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Robert
M. Bramson
has been a partner in the firm since 1988. He received his undergraduate
degree in economics magna cum laude from the University of California,
Berkeley in 1977, and his law degree from Berkeley Law School's
Boalt Hall in 1981.
Mr. Bramson
specializes in consumer class action cases as well as in antitrust,
business torts and communications litigation. He acted as contributing
author to the Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth editions of the National
Consumer Law Center’s publication Consumer Class Actions.
He acted as reporter for the National Association of Consumer
Advocates in preparing its influential Standards and Guidelines
For Consumer Class Actions, 176 F.R.D. 375 (1997).
Mr. Bramson
was a Founding Member of the National Association Of Consumer
Advocates (NACA), an organization of consumer lawyers and advocates
dedicated to the ethical and professional representation of consumers
in litigation. From 1997 - 2003, he served on the Board Of Directors
of NACA, and presently serves on NACA’s Long Term Planning
Committee. Mr. Bramson has filed numerous amicus curiae(“friend
of the court”) briefs on NACA’s behalf before the
United States Supreme Court, the California Supreme Court and
several California Courts of Appeal.
Mr. Bramson’s
lecture topics have included Things to Ponder When Seeking Attorney’s
Fees” (National Consumer Law Center, Atlanta 2002), “Strategic
and Ethical Issues in Litigating 17200 Cases” (Bar Association
of San Francisco, San Francisco 2001), “Equitable Remedies
In Class Actions and Under California’s Section 17200 Statute”
(National Association of Consumer Advocates, Chicago 2000), “Ethical
Issues Arising in Class Action Settlements” (National Consumer
Law Center, Wash. DC and San Diego 1999 and 1998) “California’s
Business & Professions Code Section 17200” (California
Bar Association, Lake Tahoe 1997), “Preparation of Competitive
Business Practices Cases” (Continuing Education of the Bar,
Sacramento 1997), and “The Cable Communications Policy Act
of 1984” (California State University, Fullerton 1993).
Significant
Trials:
Pacific
West Cable Company v. City of Sacramento, et al. (U.S. District
Court, E.D. Cal.) Honorable Milton L. Schwarz, presiding. Co-lead
counsel, with partner Barry Baskin, in antitrust jury trial on
behalf of plaintiff. Case settled for $12 million after month
long presentation of plaintiff’s case in chief.
Coleman
v. Sacramento Cable Television (Sacramento Superior Court) Honorable
Roger K. Warren, presiding. Judgment of $2.4 million obtained
for clients in Bus. & Prof. Code §17200 “quasi-class”
case, following 26 day trial. (Lead counsel.)
Campisi
v. Chavez, et al. (Arbitration) Charles E. Farnsworth, Esq., Referee,
presiding. Defended clients against claims of breach of contract
and breach of fiduciary duty. Three week arbitration proceeding
resulting in ruling limiting plaintiff to amount stipulated as
due. (Lead Counsel.)
Pacific
West Cable Company v. City of Sacramento, et al. (U.S. District
Court, E.D. Cal.) Honorable Milton L. Schwarz, presiding. Twenty-nine
day jury trial challenging municipal cable franchising activities.
Favorable jury verdicts (see 672 F. Supp. 1322) led to $6 million
settlement for client as well as injunction permitting access
to the market. (Third chair.)
Nor-West
Cable v. City of St. Paul (U.S. District Court, D. Minn.) Honorable
Joseph Alsop, presiding. Three month jury trial challenging municipal
policy fostering monopolization of local cable television market.
(Second chair.)
Furniture
Creations, Inc. v. Universal Furniture (Los Angeles Superior Court)
Honorable Robert Einstein, presiding. Three week jury trial in
breach of contract case resulting in $1 million verdict for clients.
(Second chair.)
Other
Recent Significant Cases:
Klussman v.
Cross Country Bank (Alameda County Superior Court) Honorable Lawrence
Appel, presiding. Settlement for $21 million obtained on the eve
of trial on behalf of a class of California credit card holders.
Seaman
v. Wells Fargo Bank (San Francisco Superior Court) Honorable Alex
Saldamando, presiding. Class action challenging defendant’s
trustee fees. Settlement for $42 million.
Acree
v. General Motors Acceptance Corp. (Sacramento Superior Court;
Third District Court of Appeal) Honorable James Long, presiding.
Class action challenging insurance charges imposed upon borrowers
by defendant. Following extended trial and multiple appeals, judgment
for class and award of fees totaling approximately $7 million
upheld on appeal.
In
re Unocal Refinery Litigation (Contra Costa Superior Court) Honorable
Ignacio Ruvulo, presiding. Acted as one of two co-lead counsel
for a class of victims exposed to a toxic chemical spill. Following
extensive discovery, including several months of daily depositions,
an $80 million settlement was negotiated.
Published
Decisions:
Klussman
v. Cross Country Bank, 134 Cal.App.4th 1283 (2005)
Acree
v. General Motors Acceptance Corp., 92 Cal.App.4th 385 (2001).
Heartland
Communications, Inc. v. Sprint Corp., 161 F.R.D. 111 (D. Kan.
1995).
Preferred
Communications, Inc. v. City of Los Angeles, 13 F.3d 1327 (9th
Cir.), cert. denied, 512 U.S. 1235 (1994).
Gordon
v. Ford Motor Credit Corp., 868 F. Supp. 1191 (N.D. Cal. 1992).
Century
Federal, Inc. v. City of Palo Alto, 710 F.Supp. 1559 (N.D. Cal.
1988).
Pacific
West Cable Company v. City of Sacramento, 672 F. Supp. 1322 (E.D.
Cal. 1987) and 693 F. Supp. 865 (E.D. Cal. 1988).
Colorado
Springs Cablevision, Inc. v. Lively, 579 F. Supp. 252 (D. Colo.
1984).
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