Arent Fox Welcomes Litigation Team in LA

Los Angeles, CA – Arent Fox LLP is pleased to announce the expansion of its Complex Litigation practice with the addition of five litigators, led by partners Gary Wolensky and Hugh Hewitt and including counsel Anne Marie Ellis and associates Jamison Power and Cyrus Wilkes. Mr. Wolensky and Mr. Hewitt were previously name partners at the product liability and commercial litigation firm Hewitt Wolensky & McNulty, where they represented Fortune 100 companies in the consumer products, automotive, entertainment, pharmaceutical, medical device, insurance, real estate development, and health care industries.

“Adding Gary, Hugh and the rest of their team is a big addition for Arent Fox and our fast-growing Complex Litigation practice and our Los Angeles office,” said California Managing Partner Robert C. O’Brien. “Gary and Hugh will be a great asset to companies who are seeking the highest level litigation and product liability counsel, and we look forward to welcoming their clients to the Arent Fox family.”

The team joins the Los Angeles office within days of Arent Fox announcing the addition of international litigator Malcolm S. McNeil and white collar and corporate governance litigator Peter R. Zeidenberg. In the first four months of 2014, nine partners have joined the firm across its four offices, including five in California.

“In an effort to meet client demand, our litigation practice has grown exponentially in recent years,” said Complex Litigation leader Stephen G. Larson. “Arent Fox has more than doubled its number of litigators over the last 10 years, while taking on an array of high profile cases across the country. Gary and Hugh will play key roles on our national litigation team.”

Mr. Wolensky focuses his practice on the defense of manufacturers and retailers in commercial and product liability litigation. He also routinely provides counsel on regulatory matters, particularly for clients in the automobile, motorcycle, consumer goods, medical device, pharmaceutical, food, and amusement park industries. He has served as lead trial counsel in numerous catastrophic personal injury, product liability, and commercial cases and class actions, and currently is national and regional counsel for several multinational corporations.

Mr. Hewitt advises clients on federal and state land use and environmental matters, including endangered species law, and on compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act and the California Environmental Quality Act. A law professor and broadcast journalist, Mr. Hewitt produces a nationally-syndicated radio program that can be heard in more than 120 cities across the country. A frequent media commentator, Mr. Hewitt has taught Constitutional Law at Chapman University Law School since the school was founded in 1995.

“We are enthusiastic about joining Arent Fox and its deep bench of talented litigators,” said Mr. Wolensky. “The synergies between our existing clients and Arent Fox are extraordinary, and we are looking forward to collaborating with attorneys in the San Francisco, New York, and Washington offices.”

Arent Fox’s Complex Litigation practice is recognized by Chambers USA for its “streamlined” approach that delivers “quality” results. With more than 125 litigators, the practice boasts a deep bench and international reach, while having extensive experience in high-stakes litigation before federal and state courts, regulatory agencies, and international arbitration and dispute resolution venues.