Paul R. Kiesel

After 32 years practicing law, Kiesel said he’s hitting his stride. “I feel like I’m just maybe mid-career.”

He is handling three massive cases: the city of Los Angeles’ Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP lawsuit over water and power bill misfires, a FedEx collision case that resulted in 10 fatalities, and the massive Porter Ranch gas leak cases against Southern California Gas Co.

Kiesel calls the FedEx case “perhaps one of the most rigorously litigated cases I’ve had in my career.” The accident involved a FedEx driver who crossed onto oncoming traffic on Interstate 5 in northern California and crashed into a bus of high school students. In addition to the deaths, 36 people were injured.

FedEx attorneys claim the driver experienced an unforeseen medical emergency resulting in the accident. Kiesel said the coroner concluded the driver died of smoke inhalation. Kiesel believes this was simply a case of distracted driving. “I am somewhat stunned that FedEx is spending millions of dollars in defending this case and using experts to test a theory,” said Kiesel, who said he believes the driver was using his cellphone.

“It was a sudden medical emergency to lose control, though they have not had a single witness to articulate what that medical emergency was,” said Kiesel. The case is set for trial later this year. FedEx Vehicle Collision Cases, BC544928 (L.A. Super Ct., filed May 9, 2014).

Then there is the ever-growing Porter Ranch litigation, in which Kiesel is liaison counsel. A total of 283 cases have been filed by 160 law firms, Kiesel said. State of California v. Southern California Gas Co., BC608322 (L.A. Super Ct., filed Jan. 26, 2016).

Kiesel tells attorneys to do what interests them. Soon enough work doesn’t feel like work, he said.

“I’ve been doing this for 32 years and I haven’t worked a single day,” he said. “When this becomes work that’s when I will stop.”

— Justin Kloczko