Frank D. Pond has significant jury and court trial, commercial arbitration, and mediation experience with particular specialty in the area of the defense of asbestos injury cases (with more than a dozen mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis personal injury and wrongful death cases tried to verdict and over 40 jury selections and trial starts). Mr. Pond also serves as National Coordinating Counsel for multiple companies providing strategic advice regarding the oversight of litigation and settlement of claims.  Mr. Pond has served as trial counsel, including “parachuting in” for trial at the time of trial start for cases he and the firm had not been previously assigned, and as national, regional, and local settlement counsel. Recently, Mr. Pond was asked to take on a significantly risky Living Mesothelioma trial in a different state with only 24 hours notice, as the sole remaining defendant and with a jury already selected.  Mr. Pond tried that case for the next 3 weeks resolving it favorably for the Client on the last day of testimony.  Mr. Pond also regularly prepares and defends corporate representatives for Deposition around the country.

Additionally, beyond asbestos, toxic tort, and related products liability arena, Mr. Pond has tried, overseen, and settled cases relating to products liability, injury claims relating to benzene and other chemical agents, general environmental law (including State, Federal, CERCLA, traditional tort, and Proposition 65 claims), purported ADA violations, construction, employment law as well as prosecuting, defending, and/or arbitrating commercial and contractual claims, both domestic and international in the areas of entertainment, entertainment financing, and transportation law.

Mr. Pond gained his initial trial experience as a criminal prosecutor trying Felony and Misdemeanor cases with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office (1987–1989) and has continued to successfully try cases while in private practice (1989–present). In addition to trial litigation, Mr. Pond serves as National Coordinating Counsel and National Strategic Counsel for multiple clients in asbestos litigation and has overseen asbestos cases nationally, regionally, and locally for several larger (Fortune 200), medium, and smaller corporate and business entities. Mr. Pond has spoken at a number of litigation seminars in the areas of asbestos litigation, asbestos medicine, and more generally regarding toxic torts and tobacco-related medicine.

Mr. Pond has tried cases in California, Texas, Washington, Connecticut, Maryland and the District of Columbia, and has been admitted, pro hac vice, in Texas, Washington, Connecticut, Maryland, Illinois, and Louisiana.

Admissions

• State Bar Admissions
  • Arizona
  • California
  • Colorado
  • District of Columbia
  • New York
  • Washington
• United States District Courts
  • United States District Court for the District of Arizona
  • United States District Court for the Central District of California
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of California
  • United States District Court for the Northern District of California
  • United States District Court for the Southern District of California
  • United States District Court for the District of Colorado
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
  • United States District Court for the Northern District of New York
  • United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
  • United States District Court for the Western District of New York
• United States Supreme Court
• Other Admissions
  • United States International Trade Commission

Associations

• Los Angeles LGBT Center, Member on Board of Directors, 2013–present
  • Co-Chair 2021- present
• Democratic National Convention Delegate, 2012
• GLSEN, Member on National Leadership Council, 2009–2012
• Georgetown University Alumni Admissions, Interviewer, 1983–2003

Education

Georgetown University Law Center

LL.M (International & Commercial Law), with Honors, 1993

Georgetown University Law Center

Juris Doctor, cum laude, 1986

Georgetown University

B.A., Philosophy