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Professional Experience
A trial lawyer with more than fifteen years experience, Ms. Gilford focuses her practice on toxic torts, business torts, consumer class actions and product law. Ms. Gilford has served as counsel for several major members of the communications, oil and gas, aerospace, chemical manufacturing, and pharmaceutical industries.
She is known for her responsiveness to clients, and understanding of clients´ broad business objectives. Her experience includes:
Serving as Account Manager for Primary Law Firm relationship with multi-national Fortune 500 company. Duties in this capacity include negotiating alternative fee arrangements, controlling legal costs, managing complex litigation budgets, tracking performance metrics and developing strategic partnerships with in-house counsel;
Successful prosecution and defense of major business disputes involving contract and business tort claims;
Serving as counsel to corporate clients facing class actions brought under B&P Code §17200;
Serving as counsel in numerous personal injury and wrongful death actions arising out of claimed exposure to lead, asbestos, solvents, mold, benzene and other chemical products.
Ms. Gilford and partners Mark Rochefort and Peter Masaitis recently obtained a defense verdict for a major telecommunications client after a month long jury trial in a case involving breach of contract and civil rights claims. Ms. Gilford was also recently named a "Rising Star" by Southern California Super Lawyers, a special insert in the September issue of Los Angeles Magazine.
Education
Georgetown University Law Center, LL.M. in Advocacy, 1995
University of Southern California, J.D., 1993
Furman University, B.A., 1990
Publications and Speaking Engagements
Speaker and Planning Committee Chair, National Association of Women Lawyers Mid Year Meeting (February 2008).
Speaker, Lexis/Mealey´s Conference on Women in the Law (January 2008).
Speaker and Planning Committee Chair, National Association of Women Lawyers Conference, "Taking Charge Of Your Career: Best Practices For Women Lawyers" (April 19, 2006).
Author, "Can Your Company Be Held Liable For the Discriminatory Conduct Of Its Non-Employee Contractors?" Weston Benshoof Litigation Newsletter (Spring 2006).
Speaker, Construction Managers Association, March 2004: "Managing Mold Claims."
Speaker, DuPont Defense Forum, March and October 2002: "Current Trends in Tort Litigation."
Speaker, American Bar Association Corporate Counsel Mid-Year Meeting, February 2002: In-House and Outside Counsel Roundtable.
Speaker, National Women´s Corporate Counsel Conference, October 2001: "Establishing a Women´s Network."
Speaker, American Corporate Counsel Association Partnering & Convergence Forum 2001: "Successful Strategies for Controlling Legal Costs."
Author, "Harmonic Convergence: Budget Constraints are Forcing Legal Departments to Review How They Contract for Outside Legal Services," California Law Business, The Los Angeles Daily Journal, June 19, 2000.
Author, "Toxic Tort Lawsuits Spark PUC Investigations," Los Angeles County Bar Association, Environmental Law Newsletter, November 1998.
Professional Memberships and Activities
President-Elect, National Association of Women Lawyers; Board Member, Step-Up Women´s Network; Chair, DuPont Minority Job Fair for the Western Region; Member, Defense Research Institute (Products Law and Toxic Tort Groups); Women Lawyers of Los Angeles; Black Women Lawyers Association; Langston Bar Association; African Americans in Downtown Firms; Los Angeles Urban League Young Professionals. | 