BJ Trach

Last month, BJ Trach went through what he described as “the most expedited trial I’ve ever had in my life and probably ever will have in my life.”

Trach represented auto parts maker Walbro LLC. It had spun off one line of products to another company, but that company angered customers by suddenly raising its prices. Walbro sued for breach of contract and sought an injunction. Walbro LLC v. Carter Carburetor LLC, 2023-1072 (Del. Ch.Ct., filed Oct. 23, 2023).

At a hearing in early November, the judge decided to hold a full trial on the merits just three weeks later. Trach and his team spent those weeks “doing full-blown discovery” including more than a dozen depositions. Then came final argument in December. The parties have since obtained a stay in the case to discuss settlement.

“It made for a very interesting month,” Trach said.

But it wasn’t the only interesting case he had last year. He also won a big victory for client UnitedHealthcare. The insurer is in a multifront dispute over reimbursements with Team Health, which owns emergency medicine practice groups around the country.

Trach was set to try one of the cases next month in Arizona, but he and his team “came up with a new and novel theory for why … the practice groups that were suing United didn’t have standing,” he said. In November, a judge agreed and granted his client summary judgment. Emergency Group of Arizona Professional Corp. v. UnitedHealthcare of Arizona Inc, CV 2019-004510 (Maricopa Co. Sprm. Ct., filed June 10, 2019).

He has represented Philip Morris in smoking health cases since about 2010. Last year, he went to trial for the third time for the company in what he said was the first smoking trial in Pennsylvania in at least 20 years. The jury found liability but awarded low damages. Deswert v. Wawa Inc., 200600204 (Phil. Ct.C.P., filed June 4, 2020).

A former federal prosecutor, Trach also handles some criminal matters. Currently, he represents the CEO of Magellan Diagnostics on conspiracy and wire fraud charges. U.S. v. Winslow, 1:23-cr-10094 (D. Mass., filed April 5, 2023).

His most high-profile criminal case, however, was representing actress Lori Laughlin and her designer husband Mossimo Giannulli, who were among the first parents prosecuted in the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal.

— Don DeBenedictis