Ruth Kahn Named Among Top Women Litigators in California, Daily Journal Corporation, 2006

(June 5, 2006, Los Angeles, CA)—Ruth Kahn , a partner in the Los Angeles office of Steptoe & Johnson LLP,  today was named one of the Top Women Litigators in California. Kahn is among an elite group of just 75 singled out for this honor from among more than 15,000 practicing women lawyers in California by the Los Angeles Daily Journal.

A 1985 graduate of Case Western Reserve School of Law, Ms. Kahn has substantial experience handling—and winning—toxic tort litigation, complex commercial litigation, and premises and products liability cases. 

"Ruth is an exceptional lawyer and a consummate professional litigator," said Lawrence Riff, managing partner of Steptoe’s Los Angeles office.   "This is well-deserved recognition for her litigation success, including several recent victories she has achieved in high-profile cases for some of the nation’s largest corporations."

Ms. Kahn represents manufacturers and distributors of chemical and petroleum-based products in personal injury and wrongful death litigation and trials.  She has extensive litigation and trial experience involving both industrial and consumer products, with an emphasis on defending complex, multi-party cases involving cancer, epidemiological and toxicological issues, and difficult questions of causation. 

"I am honored to be named among the women litigators recognized by the Daily Journal," said Ms. Kahn. "This is a victory not only for me but for all of those at Steptoe who have worked with me to achieve success on our clients' behalf in high-stakes litigation. It is gratifying to have had an opportunity to represent the interests of more than 70 corporations in products liability and mass tort litigation across the country.  It is a privilege to be recognized for doing what you most enjoy doing."

In 2005, Ms. Kahn was one of two lawyers representing Chevron U.S.A. Inc. at trial in Hooper v. Chevron U.S.A., et al., a complex benzene/cancer case which she and her partner, Lawrence Riff, tried to verdict (and won) before a jury in Alameda County Superior Court, following settlements by the other defendants.

Previously, Ms. Kahn represented Texaco Refining and Marketing Inc. in the successful resolution of a personal injury action involving more than 350 residents of a downtown Los Angeles public housing project, which arose from lead and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon contamination, that allegedly occurred in the early 1920s from refining operations by Texaco’s predecessors and others. After more than 36 months of litigation, the residents dropped their claims against Texaco. 

Ms. Kahn also represented Union Carbide Corporation and Honeywell International in a series of complex toxic tort cases brought by a large number of plaintiffs who alleged they developed a variety of cancers from exposure to chemicals used in "clean rooms" at National Semiconductor and/or IBM’s manufacturing facilities in Silicon Valley. After more than five years in litigation in Santa Clara County Superior Court, these cases were resolved in 2005.

Ms. Kahn is a member of the American Bar Association, Products Liability, and Litigation Sections, the California and Los Angeles County Bar Associations, Litigation Sections; and the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles.  For approximately six years, she served on the Board of Directors of Los Angeles County Bar Association Foundation.   She is admitted to the bar in California, Washington, DC, and Hawaii.