Partner

Primary Areas of Legal Practice

Environmental Litigation, Products Liability and Toxic Tort, Litigation Management

Professional Experience

Mr. Lannus represents clients on both the local and national level in all phases of toxic tort and products liability litigation. His representative matters include litigation involving asbestos, chemical exposure, clean rooms, mold, and groundwater contamination.

His experience includes the examination of lay and expert witnesses, law and motion practice, oral arguments at court hearings, settlement conferences and negotiations, mediations, and trial. Mr. Lannus served as part of LCMO’s trial team in the case of Cannard v. Ford Motor Co., which resulted in a defense verdict in the U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington. He also has experience in drafting licensing, non-disclosure and sales agreements.

Prior to joining Lankford Crawford Moreno & Ostertag, LLP, Mr. Lannus was a senior litigation associate with McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP, a 500 attorney international law firm.  At McKenna Long, Mr. Lannus served as a primary case handling/senior team attorney with its San Francisco Toxic Tort Group handling asbestos litigation for national and international clients.

He is a graduate of the International Association of Defense Counsel Trial Academy (2004) and served as a Judicial Extern to the Honorable James Ware, United States District Court, Northern District of California in 1998.  Prior to practicing law, Mr. Lannus worked for a national entertainment company as a logistics manager.

Past and Present Representative Clients

Ford Motor Company, General Motors, LLC, Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC., Luzenac America, Inc., Metalclad Insulation, Corp., Navistar, Inc., Pacific Mechanical Corp., Rudolf & Sletten, Inc., Rio Tinto Minerals, Inc., Wismer & Becker Contracting Engineers, Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. and Velan Valve Corp.

Trial Experience

Mr. Lannus has assisted as trial counsel in multiple asbestos trials, including:

• Bakkie v. RAM Auto Parts, Inc. – San Francisco County, California; Mesothelioma – Resolved during trial.
• Brodeur v. Ford Motor Company and General Motors – Los Angeles County, California; Lung Cancer– Non-suit (choice of law).
• Cannard v. Ford Motor Co. –S. District Court, Western District of Washington; Mesothelioma Defense Verdict
• Campbell v. C&H Sugar Company – Alameda County, California;  Mesothelioma – Defense Verdict.
• Crull v. Metalclad Insulation – Alameda County, California; Mesothelioma – Defense Verdict
• Johnsen v. Ford Motor Company and General Motors– San Francisco County, California; Mesothelioma – Non-suit (choice of law).
• Murray v. Pacific Mechanical Corp. – San Francisco County, California; Lung Cancer – Defense Verdict
• Moreno v. MTD Holdings Inc. – San Francisco County, California; Mesothelioma – Resolved shortly before opening statements.
• Villalpando v. Ford Motor Company – Alameda County, California; Wrongful death/ mesothelioma –Defense Verdict

Education

• International Association of Defense Counsel Trial Academy (2004)
• University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law (J.D., 1997)
• San Jose State University, San Jose (B.A., 1994) Public Administration

Bar Admissions

• California, 1997
• Washington, 2016
• United States District Court, All Californian Districts