Attorneys

LOS ANGELES / SAN FRANCISCO

Phone: 213-617-6170 (Los Angeles)
Phone: 415-217-1240 (San Francisco)
Email: fpond@pondnorth.com

Partner

Frank D. Pond

Frank D. Pond has significant jury and court trial, commercial arbitration, and mediation experience with particular specialty in the area of the defense of asbestos injury cases (with more than a dozen mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis personal injury and wrongful death cases tried to verdict and over 40 jury selections and trial starts). Mr. Pond also serves as National Coordinating Counsel for three companies, trial counsel, including “parachuting in” for trial at the time of trial start for cases he and the firm had not been previously assigned, and as national, regional, and local settlement counsel. Most recently, Mr. Pond was asked to take on a significantly risky Living Mesothelioma trial in a different state with only 24 hours notice, as the sole remaining defendant and with a jury already selected.  Mr. Pond tried that case for the next 3 weeks resolving it favorably for the Client on the last day of testimony.  

Additionally, beyond asbestos, toxic tort, and related products liability arena, Mr. Pond has tried, overseen, and settled cases relating to accident injury claims relating to benzene and other chemical agents, general environmental law (including State, Federal, CERCLA, traditional tort, and Proposition 65 claims), purported ADA violations, construction, employment law, as well as prosecuting, defending, and/or arbitrating commercial and contractual claims, both domestic and international in the areas of entertainment, entertainment financing, and transportation law.

Mr. Pond gained his initial trial experience as a criminal prosecutor trying Felony and Misdemeanor cases with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office (1987–1989) and has continued to successfully try cases while in private practice (1989–present). In addition to trial litigation, Mr. Pond serves as National Coordinating Counsel and National Strategic Counsel for clients in asbestos litigation and has overseen asbestos cases nationally, regionally, and locally for several larger (Fortune 200), medium, and smaller corporate and business entities. Mr. Pond has spoken at a number of litigation seminars in the areas of asbestos litigation, asbestos medicine, and more generally regarding toxic torts and tobacco-related medicine.

Mr. Pond has tried cases in California, Texas, Washington, Connecticut, Maryland and the District of Columbia, and has been admitted, pro hac vice, in Texas, Washington, Connecticut, Maryland, Illinois, and Louisiana.

Education

GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY LAW CENTER
LL.M (International & Commercial Law), with Honors, 1993

GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY LAW CENTER
Juris Doctorate, cum laude, 1986

GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
B.A., Philosophy

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Partner

Christine M. North

Christine M. North has over 25 years of successful trial experience in the defense of asbestos personal injury and wrongful death claims; product and premises liability claims; and medical malpractice. Ms. North gained her initial trial experience as a criminal prosecutor with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, in the 1988–1993 time period, where she tried over 48 cases to verdict, ultimately focusing on large conspiracy cases. Ms. North has tried several consolidated toxic tort trials, as well as multiple individual product and premises liability cases, in California and across the United States from Texas to Philadelphia to New England with consistently successful results. She has tried over 25 asbestos personal injury and wrongful death cases to verdict since 1994.

Ms. North has expertise in mass tort litigation management and serves on the team for National and Strategic Counsel for some of the Firm’s clients. Ms. North has in the past spoken at national asbestos ligation seminars with special reference to medical and scientific expert work up, trial testimony, and trial strategy.   

A partner in the Firm’s New England office, Ms. North splits her time between New England, Los Angeles and the San Francisco offices, and wherever client trials are starting around the country.

Education

UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME LAW SCHOOL
Juris Doctorate, 1985

CONCANNON PROGRAM OF INTERNATIONAL LAW
One year of study, London, U.K.

GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
B.S.F.S, cum laude, Foreign Service, 1982

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PARTNER

Michael A. Graham

Michael A. Graham has handled civil litigation in both federal and California courts. His primary focus has concerned complex toxic tort litigation, including asbestos and breast implant litigation, for Fortune 500 corporations. Moreover, he has also represented several international pharmaceutical corporations in general product liability litigation.

Mr. Graham has started several jury trials as first-chair and tried three of those jury trials to verdict. In addition, Mr. Graham has argued numerous appeals before the California First District, Second District, and Third District Appellate Circuits, as well as the federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal. 

In addition to his experience with toxic tort and products liability litigation, he has extensive experience in defending employment/labor cases. He has counseled private and public employers in matters involving employment litigation and provided general labor and employment law advice. Additionally, Mr. Graham has tried employment discrimination cases in state court, federal court, and various administrative proceedings. He has also conducted on-site sexual harassment investigations and provided sexual harassment training to supervisors and non-supervisory employees. Mr. Graham is the overseeing Partner for the employment law cases defended by Pond North LLP.

Mr. Graham is proficient in the German language.

Education

GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY LAW CENTER
Juris Doctorate, cum laude, 1995

GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
B.S.F.S, Foreign Service, 1991

UNIVERSITY OF VIENNA, AUSTRIA

Bar Admissions

• California

• U.S. District Courts for the Central, Northern, Southern, and Eastern Districts of California

• U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

• MDL - Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Activities & Affiliations

• Board of Directors, The Trevor Project

• Board of Directors, Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles

• Board of Directors, Blue 13 Dance Company

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LOS ANGELES

Phone: 213-617-6170
Email: mgittler@pondnorth.com
LinkedIn

PARTNER

Marissa K. Gittler

Marissa K. Gittler is an Associate who focuses her practice on the defense of corporations in product liability, toxic tort, and mass tort litigation.

In addition, throughout her career, Ms. Gittler has worked in various other areas of law including, premises liability, entertainment, products liability, real estate, pharmaceutical malpractice, criminal, employment, and construction defect. Ms. Gittler has represented large retail and entertainment corporations, manufacturers, contractors, suppliers, government entities, employers, premises owners, real estate companies, and sports teams in federal and California state courts. She has extensive experience in all aspects of litigation including, discovery, motion work, trial preparation, and settlement negotiations. She has taken hundreds of plaintiff, percipient witness, and expert depositions. Ms. Gittler has drafted, opposed, and successfully argued numerous motions, including dispositive motions. As well, Ms. Gittler obtains remarkable settlements on a regular basis.

In addition to Ms. Gittler’s Bar Association affiliations, she is also a member of Junior League and volunteers at local homeless shelters, animal shelters, as well as children’s charities and organizations, including Room to Read, Kids in the Kitchen, and the Children’s Bureau.

Education

SOUTHWESTERN LAW SCHOOL
Juris Doctorate, 2011

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA RIVERSIDE
B.A., Political Science and Law and Society, 2006

Bar Admissions

• California

• U.S. District Courts for the Central, Northern, Southern, and Eastern Districts of California

Activities & Affiliations

• San Fernando Valley Bar Association

• Los Angeles County Bar Association

• Beverly Hills Bar Association

LOS ANGELES

Phone: 213-617-6170 (Los Angeles)
Email: sgryder@pondnorth.com
LinkedIn

PARTNER

Sandra L. Gryder

Sandra L. Gryder has an extensive background in all facets of civil litigation, from pre-trial procedures, trial preparation and trial, as well as writs and appeals, representing clients in both federal and California courts. Ms. Gryder’s primary focus is the representation of clients in complex toxic tort matters, including asbestos, benzene, and other products liability claims. In addition, Ms. Gryder is responsible for the oversight and administration of the Firm’s settlements, including drafting of all necessary documentation and ensuring proper application of, and compliance with, the Medicare Secondary Payer Act.

Ms. Gryder has both first- and second-chair jury trial experience, as well as first-chair court trial experience throughout her career. She has also represented clients in arbitrations, mediations and settlement conferences.

Prior to turning her focus to complex toxic tort matters, Ms. Gryder practiced extensively in the areas of transportation-related matters (domestic and international) and real estate litigation, including while in-house for Chicago Title Insurance Company. In addition, she has represented secured creditors’ claims in bankruptcy and receivership proceedings, and has provided representation and coverage opinions in insurance litigation, as well as in all aspects of general business litigation.

Education

LOYOLA LAW SCHOOL, LOS ANGELES
Juris Doctorate, 1984
Scott Moot Court Honors Program
American Jurisprudence Award in Contracts

LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY
B.A., English Literature, magna cum laude, 1981

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PARTNER

Margreta Vellucci

Margreta Vellucci is a Partner whose practice involves general civil litigation, and focuses on the defense of toxic tort claims, complex product liability claims, premises liability claims, and insurance defense litigation. She has extensive experience overseeing and managing nationally recognized companies both as local counsel and on a team of national coordinating counsel. Ms. Vellucci is involved with all phases of litigation, including discovery and depositions, dispositive and pre-trial motions, and trial preparation. She also handles settlement negotiations and mediations. Ms. Vellucci has effectively advocated on behalf of corporate clients, ranging from locally owned small businesses to Fortune 500 companies.

Since 2013, Ms. Vellucci has been recognized annually as a Massachusetts Rising Star, by the publishers of Super Lawyers, for her work as an outstanding attorney in the Massachusetts legal community. She has presented at the Defense Research Institute’s Asbestos Medicine annual seminar, for the ABA Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section, as well as to private insurer groups.

Prior to entering private practice, Ms. Vellucci was the lead law clerk to the Honorable Frank J. Williams during his tenure as Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court. She has had scholarly work published in both the University of California at Davis environmental law journal, Environs, as well as the Roger Williams University Law Review. Ms. Vellucci is a past President of the Roger Williams University School of Law Alumni Association. While in law school, Ms. Vellucci was an Articles Editor for the Roger Williams University Law Review and a member of the Honors Program. 

Originally from Connecticut, Ms. Vellucci currently lives in Smithfield, Rhode Island.

Education

ROGER WILLIAMS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW
Juris Doctorate, magna cum laude, 2007

BOSTON UNIVERSITY
B.A., Psychology and Sociology, magna cum laude, 2004

Bar Admissions

• Connecticut

• Massachusetts

• Rhode Island

• California

• Maine

• U.S. District Courts for Districts of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island

• U.S. Supreme Court

Activities & Affiliations

• International Association of Defense Counsel

• Defense Research Institute

• Massachusetts Defense Lawyers Association

• Rhode Island Bar Association

• Rhode Island Women’s Bar Association

• Connecticut Bar Association

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LOS ANGELES

Phone: 213-617-6170
Email: rschatz@pondnorth.com

senior counsel

Russell W. Schatz

Russell W. Schatz specializes in general civil litigation, complex product liability, and toxic tort litigation. His primary area of focus has been defending corporations against claims involving the exposure to asbestos, silica, benzene, and other toxic substances. In addition to toxic tort defense, he also has experience in insurance-related matters, including premises liability, construction accidents, general liability, product liability, automobile liability, and construction defect.

Education

WESTERN STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF LAW
Juris Doctorate, 1991

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE
M.S., Occupational and Environmental Health, 1987

LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY
B.S., Biology, 1984

NEW ENGLAND

Phone: 781-556-0600

Email: jbuck@pondnorth.com

ASSOCIATE

James M Buck

James Buck is an Associate Attorney who primarily focuses on defending clients in toxic tort litigation matters. Mr. Buck practiced exclusively in California until 2011, at which time he moved to Massachusetts, and continued to work with a California firm until gaining admission to the Massachusetts State Bar in 2017. At that point he began practicing in Massachusetts. Throughout his career, he has worked in various areas of law including risk management, insurance defense, bankruptcy and landlord-tenant law. In addition, for approximately two and a half years, he was the Assistant Vice-President, Risk Management for an underground cable locating company with offices in seven states. Mr. Buck has extensive experience in all facets of litigation, including investigation, law and motion practice, depositions, discovery, mediation, administrative hearings, and trial preparation.

In addition to Mr. Buck’s legal affiliations, he is a member of the Board of Directors for two non-profit organizations, the South Coast Wheelchair Tennis Association and Marshfield Tennis Club. He is an avid tennis player, and coaches wheelchair tennis players as well as junior players.