Walter R. Schneider

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Walter R. Schneider

Walter started his legal career as a prosecutor in the San Francisco District Attorney's office. Walter's practice currently involves representing policy holders in insurance coverage litigation. He has represented clients in various property damage cases involving fire damage, business interruption losses and builders' risk claims. He also represents policy holders seeking defense and indemnity under various forms of third-party liability policies for a wide variety of claims, including personal injury, professional negligence, elder abuse, property damage and environmental claims.

Walter also focuses on complex business and real estate litigation, contract disputes, fraud and breach of fiduciary duty claims, unfair competition and trade secret claims and professional liability litigation. He has additional experience in products liability and construction defect litigation.

Walter has represented clients in arbitrations and trials before the California Courts of Appeal and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Prior to attending law school, Walter worked for more than a decade in operations management for transportation companies such as Roadway Express, Union Pacific Railroad and Yellow Freight System supervising Teamster employees from various local unions in Northern and Southern California facilities.

Representative Work

Trial verdict awarding damages in favor of a policy holder client against an insurance carrier for breach of insurance contract. Represented the client successfully on a subsequent appeal.

Obtained summary judgment on a claim for contractual indemnity in favor of a trucking company client against a security company sued for theft of a high-value shipment of computers from the trucking company's terminal. Also represented the client in a subsequent appeal sustaining lower court's summary judgment ruling.

Trial verdict in favor of a corporate client against a former company president for unfair competition and breach of contract.

Trial verdict in favor of an insurance brokerage client in the first phase of a bifurcated trial for misappropriation of trade secrets and related breach of contract claims.

Directed verdict on behalf of a local water district client on an inverse condemnation claim arising out of a residential development project in Santa Clara County.

Successfully defended an insurance producer against a former employer in a contempt of court hearing over violation of a preliminary injunction in a misappropriation of trade secrets case. Also defeated the former employer's summary judgment motion, which lead to a favorable settlement.

Investigated the theft of sensitive database information from an insurance broker client that resulted in a former employee surrendering a personal computer, returning stolen information and paying of damages.

Negotiated a nuisance settlement of a multi-million dollar breach of scientific equipment lease agreement case in favor of a government entity client after filing a summary judgment motion.

Filed suit against a group of former employees for misappropriation of trade secrets on behalf of a corporate client after an investigation revealed conspiracy to steal the client's database as part of effort to launch a competing business. Obtained individual settlements including injunctive relief and payment of damages.

Defended a risk retention group against a claim by a former insured nursing home entity for the bad faith denial of policy benefits and attorneys fees in an elder abuse case.

Trial verdict in favor of an assisted living facility against a rescission and restitution claim filed by a decedent's heir challenging his mother's mental capacity to enter into a long term care contract.

Helped a trucking company avoid bankruptcy by successfully negotiating a favorable settlement in a multi-fatality accident in Orange County involving a dispute with an insurance carrier over threatened policy rescission.

Defeated a preliminary injunction brought by a former insurance broker employer against two producers who sold their brokerage business and entered into non-compete agreements as part of transaction.