COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA v. SUPERIOR COURT

No. H031540.

74 Cal.Rptr.3d 842 (2008)

161 Cal.App.4th 1140

COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA et al., Petitioners, v. The SUPERIOR COURT of Santa Clara County, Respondent; Atlantic Richfield Company et al., Real Parties in Interest.

Court of Appeal of California, Sixth District.

April 8, 2008.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

Ann Miller Ravel, County Counsel, Cheryl A. Stevens, Deputy County Counsel, Aryn P. Harris, Deputy County Counsel, Office of the Santa Clara County Counsel, Dennis J. Herrera, City Attorney, Owen J. Clements, Chief of Special Litigation, Erin Bernstein, Deputy City Attorney, Office of the San Francisco City Attorney, Michael J. Aguirre, City Attorney, Sim von Kalinowski, Chief Deputy City Attorney, Office of the San Diego City Attorney, Richard E. Winnie, County Counsel, Raymond L. MacKay, Deputy County Counsel, Office of the Alameda County Counsel, Dennis Bunting, County Counsel, Office of the Solano County Counsel, Thomas F. Casey III, County Counsel, Brenda Carlson, Redwood City, Rebecca M. Archer, Office of the San Mateo County Counsel, Raymond G. Fortner, Jr., County Counsel, Donovon M. Main, Deputy County Counsel, Robert E. Ragland, Deputy County Counsel, Office of the Los Angeles County Counsel, Jeffrey B. Issacs, Patricia Bilgin, Elise Ruden, Los Angeles, Office of the City Attorney, City of Los Angeles, John A. Russo, Oakland, Christopher Kee, Office of the Oakland City Attorney, Charles J. McKee, County Counsel, William M. Litt, Deputy County Counsel, Office of the Monterey County Counsel, Frank M. Pitre, Nancy L. Fineman, Ara Jabagchourian, Douglas Y. Park, Burlingame, Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, Michael P. Thornton, Neil T. Leifer, Thornton & Naumes, Fidelma Fitzpatrick, Aileen Sprague, Motley Rice LLC, Mary Alexander, Jennifer L. Fiore, San Francisco, Mary Alexander & Associates, for Petitioners County of Santa Clara, et al.

Sean Morris, Los Angeles, Shane W. Tsend, John R. Lawless, Kristen L. Roberts, Los Angeles, Philip H. Curtis, William H. Voth, Arnold & Porter LLP, for Real Party in Interest Atlantic Richfield Company.

Richard W. Mark, Elyse D. Echtman, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, Peter A. Strotz, Daniel J. Nichols, Oakland, Filice Brown Eassa & McLeod LLP, for Real Party in Interest American Cyanamid Company.

Lawrence A. Wengel, Bradley W. Kragel, Sacramento, Greve, Clifford, Wengel & Paras, LLP, Allen J. Ruby, Glen W. Schofield, San Jose, Ruby & Schofield, James P. Fitzgerald, James J. Frost, McGrath, North, Mullin & Kratz, P.C., for Real Party in Interest ConAgra Grocery Products Company.

Steven R. Williams, Visalia, Collin J. Hite, McGuire Woods LLP, Clement L. Glynn, Patricia L. Bonheyo, Walnut Creek, Glynn & Finley, LLP, for Real Party in Interest E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company.

Michael T. Nilan, Halleland, Lewis, Nilan & Johnson, P.A., James C. Hyde, San Jose, Ropers, Majeski, Kohn & Bentley, for Real Party in Interest Millennium Holdings LLP.

Paul F. Markoff, Crowley, Barrett & Karaba, LTD, Archie S. Robinson, San Jose, Robinson & Wood, Inc., for Real Party in Interest The O'Brien Corporation.

James H. McManis, William W. Faulkner, Matthew Schechter, San Jose, McManis, Faulkner & Morgan, Donald T. Scott, Bartlit, Beck, Herman, Palenchar & Scott, Timothy Hardy, Esq., for Real Party in Interest NL Industries, Inc.

Charles H. Moellenberg, Jr., Paul Pohl, Jones Day, John W. Edwards, Palo Alto, Jones Day, Brian J. O'Neill, Los Angeles, Jones Day, for Real Party in Interest The Sherwin-Williams Company.

Jennifer B. Henning, for Amicus Curiae California State Association of Counties on behalf of Petitioners County of Santa Clara, et al.

Victor M. Sher, San Francisco, Sher Leff LLP, for Amicus Curiae Association of California Water Agencies on behalf of Petitioners County of Santa Clara, et al.

Arthur H. Bryant, Victoria W. Ni, Oakland, Public Justice, P.C., for Amicus Curiae Public Justice, P.S., Healthy Children Organizing Project and Western Center For Law and Poverty on behalf of Petitioners County of Santa Clara, et al.

Kevin Underhill, San Francisco, Shook, Hardy & Bacon, LLP, for Amicus Curiae Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America and the American Tort Reform Association on behalf of Real Party in Interest Atlantic Richfield Company.

Fred J. Hiestand, Sacramento, for Amicus Curiae The Civil Justice Association of California on behalf of Real Party in Interest Atlantic Richfield Company.

Richard O. Faulk, John S. Gray, Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP, Jay Smith, Los Angeles, Steptoe & Johnson LLP, for Amicus Curiae The American Chemistry Council on behalf of Real Parties in Interest.


MIHARA, J.

A group of public entities are prosecuting a representative public nuisance action against a group of companies that manufactured lead paint. This action seeks abatement as the sole remedy, and it has not yet proceeded to trial. The companies filed a motion seeking to bar the public entities from compensating their private counsel by means of contingent fees. The superior court, relying on People ex tel. Clancy v. Superior Court (1985)

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