Michael Denison is A.V. rated in Martindale-Hubbell and has been elected to the Southern California Super Lawyers in Civil Litigation Defense each year from 2004 to 2012. He began his legal career as a law clerk for the Honorable Manuel L. Real, United States District Judge, Central District of California, and then served as a federal prosecutor for three years as an Assistant United States Attorney. He has spent the last thirty plus years in civil practice, handling civil litigation, trials and appeals in both state and federal court. He is a member of the panel of arbitrators of the American Arbitration Association.

During his years in private practice, Mr. Denison has represented large and small corporations, non-profit corporations, small businesses, universities, insurance companies, hospitals, government sub-contractors and cities. He also has defended individuals, including officers and directors, lawyers, and small business owners. He has defended cases against pro per litigants, including obtaining vexatious litigant orders in both state and federal courts.

Currently Mr. Denison's practice emphasizes defending clients in employment discrimination, malicious prosecution, legal malpractice, tort and business cases; however, over the years he has defended a variety of lawsuits. A few examples of the diverse cases defended include breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, wrongful termination, insurance coverage, insurance bad faith, construction defects, products liability, personal injury, air crash, and securities broker liability. Although his practice has been primarily devoted to civil litigation defense, he also has represented a number of plaintiffs in business disputes.

Mr. Denison has been a speaker at MCLE seminars and has authored a number of legal writings. He co-authored the book California Summary Judgment 2019 (CEB) and was the author of the Action Guide, Making and Opposing Special Motions to Strike Under the California Anti-SLAPP Statute (CEB 2014).  In addition, he has authored articles for the California Lawyer Magazine on such topics as vexatious litigants, anti-SLAPP motions, malicious prosecution, and costs and attorney fees. He was an active volunteer at his children's school and activities, including having served on the Executive Board of the Edison Language Academy PTA and as an assistant coach and/or team manager for the American Youth Soccer Organization.  Currently, he is a volunteer scout for the Swarthmore College women's soccer team.

Practice Areas:

• Civil Litigation
• Professional Liability
• Malicious Prosecution
• Anti-SLAPP Motions
• Insurance
• Appeals
• Arbitration

Admitted:

• 1974, California Bar
• 1974, U.S. District Court, Central District of CA
• 1976, U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
• 1988, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of CA
• 2008, U.S. Supreme Court
• 2019, U.S. District Court, Northern District of CA

Law School:

• Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, J.D.
• College: University of California at Los Angeles,       A.B. History.

Member:

• State Bar of California
• Los Angeles County Bar Association
• Association of Southern California Defense Counsel
• Defense Research Institute

Biography:

• Partner, Towle Denison LLP, 2000-Present.
• Partner,  Kinsella, Boesch, Fujikawa & Towle, LLP, 1979-2000.
• Assistant United States Attorney, Criminal Division, Central District of CA, 1976-1979. 
• Law Clerk to The Honorable Manuel L. Real, U.S. District Court, Central District of CA, 1974-1975.
• Chief Note Editor, Loyola Law Review, 1973-1974. 
• St. Thomas More Law Honor Society.

Birthplace:

• Burbank, California

Military Service:

• United States Army, 1969-1971.

PUBLICATIONS:

1. Author: 'The Virtues of Division III Soccer'; AYSO Website Blog (August 26, 2019); https://ayso-org/the-virtues-of-division-iii-soccer/.
2. Co-Author: California Summary Judgment 2019 (CEB) (originally published 2010); authored Chapter 4, Evidentiary Burdens and Presumptions.
3. Author: '7 Tips For College Bound Players'; Fuel Soccer Magazine; featured articles online (August 2018) http://fuel.usyouthsoccer.org/7tips-for-college-bound-players/.
4. Co-Author: California Civil Procedure Before Trial (4th Ed., CEB), 2017. Update, Chapter 24A, Anti-SLAPP Motions
5. Author: CEB Action Guide; Making and Opposing Special Motions to Strike Under the California Anti-SLAPP Statute (August 2014, originally published Spring 2004).
6. Author: '5 Tips For Avoiding Legal Malpractice Claims,'  CEB Blog;http://blog.ceb.com (August 16, 2010).
7. Author: 'One Prong or Two? What Is a Defendant’s Summary Judgment Burden?' CEB Blog; http://blog.ceb.com (June 15, 2010).
8. Profile: 'Profile in Practice: Michael C. Denison'; CEB Blog. http://blog.ceb.com (June 14, 2010).
9. Author: 'Handling Vexatious Litigants', California Lawyer (August 2009).
10. Consultant: California Civil Discovery Practice, Chapter 5, Deposition Procedures (4th Ed., CEB, 2006).
11. Author: 'Hot Anti-SLAPP Topics In 2004,' California Civil Litigation Reporter (August 2004).
12. Author: 'SLAPP Happy,' California Lawyer website,www.dailyjournal.com (Nov. 2002).
13. Author: 'Slapping Down SLAPP Suits,' California Lawyer (July 2001).
14. Author: 'Malicious Prosecution: Bad News,' California Lawyer (August 2000).
15. Author: 'Attorney Fees, Prevailing Parties, and Statutory Exceptions,' California Lawyer (July 1996).
16. Author: 'Just Who Is The Prevailing Party Anyway?,' California Lawyer (March 1996).

CONFERENCES AND SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS:

1. Speaker, 'Trial Tactics: Trial Motions and Objections,' State Bar approved MCLE Presentation (9/23/08).
2. Speaker, 'Trial Tactics,' State Bar approved MCLE Presentation (9/19/08).
3. Speaker, 'Preserving The Record For Appeal,' State Bar approved MCLE Presentation (11/30/07).
4. Speaker, 'The Four 'C’s' Of Effective Legal Writing,' State Bar approved MCLE Presentation (4/13/05).
5. Panelist, CEB Seminars, 'Anti-SLAPP Motions,' Los Angeles (2/12/05); Garden Grove (3/5/05).
6. Speaker, 'Taking and Defending Depositions,' State Bar approved MCLE Presentation (2/23/05).
7. Guest Lecturer, 'A Lawyer’s Perspective On Legal Writing,' Research and Writing Class, Professor C. Coleman, USC School of Law (11/9/04).
8. Speaker, 'The First Day of Trial,' State Bar approved MCLE Presentation (10/28/04).
9. Speaker, 'California Environmental Law Update; Can Anything Good Come Out Of California?,' Midwest Environmental Claims Association, Annual Conference, Chicago, IL. (10/98).