Robert Crowder is a Partner in our Los Angeles office and has represented a wide range of clients in commercial and business litigation, products liability, general torts, maritime and admiralty law, aviation, environmental and energy matters

Mr. Crowder's litigation experience includes all aspects of litigation and encompasses pretrial law and motion matters, discovery, trial or alternative dispute resolution and appeals.

Mr. Crowder has significant professional experience in the marine and energy fields. He sailed as a deck officer for six years in the merchant marine and subsequently worked "shore-side" in the maritime industry. He has a professional merchant mariner's license issued by the United States Coast Guard as master of freight and towing vessels not exceeding 1600 gross tons and chief mate of oceangoing vessels, unlimited tonnage.

Mr. Crowder has had significant roles in defending personal injury claims arising in heavy industrial settings. Some of his cases have included:

• Contractor injuries arising in oil refinery or production unit settings
• Toxic-tort and toxic-brain injury claims
• California Proposition 65 litigation
• Environmental compliance counseling
• Cargo damage claims
• Breach of contract claims involving oil terminals and contracts of carriage
• Products liability claims

He has also defended construction defect litigation involving complex process systems. He has counseled clients in international breach of contract cases, construction defect and product liability cases.

Mr. Crowder worked for six years at a major petroleum refinery in northern California in a variety of positions including roles in coordination and economics, engineering support and operations. He attended numerous training courses in various aspects of refinery operations, economics and management. During law school, Robert worked as a law clerk for a major international oil company and as a consultant overseeing third-party vessel cargo-handling operations.

EDUCATION

Tulane Law School, J.D., 1998
Maine Maritime Academy, M.S., 1989
State University of New York, Maritime College, B.S., 1981

ADMISSIONS/QUALIFICATIONS

California, 1998
U.S. District Court, C.D. California, 1998
U.S. District Court, S.D. California, 2001
U.S. District Court, N.D. California, 2001
U.S. District Court, E.D. California, 2002