Preview: Gas Leak Yields Windfall of Work

With the gas leak in Aliso Canyon plugged, a geyser of lawsuits has erupted to provide work for local law firms – and perhaps rewrite the rules for complex litigation going forward. R. Rex Parris Law Firm in Lancaster has the biggest caseload among the Porter Ranch residents with more than 8,200 plaintiffs. Owen Patterson & Owen in Valencia has more than 4,000. And numerous smaller firms have entered the fray by recruiting residents and businesses. About 10 miles from Aliso Canyon, David Shapiro, an attorney and city councilman in Calabasas, has about 200 Porter Ranch clients. He spends between 60 and 75 percent of his time on the matter, even though it’s not generating any income, at least not yet. All the cases are contingency, so he won’t get paid unless his clients get money from San Diego-based Sempra Energy Corp., owner of the leaky well. “I’ve been meeting with each client and family one-on-one, going through their potential claims,” he said. “Those discussions range from three to six hours. It’s a significant investment in cost and time.” Read the full story in the July 11 issue of the San Fernando Valley Business Journal.