Kevin A. Dorse

Senior Attorney

Los Angeles Office, Orange County Office

714.549.6180
310.551.0283

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Kevin Dorse is the Managing Partner of the Firm.  Kevin has been representing business and government clients for over 25 years focusing on complex commercial litigation in a wide variety of industries and issues, including contract disputes, construction, class actions, intellectual property, product liability, insurance coverage, and health care.  Kevin heads the Firm's Construction Disputes Group specializing in heavy construction, school construction, tunneling, transportation, rail, highway, pipelines, and engineering disputes.

Kevin has worked on some of the most noteworthy and complex infrastructure projects in Southern California and the country, including the LAUSD School Bond Construction Program, Hollywood/Vermont Redline Subway Tunnels, Inland Feeder Project and Arrowhead Tunnels, Exposition Light Rail Line, 210 Freeway Extension, I-405 Freeway HOV lane and bridge project, North Hollywood Redline Subway Tunnels, and Prudhoe Bay Oil Field. 

  • Represented large public transportation agency in connection with over $600 million in claims brought by general contractor building the new HOV lane and numerous major bridges and structures for the I-405 freeway involving dozens of complex issues relating to delay, acceleration, disruption and schedule.
  • Lead trial counsel for large public school district in multiple complex disputes and jury trials arising in multi-billion dollar infrastructure and school building program throughout the greater Los Angeles area.
  • Represent major heavy rail train agency in numerous matters including disputes involving procurement of new rolling stock from international manufacturer.
  • Represented light rail transit agency in numerous disputes arising in course of design and construction of new rail line in congested urban environment.
  • Represent major port agency in connection with over $30 million in disputes involving procurement of new fireboats.
  • Represent large community college district in numerous litigation matters arising from construction and renovation of facilities under $6 billion construction program.
  • Trial counsel in lengthy class action jury trial defending large newspaper company against labor code claims based on allegations that its home delivery newspaper carriers were improperly classified as independent contractors, instead of employees, and entitled to over $100 million in damages.
  • Represented large public transportation agency in arbitration and mediation of a builder's risk insurance claim resulting in collection of approximately $14.7 million more than originally offered by the insurer in connection with the partial collapse of subway tunnel and subsidence of Hollywood Boulevard.
  • Represented global oil company in a complex contractual and technical dispute involving ownership and allocation of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska oil and natural gas liquids.
  • Represented international sporting goods manufacturer in arbitration before the International Centre for Dispute Resolution in successfully defending action to terminate manufacturer's license for patented product.
  • Represented national grocery store chain in the Southern California supermarket strike and lockout of 2003-04 in an action to secure a permanent injunction and temporary restraining order related to union picketing.
  • Represented large public water agency in construction claims and disputes on the Arrowhead Tunnels Project.
  • Represented major refiner and marketer of transportation fuels and industrial products in test case filed by national retailer concerning groundwater contamination allegedly caused by service stations operated by client at stores nationwide.
  • Represented large public transportation agency in subway construction litigation involving contractor claims and cross-claims totaling more than $100 million.
  • Represented global leader in ATM, security and electronic voting technology in voting system matters and election law disputes in California.
  • Represented large public water agency in pipeline construction litigation alleging delayed early completion claim on the Inland Feeder Project.
  • Represented major provider of information solutions to organizations and consumers in consumer class action litigation in various courts and jurisdictions.
  • Recovered $2.54 million for public transportation agency in connection with builder's risk insurance claim for damage during construction of subway stations caused by El Niño storms.
  • Represented large public transportation agency in a series of lawsuits involving subway construction claims in excess of $100 million.
  • Secured a federal court order that precluded a contractor from arbitrating a construction dispute and enforced a "unilateral" arbitration clause that gave a major southern California export terminal the sole right to determine whether disputes would be arbitrated.
  • Represented health maintenance organization (HMO) in action against the California Department of Corporations (DOC) challenging DOC's ex parte seizure of HMO's business in California.
  • Represented global oil company in case filed by general contractor alleging defective specifications in connection with major refurbishment of a lube oil processing facility.
  • Represented major tobacco company in individual and class action cases in California and throughout the country alleging product liability and personal injury claims involving cigarette smoking.
  • Obtained summary judgment for spinal implant and medical device manufacturer determining that client was not a corporate successor in federal trademark and copyright action in Los Angeles.

  • The Best Lawyers in America© 2024 - 2025
  • Southern California Super Lawyers, Construction (2006, 2008 - 2025)
  • Top 50 Orange County Super Lawyers (2009 - 2011)

Clerkships

  • Hon. Cynthia H. Hall, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (1988-1989)
  • Hon. Sidney M. Aronovitz, U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Florida (1987-1988)

  • California Construction Contract seminar, Irvine, February 2020
  • California Construction Law seminar, Santa Monica, March 2018
  • California Construction Law seminar, Santa Monica, January 2017
  • Construction CPM Conference Presenter, San Diego, January 2015
  • California Construction Law Conference, Presenter, September 2014, Santa Monica
  • County Counsels' Association of California Public Works Conference - Spring 2014
  • Los Angeles Unified School District Ethics Panel, 2014
  • Greater Inland Empire Municipal Law Association January Meeting, Panelist
  • California Council of School Attorneys/County Counsels' 2008 Joint Annual Workshop, Panelist
  • County Counsels' Association of California 2008 Annual Meeting, Panelist
  • "Medical Records Law in California" Seminar
  • County Counsels' Association of California Public Works and Contracts Study Session Conference, Panelist
  • County Counsels' Association of California Public Works and Contracts Study Session Conference, Panelist
  • The Honeymoon is Over: Update on Recent Case Law Applying the New Federal Rules
  • Amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Protective Orders. The New Federal "E" Discovery Rules & Protective Orders: What a Business Litigator Needs to Know
  • Practical Tips for In-House Counsel to Implement Federal Rules for eDiscovery, Presentation to ACC-SoCal, October 18, 2006, Torrance, California
  • Panel Discussion With District Court Judge Schira A. Scheindlin, Author of the Zubulake Opinions, at ACC-SoCal Doubleheader, April 4, 2006, Los Angeles, California
  • 25th IRMI Construction Risk Conference, November 7-10, 2005 Las Vegas, Nevada
  • Enterprise eDiscovery in a Post-Coleman Holdings vs. Morgan Stanley World: What Every Corporate Counsel and IT Executive Need to Know, Guidance Software Webinar, June 2005, Los Angeles, California
  • What Every In-House Counsel Should Know About Electronic Discovery - Recent Issues and Developments, May 2005, Los Angeles, California
  • Electronic Discovery - What You Need to Know, County of Los Angeles, March 2005, Los Angeles, California
  • Surviving the Deposition, Primavera User Conference, October 2004, New Orleans, Louisiana
  • Trial & Tribulations: How to be an Effective Expert Witness, Primavera User Conference, November 2003, Orlando, Florida
  • The Examination and Cross-Examination of a Scheduling Expert, Primavera User Conference, October 2002, San Diego, California
  • Being Deposed as an Expert Witness, Forensic Consultants Association of Orange County, 2001, Orange County, California

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  • Theodora Oringher Attorneys Named to 2023 Southern California Super Lawyers List Read more >
  • Theodora Oringher Attorneys Named to 2022 Southern California Super Lawyers List Read more >
  • Kevin Dorse and Erich Luschei Presented at the California Construction Contract Seminar in Irvine Read more >
  • Theodora Oringher Attorneys Named To 2020 Southern California Super Lawyers List Read more >