Richard G. Grotch

Member

Richard G. Grotch is a member of the firm who specializes in the defense of aviation, products liability and civil rights cases. He represents and counsels both employers and employees in employment disputes and has broad experience in insurance-related litigation, including litigation of insurance coverage and bad faith disputes.

Mr. Grotch has represented airlines, aircraft and component part manufacturers, fixed base operators, repair facilities, flight instructors, private aircraft owners and aviation security contractors. He has participated in the defense of many major airline disaster cases, including litigation stemming from the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland and the crashes of TWA Flight 842 at John F. Kennedy International Airport and Singapore Airlines Flight 006 at Taipei, Taiwan.

Mr. Grotch has particular expertise in cases governed by the Warsaw Convention and related agreements, in matters involving aviation security and in litigation alleging wrongful or discriminatory refusal to transport airline passengers. He has successfully represented more than half a dozen airlines sued for failing to warn passengers of the claimed risks of deep vein thrombosis in connection with commercial air travel. Mr. Grotch has also been actively involved in examining and litigating emerging legal issues posed by worldwide airline alliances. Mr. Grotch has tried several airline cases to successful jury verdicts in state and federal courts and has counseled airlines on the development of policies and procedures, including those to be included in employee manuals.

Mr. Grotch handles many appellate matters and is admitted to practice before all the appellate courts in the State of California as well as the United States Court of Appeals for the Second, Ninth and Tenth Circuits.

Mr. Grotch serves as a judge pro tempore for the San Francisco County Superior Court and as a court-appointed arbitrator for the San Mateo County Superior Court. From 2000 to 2003, he served on the State Bar of California’s Committee on Federal Courts, including one year as the vice chair (2001-2002) and one year as the chairperson (2002-2003).

A 1983 graduate of the University of California at Davis, Mr. Grotch received his A.B. degree (with high honors) in History and Political Science. He received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 1986. At Hastings, Mr. Grotch served as Executive Publishing Editor of the law journal, COMM/ENT: Hastings Journal of Communications and Entertainment Law.

Contact Richard G. Grotch at rgrotch@chdlawyers.com

Clinton H. Coddington
Randolph S. Hicks
Lee J. Danforth
Richard G. Grotch
R. Wardell Loveland
David W. Wessel
Richard S. Baum
Hyon M. Kientzy
Kathryn C. Klaus
Lisa A. Costello
Christiane Sinclair
Rachel E. Carr
David C. Weaver
Sarvenaz J. Fahimi
Andrew P. Collier
Margaret M. Lesniak