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Bob Olson joined GMSR in 1987 and became a partner in 1994.
He graduated from Stanford University (with distinction) and from Stanford Law School (Order of the Coif). During law school, he served as an extern for the Honorable David L. Bazelon, United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia and, after law school, clerked for the Honorable Anthony Kennedy, then sitting on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, now an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.
Bob has briefed, argued, and won scores of appeals in both California and federal courts, including the California Supreme Court. His experience includes appellate briefs and oral arguments, petitions for extraordinary writs, amicus briefs, and petitions for review and certiorari, as well as related law and motion (e.g., motions for summary judgment, jury instructions, post-trial motions) in trial courts. He also provides insurance coverage advice to both carriers and insureds.
He is an officer of the California Academy of Appellate Lawyers and is a Certified Specialist in Appellate Law, State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. He has taught appellate advocacy as an adjunct professor at Loyola Law School and has acted as a volunteer mediator for the California Court of Appeal, Second District. He serves on the Appellate Courts Committee of the Los Angeles Bar Association and is an officer of the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel routinely participating in its amicus committee. Substantively, he has briefed and argued issues covering the breadth of civil law including general contract and tort issues, insurance coverage and insurance bad faith, enforcement of arbitration, medical and legal malpractice, employment discrimination and wrongful termination, malicious prosecution, products liability, agency termination, punitive damages, marital dissolution, partnership dissolution, easement and real property disputes, landowner liability, fraud, unfair business practices, antitrust, defamation, copyright, police misconduct, anti-SLAPP liability, and maritime wrongful death.
Besides his brief writing, Bob is a regular legal commentator, having authored numerous articles, and for more than 15 years has co-presented The Year in Review: A Summary of Recent Cases, at the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel Annual Seminar.
 Education
Stanford University (Political Science), “with distinction,” Phi Beta Kappa, A.B. (1979)
Stanford Law School, Order of the Coif, J.D. (1983)
 Professional Experience
Law Practice:
Greines, Martin, Stein & Richland LLP (1987-present)
Troy Casden Gould (1985-1987)
Irell & Manella (1984-1985)
Judicial Clerkship:
Law Clerk to the Honorable Anthony M. Kennedy, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (later Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court) (1983-1984)
Student Extern to the Honorable David L. Bazelon, United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia (1982)
Certified Specialist, Appellate Law, State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization (1997-present)
 Authorship
Write this Down: California Supreme Court Rejects Recovery of ‘Written Down’ Amount of Medical Bills (co-author), Westlaw Journal - Insurance Coverage, Vol. 22, Iss. 2 (October 21, 2011)
Anticipating 'Reid v. Google,' Preserving Objections for Review, The Recorder (July 5, 2010)
Part 2: Getting It Right—Challenging A Statement Of Decision, "Appellate Tips for Trial Lawyers" (a newsletter of the Los Angeles County Bar Association), Vol. 1, No. 14 (February 2009)
Part 1: Getting it Right—Obtaining a Statement of Decision, "Appellate Tips for Trial Lawyers" (a newsletter of the Los Angeles County Bar Association), Vol. 1, No. 13 (January 2009)
Examining the Rules – Divining Legislative Intent and Finding Statutory Meaning (co-author), Verdict Magazine, Association of Southern California Defense Counsel (3rd Quarter, 2006)
Strategic Opportunities In The Statement Of Decision Process (co-author), Verdict Magazine, Association of Southern California Defense Counsel (2nd Quarter, 2005)
A Few Of My Favorite Things (Writing Tips), Verdict Magazine, Association of Southern California Defense Counsel (4th Quarter, 2004)
How Much is Enough? Evidentiary And Instructional Issues In Trying The Amount Of Punitive Damages, Verdict Magazine, Association of Southern California Defense Counsel (3rd Quarter, 2002)
The Meaning Of An Insurance Carrier’s Reservation Of Rights, ABTL Report (Spring and Summer 2002)
Insured-Selected Independent Counsel: Rights and Limitations, ABTL Report (October 1999)
California Civil Appellate Practice (CEB 3d ed. 1996) (consultant)
Issues in Trying the Amount of Punitive Damages, ABTL Report (September 1996)
Is It Too Late to Settle? Problems with Settlement After Adjudication (co-author with Robin Meadow), ABTL Report (February 1996)
 Teaching & Lecturing
"Howell v. Hamilton Meats: What it Means, How to Take Advantage of it & What’s Left," Association of Southern California Defense Counsel (October 20, 2011)
"About Face! Howell Reverses Direction in the Supreme Court," Association of Defense Counsel of Northern California and Nevada (October 14, 2011)
"Update on Insurance Issues," Lorman Education Services, Costa Mesa (October 11, 2007)
"Winning Strategies Using Legislative Intent", State Bar of California Annual Meeting (September 27, 2007)
"Appellate Practice in the 2nd District Court of Appeal", Bar Association of San Franscisco's Appellate Courts Committee, San Francisco (September 2007)
The Year in Review: A Summary of Recent Cases, Association of Southern California Defense Counsel (annually) (1996-present)
Adjunct Professor of Law, Loyola Law School, Los Angeles (appellate advocacy) (Fall 1998)
 Involvement
 Honors
Daily Journal's Annual Top 100 California Lawyers (2012)
Southern California Super Lawyers (Appellate) (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013)
Named in The Best Lawyers in America (Appellate Law) (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013)
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