ATTORNEYS

Robert Schulman brings over 45 years of complex commercial litigation experience to the Firm. Prior to joining Fernald & Zaffos, he was a senior litigation partner in the Los Angeles offices of Fulbright & Jaworski, where he served as that Firm’s Chairman of its Accounting Profession Practice Committee and as a member of the Los Angeles offices’ Leadership Council. Previously, he was a litigation partner of other international law firms.

His accomplishments have been recognized by, among other things, his selection by the authoritative The Chambers Guide as one of California’s top 13 commercial litigators, for several years as a “Southern California Super Lawyer,” one of “The Best Lawyers in America,” one of “The Best in the United States” in commercial litigation, and as a recipient of the Martindale-Hubbell “AV-Preeminent” rating, the highest such designation.

Mr. Schulman also has served several terms as an Adjunct Professor of Law at The Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, has held public office, and has been General Counsel of several organizations.

His litigation practice focuses on complex commercial cases, with a special emphasis on the representation of Big 4 and other accounting firms, international insurance brokerages, and various manufacturing firms in actions involving very kind of insurance issue, intellectual property, regulatory matter, the music industry, tax and standard of care claims, and a broad variety of other major cases.

• Representation of Big 4 accounting firm in an action alleging it failed to supervise the security of a major corporation’s prize promotion, thereby permitting the theft of millions of dollars of prize-winning tickets.
• Representation of Big 4 accounting firm in the “Death Row Records” consolidated cases involving the music industry.
• Representation of a Big 4 accounting firm in an action for defamation brought by a former partner.
• Representation of a Big 4 accounting firm in an action alleging that it breached duties of confidentiality by revealing its client’s criminal history to a third party involved in the client’s transactions. Plaintiff claimed that doing so thereby caused that transaction to cancel.
• Defense of insurance brokerage in action brought by regional airline alleging it was forced out of business when its insurance coverage was canceled due to broker’s breach of fiduciary duty. Summary judgment granted in favor of the client.
• Representation of certain launch and incentives underwriters in federal litigation arising from the failure of the Indonesian government’s Palapa II telecommunications satellite to attain a geosynchronous orbit, and rendered coverage advice in connection with contractor’s claims for Satellite Incentives Coverage as to the Westar VI and Palapa B-2 satellites.
• Representation of a Big 4 accounting firm in defense of a shareholders’ derivative action. Plaintiffs claimed that the firm improperly certified financial statements. The court granted an accounting firm’s motion to dismiss.
• Representation of international accounting firm in an audit malpractice case brought by purchaser of business claiming financial statements were false and misleading. Motion for dismissal granted.
• Representation of a Big 4 accounting firm in an adversary proceeding in Bankruptcy Court arising from the firm’s alleged failure to include a “going concern” qualification in the bankrupt’s financials. Summary judgment granted in favor of client.