News & Publications

Our team is at the forefront as the law develops—publishing, presenting, and receiving recognitions for our contributions. Read up on recent firm news here.

GMSR Sponsoring and Presenting at the 28th Annual ACIC General Counsel Seminar

GMSR is proud to support and sponsor the 28th annual ACIC General Counsel Seminar in San Diego, California, July 26-28, 2017.  The Association of California Insurance Companies (ACIC) is committed to advocacy on behalf of the California insurance marketplace with the goal of promoting the

Three GMSR Attorneys Selected to the 2017 Super Lawyers Southern California Rising Stars List

Super Lawyers has named GMSR appellate lawyers Alana Rotter, Gary Wax, and David Hackett to its list of 2017 Southern California Rising Stars.  Alana and Gary have been included on the list for several years, and GMSR is proud to have David join them for

GMSR at the LA Law Library: Appellate Law MCLE Series

GMSR has partnered with the LA Law Library to offer the legal community a four-part MCLE series on appellate law.  Ted Xanders and Gary Wax will address the importance of post-judgment motions.

GMSR is presenting at the 27th annual ACIC General Counsel Seminar

GMSR is proud to support and sponsor the 27th annual ACIC General Counsel Seminar in Las Vegas, July 26-27, 2016. The Association of California Insurance Companies (ACIC) is committed to advocacy on behalf of the California insurance marketplace with the goal of promoting the availability

GMSR is presenting at the 27th annual ACIC General Counsel Seminar

GMSR is proud to support and sponsor the 27th annual ACIC General Counsel Seminar in Las Vegas, July 26-27, 2016. The Association of California Insurance Companies (ACIC) is committed to advocacy on behalf of the California insurance marketplace with the goal of promoting the availability

Alana H. Rotter and Gary J. Wax selected to the Super Lawyers Southern California Rising Stars list

GMSR congratulates Alana H. Rotter and Gary J. Wax for their dedication to appellate law and on being selected to the Super Lawyers Southern California Rising Stars list. No more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state are selected for this honor. Gary

In Practice: ‘Kurwa’ Shuts a Door to an Early Appeal

The Recorder (October 17, 2013) When a trial court decides a core issue in a pretrial proceeding but leaves peripheral claims pending, appellate relief is generally unavailable because there is no final judgment.  Litigants have tried to create the necessary finality by voluntarily dismissing the

In a Verdict Magazine article, Bob Olson and Gary Wax discuss the meaning of “sudden” in the context of an insurance policy that covers “sudden and accidental” water discharges, but not slow leaks

The “Metaphysical Moment” When a Pipe Begins to Leak Is Not a “Sudden” Discharge Where Damage Only Results From a Gradual or Continuous Process (2013) 2 Verdict 13. In Brown v. Mid-Century Ins. Co. (2013) 215 Cal.App.4th 841, the California Court of Appeal rejected the

The “Metaphysical Moment” When a Pipe Begins to Leak Is Not a “Sudden” Discharge Where Damage Only Results From a Gradual or Continuous Process (2013) 2 Verdict 13.

What is “sudden?” In Verdict magazine, Gary J. Wax and Robert A. Olson discuss Brown v. Mid-Century Ins. Co. (2013) 215 Cal.App.4th 841, a published decision from the California Court of Appeal, Second District, which holds that a water leak from a home’s plumbing system

Your Skills: Between Trial and Appeal, There’s a Record, S.F. Recorder

Because it is the appellant who must affirmatively demonstrate error, there is no short cut to reviewing the entire record.  One needle-in-a-haystack piece of evidence or buried court finding can defeat what might otherwise appear to be an airtight appellate argument. In a 2013 Recorder

Who We Serve

PUBLIC ENTITIES

Whether on appeal, assisting trial counsel, or advising government officials contemplating legislative action, GMSR provides unique insight into the complex laws that impact public entities.

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INSURERS

Where coverage may exist, GMSR represents insureds on appeal effectively and efficiently. Where it does not, the firm protects insurers’ right to deny claims.

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BUSINESSES

GMSR offers corporate clients objective assessments on appeal, based on a deep understanding of the limitations and opportunities of appellate review.

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TRIAL COUNSEL

The firm’s lawyers are team players, collaborating with trial counsel at any level from legal strategy to writing or editing trial court motions and appellate briefs.

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INDIVIDUALS

GMSR vigorously advocates the rights of individual plaintiffs and defendants, in both state and federal appellate courts.

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COMMUNITY PRO BONO

As part of GMSR’s long-standing commitment to social justice and equality, GMSR provides pro bono appellate services to individuals and to community organizations on issues of concern.

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