional:
Ms. Mead represented a structural engineer that was sued by a contractor for alleged design issues that were outside the engineer’s scope of work. Ms. Mead engaged in aggressive meet and confer tactics and was able to obtain an early dismissal of her client before her client’s responsive pleading was due.