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 Curtis Cole is a Certified Specialist, Appellate Law, the State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization. He is a partner at Cole Pedroza LLP, before which he was a partner in the Los Angeles office of Thelen Reid & Priest LLP. Curtis received his education at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he studied economics as an undergraduate before continuing studies at the School of Law. His legal experience includes approximately one hundred seventy-five decisions from appeals or writ proceedings and one hundred civil and criminal jury trials, court trials, arbitration hearings, and administrative proceedings before California regulatory agencies.
Curtis’ published appellate decisions include the following leading California Supreme Court opinions: Madden v. Kaiser Foundation Hospitals (arbitration), Fein v. Permanente Medical Group (tort reform), Adams v. Murakami (punitive damages for intentional acts), Guz v. Bechtel (wrongful termination of employment), and Bird v. Saenz (negligent infliction of emotional distress). Among his amicus curiae briefs filed with the Court, Curtis represented professional associations or insurers in Huggins v. Longs Drug Stores (negligent infliction of emotional distress), Western Steamship v. San Pedro Peninsula Hospital (equitable indemnification and tort reform), College Hospital v. Superior Court (punitive damages for intentional acts), Lisa M. v. Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital (employer vicarious liability for intentional acts), Artiglio v. Corning, Inc. (civil liability arising from scientific research), Barris v. County of Los Angeles (civil liability for EMTALA violation), Viner v. Sweet (causation), Covenant Care v. Superior Court (elder abuse) and the so-called Lockheed Litigation Cases (judicial control of expert witness opinion testimony), which is currently pending before the Court.
In litigation, Curtis represents and advises clients in regard to coverage, claims, contract, and general commercial litigation. He has tried to jury verdict or arbitration award cases involving a variety of issues, including breach of contract, insurance coverage, “bad faith” denial of contractual benefits, fraud, violation of Business and Professions Code section 17200, professional negligence, wrongful termination of employment, and wrongful dissolution of partnership. In regulatory proceedings, Curtis has represented health care providers before the California Medical Board and in hospital staff privilege hearings. He has represented a large, national property and casualty insurance group in various matters before the California Department of Insurance.
Curtis also is a mediator, both in private mediations and in the appellate settlement program of the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District.
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