Scott A. Edelman, 50

Entertainment, commercial litigation

This year, Edelman reached new levels of media attention for his work representing Dole Food Co. in two toxic torts cases that were dismissed in dramatic fashion by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Victoria Chaney (now a state appellate justice). Edelman helped convince the court that every plaintiff lied about ill effects allegedly obtained from exposure to chemicals while working on Dole-contracted banana farms in Nicaragua. The success led Chevron Corp. to retain the Gibson team for a case concerning allegations of environmental contamination in Ecuador.