Marina O. Slavin

Associate

San Diego, (858) 720-7984

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Education

University of California, Los Angeles (B.A., 2003)
;
University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law (J.D., 2006)

Practices

Aviation + Aerospace

Product Liability

Litigation

Bar Admissions

California

Clerkships

Hon. Sandra S. Ikuta, U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit (2006-2007)

Marina Slavin is an associate in the Litigation Department. Her practice focuses on a broad range of general commercial litigation and product liability matters. Ms. Slavin also represents clients in complex and multi-district litigation and has argued numerous dispositive motions in federal and state court. She regularly handles fact and expert discovery, substantive and procedural motions, and trial preparation in federal and state court. Ms. Slavin also provides advice to business and litigation clients regarding employment policies and procedures, trade secrets, unfair competition, and potential product liability exposure.

Prior to joining Morrison & Foerster, Ms. Slavin clerked for the Honorable Sandra S. Ikuta of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Ms. Slavin received her J.D. in 2006 from the UCLA School of Law, where she graduated Order of the Coif. She received her B.A. in 2003, summa cum laude, from UCLA.

Ms. Slavin is admitted to practice in California. She is also admitted to practice before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the United States District Courts for the Southern and Central Districts of California.

Columbia Helicopters – Shasta-Trinity National Forest Crash

Represented Columbia Helicopters in thirteen lawsuits arising from the crash of a Sikorsky S-61 helicopter in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest during firefighting operations for the U.S. Forest Service. Our client, a helicopter maintenance facility, had performed maintenance and overhaul work on the helicopter fuel control system. Nine people were fatally injured and four survived—the worst aircraft accident in the United States in 2008. Cases were pending in three separate federal courts and were assigned to the District of Oregon for MDL proceedings, resulting in the resolution of all claims. Two separate state actions were settled on favorable terms in 2011.

Conklin v. Brookfield Homes

Represented Brookfield Homes in an action filed by a former employee to recover deferred compensation valued in excess of $700,000 and penalties. Successfully removed the case to the Central District of California and obtained summary judgment in favor of our client on all claims. The deferred compensation plans at issue contained a non-competition clause, which we successfully established the employee clearly violated. The District Court construed the compensation plans at issue as ERISA plans and held that plaintiff was precluded from plan benefits on the basis of federal preemption of otherwise applicable state law (including Business and Professions Code § 16600).

Stidham v. Jazzercise Inc.

Obtained summary adjudication in favor of our client and franchisor, Jazzercise Inc., on fourteen tort claims filed by two customers of a franchise location. The remaining claims, which were based on theories of vicarious liability, were settled by our client’s franchisee and the franchisee’s insurer in 2011.