Joseph Chairez’s experience includes assisting companies with employment litigation, insurance coverage, technology, product liability, real estate, environmental cost recovery and construction defect.
Mr. Chairez is a business trial lawyer who has successfully litigated numerous complex business and employment matters in state, federal and appellate courts. For employers, he has handled multiplaintiff discrimination, retaliation, harassment and wage and hour litigation. His business litigation experience includes handling a variety of matters, such as electronic technology, products, multiparty toxic tort matters, manufacturing, assembly and distribution issues and related contracts.
He also has a national insurance coverage practice, litigating coverage on behalf of individual and corporate policyholders, which has produced millions of dollars of insurance policy benefits for his clients. Mr. Chairez has litigated coverage matters involving employment practices liability insurance, officers and directors, general liability policies and reinsurer disputes in a variety of business situations, ranging from general commercial disputes and securities violations to aerospace products manufacturing.
In addition, Mr. Chairez is experienced in drafting legislation and negotiating and reviewing international contracts, treaties and bond offerings. As the former Legislative Counsel to one of the U.S. Trust Territories, he represented Pacific Island legislators before the U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives and United Nations. He also served as counsel for the Association of Pacific Island Legislatures.
Mr. Chairez is a former Vice President and member of the Board of Governors of the State Bar of California. He is the past President of the Orange County Bar Association. Mr. Chairez is also a past President of both the Orange County Hispanic Bar Association and Celtic Bar Association. He has served as the Co-Chair of the California Commission on Access to Justice and as a member of the California State Bar, Pipeline Diversity Task Force.
He is a frequent speaker at continuing legal education seminars on topics including trial practices, law and motion, mediation, ethics and insurance coverage. Mr. Chairez has spoken before the Southern California Chapter of the American Corporate Counsel Association, the California Redevelopment Association, the Insurance Education Association, the Ethics Committee of the American Bar Association and many other organizations. He has contributed to many publications, including the UC Davis School of Law, Law Review, Orange County Lawyer, California Minority Counsel Annual Report.
Mr. Chairez has continuously been named a Southern California “Super Lawyer” by Law & Politics and the publishers of Los Angeles Magazine since 2004. In 2013, he was named as one of the top 50 Super Lawyers in Orange County. He was also named as one of the top litigators in Orange County by Orange County Metro Magazine in 2009, 2011 and 2012. Martindale Hubbell Legal Directory has given Mr. Chairez their highest rating of “AV” and he is included on their list of preeminent lawyers.
Mr. Chairez’s awards include:
12/7/2012 - 173 BakerHostetler Attorneys Named 2012 Super Lawyers; 55 Named Rising Stars
8/21/2012 - Chairez Named Top Attorney in OC Metro Magazine
12/31/2011 - 2011 Super Lawyers Announced