LUCE FORWARD PARTNER PETER KLEE INVITED TO JOIN TWO LEADING ORGANIZATIONS BASED ON IMPRESSIVE TRIAL RECORD

SAN DIEGO – Peter H. Klee, a partner at Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps LLP, has just been invited to become a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers (College). Klee’s impressive trial record allowed him to be considered as a candidate for this prestigious organization that only accepts the top one percent of trial lawyers in the United States and Canada.

After an extensive review process, which scrutinized Klee’s cases, opponents, and the judges of those cases, current members of the local College voted, accepting him into their organization. Currently, there are only 15 College members in the San Diego area, some of which have retired and no longer practice. Klee will be sworn into the organization in March 2008.

In addition, Klee has been invited to join the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). Qualifications for becoming an associate at ABOTA include completing 20 civil jury trials to verdict in a court of general jurisdiction or in a federal court and having at least five years of active experience as a trial lawyer.

ABOTA, which will induct Klee in November, seeks to attract attorneys who display skill, civility and integrity in order to help younger attorneys achieve a higher level of trial advocacy and to educate the public about the vital importance of the Seventh Amendment. The San Diego Chapter of ABOTA is comprised of approximately 160 trial lawyers.

Klee has handled the defense of more than 1,500 lawsuits in the past 20 years. No insurance company represented in trial by Klee has been held liable for breach of insurance contract, bad faith or any other tort actions. In addition to defending more insurance bad faith cases arising out of natural catastrophes than any other attorney in California, Klee has obtained defense verdicts on the merits in more than 500 cases, including 50 cases in the past 12 months.

Robert Steiner, a partner and member of Luce Forward’s business/complex litigation practice group, is also an active member of both the American College of Trial Lawyers and ABOTA.

Founded in 1873, Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps LLP is a full-service California law firm with offices in San Diego, Carmel Valley/Del Mar, Los Angeles, Orange County, Rancho Santa Fe and San Francisco. For more information, visit www.luce.com