Michelle Watkins is an experienced trial attorney who focuses her practice on general litigation including catastrophic injury and premises liability, and construction defect claims. Throughout her career, Michelle has managed a substantial case load from inception through mediation and trial.
In her past experiences as a partner, Michelle litigated a broad range of civil actions including professional liability, common carrier disputes, premises liability, and construction defect claims. She has provided counsel on issues including government regulation, formation and dissolution, intellectual property and real estate disputes. She has also represented government entities in state and federal litigation. Michelle has a proven record in obtaining settlements in amounts less than 25% of pre-trial demands.
In addition to her litigation responsibilities, Michelle is an adjunct professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, where she teaches a Civil Procedure course.
- 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 granted 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 on behalf of security companies in hotly contested wrongful death actions involving alleged drug overdoses at concert venues despite extensive testimony from various witnesses.
- Negotiated favorable resolutions on behalf of various construction and design entities which effectively released defendants from all product deficiency claims, as well as construction and design defect and bodily injury claims.
Professional Affiliations
- Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, Member
- Claims Litigation Management Alliance, Member
- Los Angeles County Bar Association, Member
While in law school, Michelle was named to the Dean’s List; received a merit scholarship; served as a notes editor of the Annual Survey of International and Comparative Law Journal; was a member of the Moot Court Board; and was selected as a teaching assistant for Real Property I, Legal Writing & Research I, and Appellate Advocacy. She also volunteered as a mentor at the Center for Youth Development Through Law in Berkeley. Michelle enjoys writing literary fiction in her spare time and has been published in several prestigious literary journals.