Castaneda, Jose O.

Senior Partner at Wasserman, Comden, Casselman & Esensten L.L.P., Mr. Casselman leads the litigation department, specializing in prosecution and defense of complex litigation matters, with a focus on jury trials.  He is equally comfortable representing defendants and plaintiffs in major litigation matters. 

Mr. Casselman has specialized expertise in public entity liability; inverse condemnation, public construction contract litigation; product liability litigation; landslide litigation, general business litigation, real property litigation; insurance matters and animal welfare causes.

Mr. Casselman was lead trial counsel in two of the top ten largest verdicts in the State of California in 2001.  The $94.5 million judgment in the case of Border Business Park v. City of San Diego was the 2nd largest in the State and the 10th largest in the United States in that year.  His $63.9 million dollar judgment on the MTA cross-complaint in the case of Tutor Saliba vs. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority was the 9^th largest verdict in California the same year.  This is believed to be the only time that the same lawyer has tried two of the top ten largest verdicts in California in the same year.  

Mr. Casselman was the 2009 President of Cal-ABOTA and the 2005 President of the Los Angeles Chapter of ABOTA, the American Board of Trial Advocates.  He is a well-known trial lawyer, speaker, expert, law professor and published author.  He has been AV rated by Martindale Hubbell for decades and has been consistently selected as a Southern California "Super Lawyer.

Mr. Casselman is an active member of the National Board and Los Angeles Board of the American Board of Trial Advocates and the writer and produce of "Civility Matters" a DVD used by ABOTA nationwide to teach civility to law students and lawyers. 

Mr. Casselman was an original Co-author of the 3 Volume "California Practice Guide: Insurance Litigation" published by The Rutter Group.  He was also an Adjunct Professor of Insurance Law at Southwestern Law and trial advocacy at West Los Angeles School of Law.  His speaking experience includes testimony before the California State Senate, as an expert witness, various legal seminars, including Rutter Group seminars, presentations to the California State Bar Convention, as well as various Bar Groups and the California Judges Association.

Mr. Casselman is also a member of the American Bar Association, Los Angeles County Bar Association and the San Fernando Valley Bar Association.  He is also the Founding Director of the Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary and Elephants in Crisis.

Mr. Casselman is a graduate of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, B.A. in Psychology, awarded with distinction, 1975; and Southwestern School of Law, Los Angeles, California, Juris Doctor, 1978; Law Review and Moot Court Member; honored as Alumnus Of The Year, 1993.

Member:   American Board of Trial Advocates; the Los Angeles Chapter of ABOTA; The State Bar of California; the Los Angeles County Bar Association; American Bar Association; International Association of Defense Counsel; Association of Southern California Defense Counsel (Past Member, Board of Directors); Defense Research Institute; American Trial Lawyers Association; and San Fernando Valley Bar Association .