Biography
Michelle Watkins has built a reputation for defending complex litigation throughout California for the government and entities in the construction, transportation, and manufacturing sectors. Her expertise in high-exposure cases spans catastrophic injuries and fatalities to construction defects, premises liability, and environmental issues.
Over her nearly two-decade career, Michelle has distinguished herself through a pragmatic and client-focused approach to litigation. Her track record of meticulously managing substantial caseloads from inception through mediation and trial has successfully resolved hundreds of high-stakes lawsuits against her corporate clients. Her extensive experience includes representing government entities in both state and federal courts.
Michelle is a trusted business advisor to companies and closely held firms on business disputes, strategy, and corporate issues. She also counsels on government regulations, formation and dissolution, intellectual property, and real estate disputes.
Outside of her practice, Michelle is committed to shaping California's next generation of lawyers. She is an adjunct professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, teaching California Civil Procedure.
Representative Matters
- Negotiated favorable settlements and multiple motions for summary judgment granted on behalf of public entities in civil rights and catastrophic injury disputes arising from alleged common carrier liability, police misconduct, and premises liability claims.
- Motion for summary judgment upheld on appeal on behalf of a crowd management entity defending against negligence and premises liability claims in connection with an alleged physical altercation at a sporting event by demonstrating that no admissible evidence existed in favor of plaintiffs.
- Successfully secured dismissals and waiver of claims for a crowd management company in hotly contested wrongful death actions involving alleged drug overdoses at concert venues despite extensive testimony from various witnesses.
- Motion for summary judgment granted in connection with a vehicle collision in a hospital parking lot on the grounds that the claims were barred by the statute of limitations and equitable tolling arguments did not apply.
- Motion for summary judgment granted on behalf of a public entity in a premises liability action upon successfully demonstrating the assumption of risk inherent in operating a motorized scooter on an allegedly uneven surface.
- Part of a team that successfully secured a dismissal for a grout manufacturer in a high exposure arbitration involving claims of product failure in thousands of tract homes.
Services
Education
- Golden Gate University School of Law (J.D.)
- Legal Merit Scholarship Recipient
- Teaching Assistant: Legal Writing & Research, Appellate Advocacy, and Real Property I
- Notes Editor, Annual Survey of International and Comparative Law Journal
- Columbia University (M.F.A.)
- University of California, Berkeley (B.A.)
- Quilici Merit Scholarship Recipient
Bar Admissions
Courts
- Supreme Court of California
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
Professional Affiliations
- Association of Southern California Defense Counsel
- Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM)
- Los Angeles County Bar Association
- State Bar of California
Languages
- Italian
Presentations
- "For the Love of Ethics," CMCP Annual Business Conference, Los Angeles, CA (2022)