Wayne Watten

Wayne Watten is Of-Counsel in the Orange County office of Hall Griffin and member of the firm’s General Liability Practice. Mr. Watten has a history of defending the difficult, high exposure cases in California and consistently obtaining results not thought possible for his clients, including multiple defense jury verdicts and favorable rulings on dispositive motions. He has defended and tried many complex and high-profile cases to verdict involving wrongful death, traumatic brain injury, and similar catastrophic injuries. Mr. Watten is also a member of The American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) and has obtained the highly sought-after "AV" rating by Martindale-Hubbell for his strong legal ability and high ethical standards.

Mr. Watten has spoken throughout Southern California and been published on numerous legal topics including civil litigation and trial practice. He is a member of the California State Bar, American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, Orange County Trial Lawyers, and President of the Board of Directors of Orange County Global Medical Center.

Speaking Engagements

Wage and Hour Violations: Understanding the Litigation Potential and Ways to Avoid Costly Lawsuits: CWC and Risk Conference(2018) Wage and Hour Violations: PAGA, Nordstorm Settlements and Arbitration Clauses; SB Risk Association (2018) Claims Handling Strategies for Roofing Cases; T-Mobile (2015) Combating Abuse and Fraud in Workers Compensation; FIRMA (2011) Workers Compensation Risk Conference (2011) Construction Defects and Avoidance of Liability; Construction Industry (2006) Roadway, Lighting and Traffic Signals, The Secrets of Liabilities Mitigation; Independent Cities (2006) Effectively Negotiating and Posturing the General Liability Claim; National Restaurant Association (2005) Discovery in the Civil Case; Orange County Trial Lawyers (1998) The Ultimate Guide to Auto Cases II; Orange County Trial Lawyers (1997)

Representative Matters

  • Mr. Watten obtained a defense verdict for a local municipality in a slip and fall accident where Plaintiff was seeking damages for a three-level spinal fusion surgery.
  • Following a lengthy jury trial, Mr. Watten obtained a complete defense verdict against a family's claim of wrongful death against the driver for a passenger involved in a fatal motor vehicle accident.
  • Mr. Watten obtained a defense jury verdict against a claim for traumatic brain injury asserted by a driver involved in a multi-vehicle accident in Los Angeles, CA. Plaintiff asserted damages in the seven-figures.