Biography

Mr. Niemann is a trial lawyer in the litigation department concentrating his practice in the area of commercial matters, torts, contracts and environmental/toxic torts. His litigation experience includes product liability, trade secrets, restrictive covenants, unfair business practices (Business and Professions Code § 17200, Federal Debt Collection Practice Act, SLAPP Actions) and commercial matters including Federal and State statutory claims. He has represented numerous clients as their national and regional coordinating trial counsel and has extensive experience in class actions, multidistrict litigation, mass torts, and major complex cases. He has tried numerous jury and court cases to verdict in California and other states. He has arbitrated/mediated hundreds of cases in his career. 

Mr. Niemann has represented a wide variety of clients in over 25 years of practice including manufacturers, distributors, inventors and component suppliers of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, health care, food products, and consumer products. He has represented construction companies and numerous construction equipment manufacturers for contract disputes, indemnification issues, labeling and product liability. Mr. Niemann has also represented companies for protection of their intellectual property rights, trade secrets, restrictive covenants and rights of privacy.  He has represented numerous clients in environmental/toxic tort and CERCLA litigation.  He also represents homeowners, associations, landlords and tenants for their respective rights in real property disputes, easements, land usage, CC&R's, leases and unlawful detainers.

Mr. Niemann is actively involved in ADR proceedings as a litigant and as a neutral. He presides frequently over civil arbitrations, mediations and as a Judge Pro Tem. He has arbitrated/mediated hundreds of matters in his career, and serves as a Judge Pro Tem for the San Francisco Superior Court for settlement conferences and trials. He is also an appointed arbitrator for the counties of San Francisco and Marin. He is an panelist for the National Arbitration Forum, a national Alternative Dispute Resolution provider.  He was acknowledged in 2008 as one of California’s “Super Lawyers.”

Education

J.D., Lincoln University School of Law (1979)
B.A., University of Minnesota (1973)

Admissions

• California

Courts

• U.S. District Court for all Districts of California
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit