Lender liability, which first gained prominence in the mid-1980s, has gained acceptance as a substantive body of law. Briefly, lender liability law says lenders must treat their borrowers fairly, and when they don't, they can be subject to borrower litigation under a variety of legal claims. The evolution of lender liability has resulted in most cases now involving breach of contract and/or fraud claims.
In 2005, the firm settled a long-standing dispute against Boeing regarding toxic air contamination in neighborhoods adjacent to Boeing facilities near Simi Valley and in the San Fernando Valley -- both suburbs of Los Angeles. The 8 1/2-year case involved 59 personal injury claims and 117 wrongful death claims by the family members of 37 deceased individuals. The illnesses suffered included numerous forms of cancer, including bladder, brain, kidney, pancreatic, spinal cord, thyroid, Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, leukemia and multiple myeloma.
