Omid Nasab Named “Litigator of the Week” by The Am Law Litigation Daily for California Supreme Court Victory for PG&E

On November 29, 2023, The Am Law Litigation Daily featured Cravath partner Omid H. Nasab as “Litigator of the Week” for his representation of client PG&E, the country’s largest utility, in a victory at the California Supreme Court. In a unanimous decision, the Court held that PG&E cannot be sued for losses incurred by customers during public safety power shutoffs that complied with the guidelines set forth by its regulator, the California Public Utilities Commission. Cravath also served as lead counsel for PG&E in related proceedings before the United States Bankruptcy Court, the United States District Court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

In the Q&A feature, Omid spoke about the Firm’s work for PG&E before the California Supreme Court. When asked how the Firm’s litigators remain equipped to handle wildfire-related assignments across the country, Omid noted Cravath’s history of representing clients on their “most critical and complex needs regardless of the location,” and that “what matters in these situations is not our home base, but rather the level of skill, experience and effort we are able to bring to bear on these matters.” Omid described how the Cravath team “secured a dismissal of the action with prejudice from the bankruptcy court, got that decision affirmed on appeal, and then represented PG&E before the Ninth Circuit and ultimately before the California Supreme Court.” He also discussed the impact of the California Supreme Court decision for other utilities in California, who can now focus on complying with their regulator’s guidance “without worrying about that decision being second-guessed down the road by class action lawsuits that seek to apply different standards.”

In the Q&A, Omid also noted the work of the team of Cravath lawyers, led by Kevin Orsini, that have served as lead trial counsel for PG&E across hundreds of wildfire-related lawsuits and helped steer PG&E through its bankruptcy.

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For more detail on the Firm’s representation, please click here to read the related website item.