PARTNER
Nicholas S. Walls
Since joining Hanger Steinberg Shapiro & Ash as an attorney in 2012, Nicholas Walls has represented individuals as well as public and private entities in general liability matters with an emphasis on catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death claims as well as complex multi-party construction defect and habitability actions. Mr. Walls’ municipal defense matters focus on personal injury and sexual abuse claims. Mr. Walls also has extensive experience in real estate litigation including quiet title matters, fraud and failure to disclose, boundary line, encroachment and easement issues, as well as disputes involving Homeowners Associations and their members.
Mr. Walls is experienced in all aspects of litigation and motion practice, from case inception through trial and appeal, and has successfully obtained summary judgment for many of his clients as well as steered numerous favorable resolutions through mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution. Mr. Walls represents his clients as both plaintiffs and defendants, and has appeared in actions all across Southern California.
Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Walls worked as a research assistant to Pepperdine University School of Law Professor Barry McDonald, former clerk to Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist, and studied colonial pamphlets and ephemera as well as academic treatises to evaluate historical approaches to freedom of speech in preparation of materials for a constitutional law casebook.
Also during his time at Pepperdine University, Mr. Walls worked as a volunteer clinician in Pepperdine University’s Asylum Clinic, conducting research in support of asylum applications under the direction of Former Federal Immigration Judge Bruce Einhorn. Prior to passing the California State Bar, Mr. Walls worked for the firm as a law clerk beginning in May of 2011.
Mr. Walls has been a partner since November 2020.
Representative Results:
Mr. Walls obtained summary judgment on behalf of an Orange County pipe supply company and its principals in Avina, et al. v. Amcord, Inc., et al., Los Angeles Superior Court Case No. BC623250, a high-stakes asbestos wrongful death action brought by the heirs of a career construction worker. Plaintiffs alleged that the decedent was exposed to asbestos-containing products while working on commercial projects throughout Southern California and sought to hold dozens of suppliers and manufacturers jointly liable. Mr. Walls successfully argued that there was no admissible evidence linking his clients to any asbestos-containing materials at the relevant worksites, resulting in dismissal of all claims against them prior to trial.
In Anderson, et al. v. Hunter Brooke, Inc., et al., Los Angeles Superior Court Case No. BC568443, Mr. Walls secured summary judgment in a contentious dispute between neighboring property owners in Palos Verdes. Plaintiffs alleged that a luxury hillside development undertaken by the defendants caused groundwater to be redirected into their property, resulting in structural damage and soil instability, and sought damages in excess of $5 million. Mr. Walls demonstrated through expert evidence and historical documentation that the defendants had neither caused nor contributed to the alleged damage. The Court of Appeal affirmed the judgment in Anderson v. Glantz, Court of Appeal Case No. B294112, rejecting plaintiffs’ claims of error and establishing a significant defense win on both liability and appellate review.
Mr. Walls also obtained a complete reversal of judgment in a wrongful death case in Estate of Matthew Steven Barker, et al. v. Mylan, Inc., et al., Los Angeles Superior Court Case No. GC045404. Following trial, the court had denied a motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict, despite serious evidentiary issues regarding causation and damages. On appeal in Estate of Matthew Steven Barker v. Garza, Court of Appeal Case No. B270692, Mr. Walls successfully argued that no substantial evidence supported the verdict against his client, resulting in reversal of the judgment and a six-figure cost award in favor of the defense.
In Laguna v. Community Protective Services, et al., San Bernardino County Superior Court Case No. CIVDS1516654, Mr. Walls obtained judgment in favor of his clients, a homeowners association and property management company, during trial of a wrongful death action arising from a fatal shooting at a mobile home park. Plaintiffs alleged that the security contractor hired by his clients had failed to prevent the incident and that the clients bore responsibility for negligent supervision and inadequate security. After cross-examination of plaintiffs’ liability witnesses and presentation of a motion for non-suit, the court agreed that plaintiffs had failed to establish any duty or breach by his clients, resulting in a defense judgment without the need for further evidence.
Education
PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OF LAW
Juris Doctor, 2012
WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
B.A., Philosophy, 2009
Bar Admissions
• State Bar of California, admitted 2012
• United States District Court for the Central District of California