Andrew K. Gordon practices in the areas of insurance and commercial litigation, environmental law and labor and employment law with a focus on complex multi-party trials.

Mr. Gordon has been one of the lead trial counsel in a number of significant complex insurance coverage matters in several western states and has been lead defense counsel in many other coverage cases which have resulted in favorable settlements prior to trial. These cases typically involve contract interpretation issues pertaining to dozens of different contracts and factual investigation spanning several decades.

His commercial litigation experience includes unfair competition claims, unfair lending practices, misappropriation of trade secrets, partnership disputes, obtaining and enforcing judgments against foreign entities, real estate nondisclosures and various other business torts. He has frequently examined expert economists and other damage-related experts.

Mr. Gordon counsels employers on employment issues and has litigated cases involving discrimination, disability and harassment issues, wrongful termination, trade secret violations, and wage and hour disputes.

Mr. Gordon is listed in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, 2006 and 2007 editions, and has been named as one of California's Super Lawyers through a peer review process.

Areas Of Practice

Commercial Litigation
Environmental Law
Employment Law
Complex Litigation
Insurance Law

Representative Matters

Ten month, four phase trial involving a rocket manufacturing company and including more than thirty law firms and over $500 million in damages resulting in complete defense verdict.
Three month court trial involving contract dispute concerning 60 year-old contracts involving over $200 million.
Two month jury trial involving former pesticide and chemical operations over $2 billion resulting in a favorable settlement.
Represented an insurer in a Washington state multi-phased month long trial which resulted in a complete jury verdict on two issues and a partial verdict on the third issue.
Represented prospective owners of the San Francisco Giants in a lawsuit brought by the City of St. Petersburg in an effort to thwart the sale of the Giants to a San Francisco-based ownership group.
Represented various defendants in a case filed by the State of California against more than 20 parties where the State was seeking more than $500 million in damages (and which settled after successfully arguing a motion which reduced the recoverable damages to $50 million).
Represented the former police chief of San Francisco, at the request of the City Attorney, in a case involving mass arrests after the Rodney King riots, which included an appeal and oral arguments before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Represented an Olympic athlete in a proceeding brought by the United States Anti-Doping Agency.

Professional Activities

Arbitrator, Marin County Superior Court
Settlement Judge Pro Tempore, Marin County Superior Court
Association of Business Trial Lawyers
Member, Mayor of San Francisco's Blue Ribbon Task Force on Sports
Graduate, Leadership San Francisco (sponsored by SF Chamber of Commerce)
American Bar Association
- Torts and Insurance Practice Section Member
California Bar Association
- Litigation and Employment Section Member
Bar Association of San Francisco
University of San Francisco Inn of Court
Appellate and Moot Court Judge, University of San Francisco Law School

Admissions

California
U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Eastern Districts of California
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Education

University of San Francisco Law School, J.D., 1981
Amherst College, B.A., 1974

Experience

Duane Morris LLP
- Partner, 2006-present
Hancock Rothert & Bunshoft LLP
- Partner, 1989-2005
- Associate, 1981-1988

Honors and Awards

Listed in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, 2006 and 2007 editions
California Super Lawyer, 2004, 2005, 2006

Selected Publications

"Image Conscious: Litigators Need to Get Out of the Dark Ages when it comes to Graphics," The Recorder, California Law Week, November, 1999
"Protecting a Civic Asset, Bay Area Attorneys Rally to Support the San Francisco Giants," San Francisco Attorney, April/May 1993

Selected Speaking Engagements

Conference Planner, "Taking and Defending Depositions of London Insurance Witnesses," American Bar Association Teleconference, June 20, 2006
"A Complex Insurance Coverage Trial Primer", American Bar Association, Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section, February 2006
"Trying an Environmental Coverage Case," Executive Enterprises, June 1993
"California Insurance Developments," Lorman Education Services, July 1994
"Controlling Costs and Developing Trial and Litigation Strategies," Executive Enterprises, December 1992
"Discovery in Environmental Disputes," Executive Enterprises, June 1992
"Environmental Issues from A-Z," before the California Association of Ski Areas, June 1990
"Trying a Case: The Last 100 Days before Trial," California Continuing Education of the Bar, March 1990