Wednesday, December 19, 2001
Page 4
Product Liability Lawyer Joins Kirkpatrick & Lockhart in Los Angeles
By a MetNews Staff Writer
A Los Angeles lawyer who has represented many major manufacturing companies against product liability lawsuits has joined Kirkpatrick & Lockhart’s expanding west-coast operation.
Frederick J. Ufkes left Arter & Hadden’s downtown office and joined K&L’s Los Angeles office as a lateral partner this week. He will continue to concentrate his litigation practice on toxic tort, environmental, and product liability.
Ufkes was one of the lead trial lawyers representing several advanced plastic manufacturers sued by Lockhead Martin employees who claimed they developed cancer as a result of working with the companies’ parts in the Burbank plant.
Kirkpatrick & Lockhart is a national law firm, based on the East Coast, with more than 650 lawyers currently representing over half of the Fortune 500. It embraces three major areas: litigation, corporate and regulatory.
“This is a tremendous opportunity to get in on the ground floor of K&L’s burgeoning practice on the West Coast,” Ufkes said. “They decided to expand in LA and saw me joining them as a step forward.”
Paul Sweeney, a partner in the Los Angeles K&L firm, said that Ufkes’ addition reflects the company’s continued commitment to bringing outstanding service to Southern California.
“Fred Ufkes brings unrivaled toxic tort, environmental, and product liability litigation expertise to our Los Angeles service portfolio,” Sweeney said in a statement. “His addition reflects K&L’s continued commitment to offer both Southern California and national clients served by the firm’s Los Angeles office a full-service value proposition.”
Ufkes received his law degree from Washington University in St. Louis and his undergraduate degree from the University of California, San Diego.
Copyright 2001, Metropolitan News Company