Michael J. Dickman practices in the area of litigation with a focus on complex multi-party business litigation, particularly in insurance coverage disputes arising out of asbestos and environmental liabilities. His civil litigation experience is broad, having participated in all aspects of his matters from pleadings through trial and from judgment through appeal. His cases often include novel issues of law that involve complicated discovery practice and extensive legal research to resolve.

Mr. Dickman also has significant appellate experience, including the establishment of new law in the Oregon Supreme Court. He has obtained results that his clients have found favorable in appeals arising out of jury trials, summary judgment or on a petition for rehearing. Such cases usually involve large appellate records and questions of first impression.

Mr. Dickman is a 2003 graduate of the University of San Francisco School of Law, where he was a member of the University of San Francisco Law Review and a board member of the Moot Court Program. He graduated from Cornell University with a bachelor of arts after having been a summer intern for the Honorable Tom Daschle, former minority leader in the United States Senate.

Representative Matters

Appellate

• Federal Insurance Company v. MBL, Inc., (California Court of Appeal) (current)
• Holloway v. Republic Indemnity Company of America, 119 P.3d 239 (2005) rev'd 147 P.3d 329 (2006)
• Buell-Wilson v. Ford Motor Co., 141 Cal.App.4th 525 (2006)
• Spielman v. Ex'pression Center for New Media, 191 Cal.App.4th 420 (2010)
• Legacy Vulcan Corp. v. Superior Court, 185 Cal.App.4th 677 (2010)

Litigation

• Ackerman v. Zynga, Inc., (San Francisco Superior Court) (current; class action)
• Avangard Financial Services v. Great American Insurance Co., (E.D. Pa.) (current; class action)
• Wells Cargo, Inc. v. Transport Insurance Company, (D. Idaho) (current; environmental insurance coverage)
• In re Thorpe Insulation Asbestos Coverage Cases, (Los Angeles Superior Court) and In re Thorpe Insulation Company, (C.D. Cal. Bank.) (current; asbestos insurance coverage and related bankruptcy proceedings)
• Digital Cornerstone, Inc. v. Long, et al., (San Diego Superior Court) (second chaired a jury trial on behalf of technology company asserting claims of fraud and breach of fiduciary duty against former officers and directors)
• Wilson-Vick v. Western Grinding, Inc., (Santa Clara Superior Court) (dispute amongst directors and shareholders of company)
• St. Paul Fire and Marine Ins. Co. v. A.P.I. Inc., (Minn.) (asbestos insurance coverage and related bankruptcy proceedings)

Admissions

• California
• Supreme Court of the United States
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
• U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

Education

• University of San Francisco School of Law, J.D., 2003
  Member, University of San Francisco Law Review
  Moot Court Board of Directors
• Cornell University, B.A., 1999

Other Experience

• Duane Morris LLP
  - Special Counsel, 2013-present
  - Associate, 2006-2013
• Hancock Rothert & Bunshoft LLP
  - Associate, 2003 - 2005

Professional Activities

• American Bar Association
• San Francisco Bar Association

Honors / Awards

• Named a Northern California Rising Star, 2012 and 2013