Trial Experience

Chris Nielsen has been a trial lawyer since he first started to practice in 1979. He represents individuals, large and small businesses, and public entities when their cases are presented to a jury. He has tried complex tort and civil rights matters, employment and commercial disputes, and catastrophic injury and professional malpractice claims.

Courtroom artwork of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed at Gitmo.
 

Janet Hamlin was one of the few artists allowed to cover the arraignment and court proceedings involving Khalid Sheikh Mohammed at Gitmo. Mohammed was the mastermind behind 9/11. Pursuant to the Geneva Convention rules the sketch was taken to him for his approval and his only request was for the artist to “fix the nose.” Khalid Sheikh Mohammed has been subject to harsh interrogation techniques. The number of times he has been water boarded is notable, a reported 183 dunkings. Assumed to be a world record.

Copyright © 2008 Janet Hamlin.

Recently Chris defended a director and major investor in a manufacturing company who was sued for multiple breaches of fiduciary duty.

In other matters, Mr. Nielsen represented a private company in an embezzlement case that resulted in a seven–figure recovery for his clients, he is currently representing the defendants in separate personal injury cases involving wrongful death of a child, a case involving the traumatic amputation of both legs of a worker who was pinched between two cars, and is representing the plaintiffs in a fraud and unfair practices claim against a residential living facility.

He has prosecuted and defended employment claims against private and public entities, successfully defended a five–month jury trial that involved the application of French contract law to the interpretation of a software license agreement and concurrent questions involving corporate governance.

In other representative cases, Mr. Nielsen, while representing the plaintiff, obtained a multi–million dollar verdict in a medical malpractice action against the United States government, and he represented a public entity in a legal malpractice case against the entity’s former attorneys that resulted in a seven–figure settlement.

His practice is confined to cases that have a significant potential of going before a jury or other fact finder. As a result he is often retained on a limited basis to work with inside counsel to prosecute or defend such matters. Matters not within his area of expertise are referred to other counsel.

The great majority of mankind are satisfied with appearances as though they were realities, and are often more influenced by things that seem than by those that are.”

–Nicolo Machiavelli

Appellate Experience

Published appellate court decisions in cases handled by Christian Nielsen include:

  • Strauss v. A.L. Randall Co. (1983) 144 Cal. App.3d 514 (one of the first cases in California to address whether a common law cause of action exists for age discrimination)
  • Wareing v. United States (1996) 943 F.Supp 1504 (a medical malpractice claim under the FTCA that resulted in a multimillion dollar judgment against the United States)
  • Brassinga v. City of Mountain View (1998) 66 Cal. App.4th 195 (a wrongful death case where one police officer shot another and the exclusive remedy rule was applied)
  • Huskey v. San Jose (9th Cir. 2000) 204 F.3d 893 (a claim brought by a former deputy city attorney who alleged constructive discharge and retaliatory discharge against the City of San Jose)
  • Decker v. JTS (2003) 305 B.R. 529 (Director and Officer liability claim)
  • E–Fab, Inc. v. Accountants Inc. (2007) 153 Cal. App. 4th 1308 (The application of the delayed discovery rule in an embezzlement case.)