C. Michael Alder LAW A PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION. CAOC Board of Governors 2001-Present. CAALA Board of Governors 2001-Present

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1 C. Michael Alder As the youngest winner ever of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles prestigious Trial Lawyer of the Year award, Michael Alder has distinguished himself as one of the top trial attorneys in California. He has been named one of the Daily Journal s Top 20 Lawyers Under the Age of 40 in California, and has been selected by Los Angeles magazine as a Southern California SuperLawyer in 2004, 2005, and 2006 (each year he has been eligible). He has been nominated as the Consumer Attorneys of California s California Trial Lawyer of the Year, is a long time member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), and has received commendations from the U.S. Congress, California Senate, California Assembly, California Lieutenant Governor and Los Angeles City Council for his trial work. LAW A PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION The reason for the accolades is simple: results. Since founding AlderLaw in 2000, Mr. Alder has won dozens of jury trials and negotiated scores of six and seven figure settlements on behalf of his clients. Notable verdicts include a $4 million verdict for the wrongful death of a 17-year-old girl in an automobile accident caused by a phantom vehicle (the phantom driver was identified and found to be 100% responsible for the accident), a $4.2 million verdict for a schizophrenic woman who received serious burns after being caught in an apartment fire, and a $908,000 verdict for a major league umpire who injured his pinky finger in a rear end accident. Additionally, in the first eight months of 2007 alone, Mr. Alder has settled eight separate cases for amounts exceeding $1 million, including two defective smoke detector cases for $6.2 million and $3 million respectively. Mr. Alder grew up in southern Louisiana, attending Louisiana State University and graduating from LSU Law School in After clerking for The Hon. Lenore Prather, Presiding Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court, he began his career at the Los Angeles offices of the late David M. Harney, a legendary California trial lawyer. He then moved on to work for and be mentored by Michael J. Piuze, one of the best trial lawyers in the country. While working for Mr. Piuze, Mr. Alder played an important role in the firm obtaining several seven and eight figure verdicts and settlements. A long-time board member of the Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC) and the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA), Mr. Alder is now a leader of both organizations. He is currently on the CAALA Executive Committee serving as Secretary and will be President of that organization in In 2006, he was elected by CAOC to become one of nine members of the Board of Directors for Southern California, after serving as the PAC Chairman for Southern California during the election. Mr. Alder has given nationwide seminars on litigation and published multiple articles on litigation strategy and practice. He has been a speaker at multiple continuing education seminars and regularly speaks at CAALA s annual Las Vegas convention on topics ranging from advanced trial skills to the use of technology in the courtroom. For the past several years, he has given the Plaintiff s Opening or Closing Statement Demonstration at the ABOTA Jack Daniels Trial School, which teaches hundreds of young trial lawyers about trial work. For the past two years, he has been plaintiff s trial counsel in Loyola Law School s Mock Trial Symposium, streamed live across the country. Mr. Alder is a founder of Trial Lawyers Charities, a charity begun by lawyers in Los Angeles dedicated to helping people in the community with financial or legal needs. Louisiana State University, (J.D. 1992, B.A. 1989) Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles Trial Lawyer of the Year Winner 2004 Southern California Superlawyers Super Lawyer Present Voted one of California s Top 20 Lawyers under 40 CAOC Board of Governors 2001-Present CAALA Board of Governors 2001-Present American Board of Trial Advocates Present

2 LAW A PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION The Firm AlderLaw represents seriously injured people in cases involving catastrophic injuries and wrongful death. We are proud to have a focused team of lawyers and staff dedicated to providing the best legal representation possible. Taking only plaintiff s cases, AlderLaw has litigated across California and in multiple states. The firm has heavily invested in staff and technology in order to provide the highest quality representation to our clients, and our comprehensive approach has resulted in an outstanding rate of success. We pride ourselves on the stability of our firm, with key members of our team having worked together for the past 15 years. Housed in our own building in Beverly Hills, AlderLaw provides around-the-clock service to clients and referring attorneys. Because of the close working relationship with attorneys who refer cases to the firm and the high level of service we provide, many referral attorneys actually come to view the AlderLaw staff as an extension of their own office. The AlderLaw Building is active at all hours of the day and night, and it has become a meeting place for many in the AlderLaw family. In an effort to give back to the legal community, the firm participates in multiple mock trials and litigation presentations each year. Lawyers in the firm have given nationwide seminars on trial tactics, authored articles on cross-examination, trial strategy and litigation procedure and mentored young plaintiff s attorneys. We have won several multimillion dollar verdicts throughout Southern California. Our lawyers are well-known for devastating cross-examination at deposition and trial, and our zealous advocacy often results in high dollar settlements. The firm is a leader in the Los Angeles community and trial bar. Mr. Alder is currently on the Executive Committee of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles and will be its President in AlderLaw was instrumental in founding Trial Lawyers Charities, an organization devoted to helping citizens of Los Angeles in legal or financial straits. For more information, practice areas and verdicts and settlements, we invite you to explore our website: Please contact us directly to discuss your legal matter.

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4 California Verdict of the Week $907,000 to Major League Baseball umpire for permanent numbness in pinky finger

5 Providing Exceptional Results to Our Clients and Referring Attorneys November 22, 2005 April 27, 2007 November 22, 2005 Gary and Lisa Davila XXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Feather Creek Menifee, XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX CA LAW A PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION Re: XXXXX Davila v. XXXXXXXXX KHovnanian Homes Dear Gary and Lisa: It was wonderful to meet you both today. I am truly sorry for what has happened to your family and appreciate the trust that you have placed in me and my firm to represent you. I will not let you down. I have already begun the claims process, having spoken to and written to the Chief Legal Counsel for XXXXXXXXX KHovnanian Homes and requested a full copy of your file. I expect to receive a call from their insurance company early next week. I am enclosing a copy of the letter I sent to KHovnanian s XXXXXXXXX an legal counsel, a copy of the signed fee agreement and written questions for each of you. Do your best to fill out the information and return them to me in the self-addressed stamped envelope. I will not let you down. In addition to any documents regarding your home and the investigation of the fire, I would like to see all family pictures, video and vacation/trip/outing mementos. This can be a huge task, I know. However, being able to show an insurance company or jury what your family was like before the fire is critical. As you pack/un-pack, please pull out all of this information. You CANNOT give me too much. XXXXXX XXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx XXXXXx $ 5,750, XXXXxxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxx Finally, please include in the envelope a list of any and all investigators, insurance representatives, family and friends who saw what happened and/or helped in the aftermath of the fire. Of course, call if you need anything. Very truly yours, Michael Alder XXXXXxxxxxxxxxx XXXXXxxx XXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx XXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx XXXXXxxxxxx XXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

6 Unnatural Disasters: San Bernardino Sun Special Report Inside the Series: Part One: Look back to see forward Part Two: Follow the money Part Three: Residential accountability Part Four: Problem solving Confidential multimillion dollar Article Originally Published: December 28, :15:37 AM PST ARTICLE PRINT ARTICLE Deaths rise to 9; 7 remain missing Search for survivors resumes today settlement reached for victims of 2003 Christmas Day mudslide GINA TENORIO and DAVID SCHWARTZ, Staff Writers Waterman Canyon on Saturday gave up two more victims of the Christmas Flood, but searching was suspended at sunset, diminishing hopes that any of the remaining seven missing people would be found alive. The number of confirmed dead from Thursday's floods stood at nine, including two people who died in a mudslide at the KOA Kampground in Devore, five miles west of Waterman Canyon. A heavy downpour that brought 3 to 4 inches of rain in 12 hours Thursday triggered the mudslides in the Old Fire-charred San Bernardino Mountains and foothills. The Coroner's Office said that all of those missing from the Devore campground were accounted for. The search in Waterman Canyon is expected to continue at 8 a.m. today, but for the families and friends of those still missing, optimism has dropped. "Out of 100 percent hope of them being alive, it's gone," said Pablo Medina, a member of the Church of God of Prophecy in San Bernardino. Fire and Flood Mother nature unleashes its fury. See past front page coverage from The Sun: The Christmas Day Flood The Old Fires front page articles December 26, 2003 December 27, 2003 December 28, 2003 December 29, 2003 December 30, 2003 December 31, 2003 Many of the missing were congregants of the church, which will have a bilingual memorial service at 3 p.m. today. While forecasters said a storm predicted to hit Southern California on Monday had weakened, sheriff's spokeswoman Cindy Beavers warned that if rains renew the threat of a mudslide, search operations would be delayed. She also advised residents in areas charred by the October wildfires to pay attention to the weather. "Use common sense. We don't want them to wait until the situation is dangerous before they evacuate," Beavers said. "We don't want another situation like we have here." SEARCH SUSPENDED Saturday was the first time that searching at night was suspended. Officials, though, maintained that those combing through the crevices of Waterman Canyon still had hope; it was still officially a search-andrescue mission. But officials also said that as time passed, it would be more difficult to find anyone alive who may have been trapped under mud but under a filter of logs or knocked unconscious somewhere. "It would be very difficult to survive the temperatures and conditions overnight," Beavers said. Medina and other congregants said they wanted to help search for the missing, but they were denied access. Sheriff's officials also closed off Old Waterman Canyon Road to the news media after fire officials complained of media interfering with the search, Beavers said. Television crews were left to roll their cameras from Highway 18, taping cracked trees and a boulder-strewn canyon below. (1 of 3) [12/7/2004 4:20:45 PM]

7 Confidential multimillion dollar settlement reached for Madison Martin and the Liu family January 5, 2007

8 $650,000 settlement reached for family of patient who committed suicide f patient mmitted suicide in State Mental Hospital $500,000 settlement reached for mother of suicide victim residing in State Mental Hospital

9 January 2005 Voted youngest Trial Lawyer of the Year by Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles

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11 Selected Verdicts & Settlements LAW A PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION $1.5 Million Settlement Andrews v. Ventura Police abuse resulted in leg injury $908,000 Verdict Layne v. Tsai Pinky injury to Major League Baseball umpire $2.9 Million Settlement Stephanian v. Blockbuster Man injured in auto accident $1.25 Million Settlement Steigner v. Gilhuys Woman injured in auto accident $6.125 Million Settlement Confidential Smoke inhalation injury due to failed smoke detector $1.05 Million Verdict Pajon v. Klotz Man injured in auto accident $1.1 Million Settlement Skenderian v. Coto de Caza Road design problem caused auto accident $260,000 Verdict Milker v. Deitsch Auto accident resulting in shoulder injury $951,000 Verdict Zavala v. C.W. Poss Prison guard injured in auto accident $550,000 Arbitration Award Snider v. Amica Auto accident caused foot injury $500,000 Settlement Hernandez v. Harrison Plaintiff struck while crossing roadway $300,000 Settlement Mena v. Joseph Girl hit in crosswalk $400,000 Settlement Confidential Boy on scooter runs into tow truck $4.2 Million Verdict Berry v. Keeton Smoke detector failure causing burn injury to woman $750,000 Settlement Medina v. Wright Trucking Back injury resulting from rear end accident $750,000 Settlement De Herrerra v. Big Dog Trucking Pedestrian hit while crossing street $5.3 Million Settlement Lundin v. H.F. Cox Child injured in automobile accident $335,000 Verdict Littrell v. Youkhan Auto accident $177,000 Verdict Hippey v. Brown Passenger in vehicle suffers neck injury $1.9 Million Settlement Confidential Age discrimination led to wrongful termination $600,000 Settlement Kahlenberg v. Studio City Passenger injures back in auto accident $760,000 Verdict Matyas v. Walden Plaintiff turned left and was struck by on coming vehicle $550,000 Settlement Shigematsu v. L.A. Co. County s failure to place adequate signs caused crash $1.8 Million Verdict Barbic v. Kiewit Pacific Support failure caused construction accident $219,000 Verdict Caserez v. Orkin Pest Control Camper top falls off pick-up causing accident $600,000 Settlement Cicconi v. Layne Plaintiff s car hit by backhoe $750,000 Settlement Walker v. J.C. Fishbeck Plaintiff injured by ceiling collapse $1.5 Million Settlement Strutman v. City of Los Angeles Man injured in auto accident $750,000 Settlement Charlap v. Metropolitan Ins. Slip and fall outside Los Angeles high rise $420,000 Verdict McMillon v. WalMart Slip and fall on shampoo spill caused plaintiff s back injury $420,000 Verdict Ford v. South Bay Galleria Plaintiff slips at mall, develops fibromyalgia $500,000 Settlement Confidential Slip and fall down wet stairs caused plaintiff s injury $195,000 Settlement Lamy v. Joel Silverman Improper grading resulted in flood potential $650,000 Settlement Delgado v. City of Los Angeles Fall in improperly lit school stairwell $4 Million Verdict Jones v. Davis Wrongful death of teenager in auto accident $300,000 Settlement Bartz v. Farmers Ins. Mold claim in house, causing plaintiff s personal injury $650,000 Settlement Confidential Slip and fall at mall, requiring hip replacement $650,000 Settlement Toland v. Napa State Hospital Failure to prevent suicide of patient $3.125 Million Settlement Confidential Wrongful death of man in mud slide $450,000 Settlement Cheifer v. Carter Construction site fight leaves plaintiff injured $750,000 Settlement DeFronzo v. Griswold Wrongful death of passenger in auto accident $200,000 Settlement LaBoy v. Bell Cab Co. Pedestrian struck while crossing roadway $3 Million Settlement Confidential Wrongful death due to failed smoke detector $880,000 Settlement Webb v. Emser Plaintiff injured during U-turn automobile accident $450,000 Settlement Confidential Teenager killed by auto while crossing street to board school bus $750,000 Settlement Confidential Plaintiff suffered neck injury in rear-end accident $500,000 Settlement Confidential Insurance bad faith in plaintiff s theft loss claim $4.75 Million Settlement Rankin v. United Sup. Bus Lines Wrongful death in bus accident $500,000 Settlement Moore v. Napa State Hospital Wrongful death of patient

12 $1.5 million settlement reached for former security guard subjected to excessive force by police during arrest

13 $4.75 million settlement for wrongful deaths from $5 million total asset pool

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15 $5.3 million settlement reached for child injured while riding in back seat of car rear-ended by 18-wheeler

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17 $1.8 million settlement reached for driver of car which hit pickup truck

18 Voted one of California s Top 20 Attorneys under the age of 40 these California Lawyers THE TOP 20 UNDER 40 In the Wild West of the legal world, a new generation of attorneys is pioneering at the frontier. From high-powered deal makers to a $10 million rainmaker, an animal rights activist and a hotshot government lawyer, our list of the Top 20 Under 40 proves the sky s the limit, no matter what your age. C. MICHAEL ALDER, 37 Sole Practitioner Opportunity knocked early for trial attorney C. Michael Alder. Straight out of Louisiana State University s Paul M. Hebert Law Center in 1992, Alder landed a pretty good gig clerking for Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice Lenore Prather. When he and his equally liberal-minded wife decided the scored a job interview with legendary Los Angeles litigator David Harney. That didn t go too badly, either. In 20 minutes, [Harney] said, Do you want a job? In three seconds, I said, Yes, and it was done, Alder says. A decade later, from his solo practice in Beverly Hills, Alder brightens his clients futures by winning the types of make-or-break personal-injury cases that change lives. At Christmas, he got a greeting card from a schizophrenic client thanking him for the lifetime care she received after Alder, 37, won $4.2 million for her last year. The San Pedro woman, who was too scared to testify at trial, sustained third-degree burns and brain damage during an failed to maintain her unit s smoke detectors. Berry v. Keeton, NC (L.A. Super. Ct. March 11, 2004). Alder absolutely, positively loves what he does: taking on receive help otherwise. When you re a part of that, you ve got to be good. And they deserve to be well-represented, Alder says. When you do it right, there s nothing like it. There s no better feeling, except, maybe, having a little girl. In January, Alder s wife, Beverly Hills entertainment attorney In the last three years, Alder has tried 20 cases and won 17 of them. Among the victories was a case last year against a defense attorney who had a 15-0 record in slip-and-fall cases; Alder dealt Wal-Mart Stores Inc. When you do it right, there s nothing like it. There s no better feeling, except, maybe, having a little girl, says C. Michael Alder, who became a father in January. In January, the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles recognized Alder s continued trial success by naming him the organization s youngest recipient of its Trial Lawyer of the Year award. In addition to learning from Harney, Alder also learned the litigation trade from another high-powered Southern California trial attorney who took Alder under his wing during the 1990s -- Mike Piuze. Mike [Alder] is very ambitious and keeps his eye on the ball, his goal being to be a recognized, tough, tough, trial lawyer, Piuze says. This just didn t happen to him, his success, Piuze adds. It happened because he has a vision of himself and where he wants to be.... He s accomplishing the goals that he set for himself. -- Tina Spee

19 $1.8 million verdict for painter who suffered broken ankles in fall from scaffolding

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