Jason Levin

Partner

• jlevin@steptoe.com
• vCard
• Los Angeles Office

Jason Levin, a litigation partner in the Los Angeles office of Steptoe & Johnson LLP, defends companies in a variety of industries across the country. He is particularly focused on serving clients faced with litigation challenges in the following areas:

• Environmental
• Toxic Tort
• Mass Tort
• Class Action
• Business

In his Environmental, Toxic Tort, and Mass Tort cases, Mr. Levin defends against personal injury, property damage, medical monitoring, cost recovery, and injunctive relief claims under various state and federal laws, including RCRA, the Clean Water Act, CERCLA, and the Clean Air Act.  These claims involve a variety of chemicals and chemical products (including benzene, gasoline, bisphenol-A, arsenic, lead, and silica) that have entered the environment from leaking underground storage tanks, landfills, Superfund sites, workplace operations, consumer products, and petroleum refining, transportation, and storage facilities.  In a recent case, Mr. Levin obtained summary judgment for his petroleum company client against more than 150 plaintiffs claiming hydrocarbon exposures from contaminated groundwater. 

Mr. Levin also represents companies in class action and business disputes involving allegations of illegal, deceptive, or unfair business practices, advertising, and product labeling.  He has significant experience defending consumer class actions, including multi-district litigation proceedings and claims brought under California’s unfair competition law (“Section 17200”) and Consumer Legal Remedies Act.  Among his recent successes, Mr. Levin defeated a motion for nationwide class certification on behalf of a manufacturing client accused of insufficient product disclosures, and obtained a dismissal for a petroleum industry client charged with distributing misbranded fuel.

Mr. Levin has spoken at several events on topics within the products defense field. He has jury and bench trial experience and has served as a pro bono prosecutor for the Los Angeles City Attorney.

Representative Matters

• Defended petroleum company at jury trial of Clean Water Act and RCRA citizen suit alleging hazardous waste violations associated with UST leaks.
• Defended plastic bottle manufacturer in MDL proceedings of coordinated class actions alleging undisclosed exposures to BPA.
• Defended real estate seller at trial in action alleging breach of environmental disclosures.
• Defended pharmacy benefit companies in several class actions alleging illegal and unfair business conduct.
• Defended petroleum company against tort claims from community impacted by air and groundwater contamination from former refinery.
• Defended grocery and drug store companies in more than ten consumer class actions alleging misleading advertising and product labeling.
• Defended company from claims of personal injury caused by endocrine disruptors in consumer products.
• Defended client in class action alleging improper release of private data.
• Defended petroleum company in class action alleging illegal fugitive emissions from gasoline terminal.
• Defended chemical company in class action alleging personal injuries from a manufacturing facility’s air emissions.
• Defended petroleum company accused of distributing misbranded fuel.

Recent Reported Decisions

• Molina v. Board of Admin. of California Public Employees' Retirement System, 2011 WL 4491809 (Cal.App. 2 Dist., September 29, 2011)
• Scott v. Graphic Center, 2011 WL 2279522 (Cal.App. 2 Dist., June 10, 2011)   
• Viera v. Eli Lilly and Co., 2010 WL 3893791 (S.D. Ind., September 30, 2010)
• Town Pump, Inc. v. LaPlante, 2010 WL 3469578 (9th Cir., September 03, 2010)
• Caswell v. Olympic Pipeline Co., 2010 WL 2871122 (W.D. Wash., July 22, 2010)
• VP Racing Fuels, Inc. v. General Petroleum Corp., 2010 WL 1611398 (E.D. Cal., April 20, 2010)
• Baker v. Chevron USA, Inc., 680 F.Supp.2d 865 (S.D. Ohio 2010)
• In re Bisphenol-A (BPA) Polycarbonate Plastic Products Liability Litigation, 2009 WL 3762965 (W.D. Mo., November 09, 2009)
• Hernandez v. Esso standard Oil Co. (Puerto Rico), 571 F.Supp.2d 305 (D. Puerto Rico 2008)
• Chicago Title Co. v. Alpine-Riviera, L.L.C., 2008 WL 2569439 (Cal.App. 4 Dist., June 27, 2008)
• Esso Standard Oil Co. v. Lopez-Freytes, 522 F.3d 136 (1st Cir. 2008)
• Beeman v. TDI Managed Care Services, Inc., 449 F.3d 1035 (9th Cir. 2006)
• Metropolitan Water Dist. of Southern California v. Superior Court, 32 Cal.4th 491 (2004)

Select News & Events

• Don't Get Burned: Hot Topics for a New Year - What Will Impact Products Defense in 2010?, February 23, 2010, (A Steptoe-Sponsored Event)
• Steptoe Names Partners, Counsel in 2007