Greg Lee is an experienced litigator who successfully represents clients in complex civil litigation – often involving novel issues – before state and federal courts throughout the country. His practice encompasses a range of specialized industries, including the ski resort industry, as well as the defense of claims across a wide spectrum of practice areas, including general liability, product liability, professional liability, employment, and commercial litigation. Known for his broad background and diverse capabilities, Greg skillfully guides clients through all phases of challenging litigation, delivering innovative, targeted solutions aligned with their goals. He has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America and Southern California Super Lawyers, as a “Rising Star.” 

Greg’s staunch and responsive advocacy has resulted in a proven track record of beneficial outcomes for clients, including a substantial number of successful dispositive motions. Greg also has considerable experience in high-exposure trials, including a wrongful death trial involving an allegedly defective turbo-normalizing system on a general aviation aircraft, a partnership dissociation trial involving a prominent law firm, and a month-long trial defending a commercial property owner against premises liability claims arising from the filming of a well-known television show.

Areas of Focus

Admiralty/Maritime
Greg represents carriers, logistics providers and cruise lines in contract disputes, torts and cargo damage/loss claims. His experience includes serving as liaison counsel in coordinated proceedings against a cruise line, involving more than 200 plaintiffs, arising from an offshore listing incident. Greg has obtained dismissals based on forum non conveniens of lawsuits in Florida, New York and California and won summary judgments dismissing lawsuits alleging hazardous shipboard conditions and physician malpractice. On the employment side, Greg has enforced maritime employment contracts under the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards.

Aviation & Aerospace
Greg defends product manufacturers and distributors, fixed-base operators and maintenance facilities against contract claims and tort claims, including those arising from catastrophic accidents. Greg recently defended a turbo-normalizing manufacturer against alleged defect claims arising from a multiple-fatality accident in a trial that resulted in a unanimous defense jury verdict and claims involving defective airport design that resulted in no-pay dismissals.

Commercial Litigation
Greg is routinely approached by clients and colleagues alike to defend companies involved in contractual business disputes and putative class actions brought under state and federal consumer protection laws. He has successfully defended globally recognized footwear and mass media companies against class actions brought under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, and defended class actions brought under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

Employment Litigation
Greg has defended a far-reaching collection of companies and employees against defamation, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, fraud and wrongful termination claims. He has obtained numerous summary judgment rulings in the employment arena on behalf of clients including a national retail chain, a governmental agency and a consulting firm.

General Liability
Greg has an extensive background representing commercial and residential property owners and management companies, including some of the largest such companies in the country. He has obtained summary judgment for clients sued for catastrophic injuries arising from recreational activities and has represented landlords and managers in scores of disputes involving lease agreements, landlord-tenant issues and premises liability issues.

Intellectual Property
Greg works closely with the intellectual property team to handle state and federal court litigation involving patent, trademark, unfair competition and copyright matters, including enforcing rights through preliminary injunctions and temporary restraining orders and defending against charges of infringement.

Product Liability
Greg has wide-ranging experience representing manufacturers and distributors of consumer products against warranty, design, manufacturing and warning claims. He has obtained summary judgment in multiple lawsuits brought against chemical and lighting manufacturers following a workplace explosion and residential fire.

Professional Liability
Greg is proficient at defending professionals, including lawyers, accountants and insurance agents/brokers, against malpractice, breach of fiduciary duty and fraud claims.  He has assumed a managing role for a local team handling a national professional liability insurance program on behalf of a large insurer client.

Ski Industry
For years, Greg has specialized in representing the ski industry and individual clients that have included numerous prominent owners and operators of ski areas. Greg is an active member of the Association of Ski Defense Attorneys and is a regular speaker at various ski industry associations. He has developed a unique familiarity with complex issues involving releases of liability and the doctrines of primary and express assumption of risk in litigation related to skiing, snowboarding, tubing and other winter activities. 

    Education

    • University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (J.D., 2001)
    • University of California, Berkeley (B.A., 1997)

    Bar Admissions

    • California

    Court Admissions

    • U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
    • U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
    • U.S. District Court, Central District of California
    • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California
    • U.S. District Court, Southern District of California

    Professional Affiliations

    • Association of Ski Defense Attorneys
    • California State Bar Association
    • Los Angeles County Bar Association
    • American Bar Association

    Awards & Honors

    • Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America®, 2026
    • Selected for inclusion in Rising Stars for Southern California Super Lawyers, 2010-2015

Gregory K. Lee

Greg Lee is an experienced litigator who successfully represents clients in complex civil litigation – often involving novel issues – before state and federal courts throughout the country. His practice encompasses a range of specialized industries, including the ski resort industry, as well as the defense of claims across a wide spectrum of practice areas, including general liability, product liability, professional liability, employment, and commercial litigation. Known for his broad background and diverse capabilities, Greg skillfully guides clients through all phases of challenging litigation, delivering innovative, targeted solutions aligned with their goals. He has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America and Southern California Super Lawyers, as a “Rising Star.” 

Greg’s staunch and responsive advocacy has resulted in a proven track record of beneficial outcomes for clients, including a substantial number of successful dispositive motions. Greg also has considerable experience in high-exposure trials, including a wrongful death trial involving an allegedly defective turbo-normalizing system on a general aviation aircraft, a partnership dissociation trial involving a prominent law firm, and a month-long trial defending a commercial property owner against premises liability claims arising from the filming of a well-known television show.

Events

Greg Lee is an experienced litigator who successfully represents clients in complex civil litigation – often involving novel issues – before state and federal courts throughout the country. His practice encompasses a range of specialized industries, including the ski resort industry, as well as the defense of claims across a wide spectrum of practice areas, including general liability, product liability, professional liability, employment, and commercial litigation. Known for his broad background and diverse capabilities, Greg skillfully guides clients through all phases of challenging litigation, delivering innovative, targeted solutions aligned with their goals. He has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America and Southern California Super Lawyers, as a “Rising Star.” 

Greg’s staunch and responsive advocacy has resulted in a proven track record of beneficial outcomes for clients, including a substantial number of successful dispositive motions. Greg also has considerable experience in high-exposure trials, including a wrongful death trial involving an allegedly defective turbo-normalizing system on a general aviation aircraft, a partnership dissociation trial involving a prominent law firm, and a month-long trial defending a commercial property owner against premises liability claims arising from the filming of a well-known television show.

Gregory K. Lee

Lee and Rivera Prevail on Summary Judgment for Ski Resort in Wrongful Death Action

Gregory Lee (Partner-Los Angeles, CA) and Danielle Rivera (Associate-Los Angeles, CA) secured summary judgment on behalf of a ski resort in a high-exposure wrongful death lawsuit arising from a fatal chairlift accident. The decedent, an expert snowboarder, was riding alone on a chairlift when he fell 40 feet to the ground below and died from blunt force trauma. The subject chairlift was the only one at the resort not equipped with a restraint bar. The plaintiffs alleged that the fall resulted from the ski resort's grossly negligent installation, maintenance, and operation of the chairlift.

Greg and Danielle moved for summary judgment based on the defense of express assumption of risk. In opposing the motion, the plaintiffs challenged the admissibility and enforceability of the decedent’s liability releases. Additionally, their expert testified that industry standards required the chairlift to be equipped with a restraint bar, and that the installation would have prevented the decedent from falling. The San Bernardino Superior Court agreed with Greg and Danielle, finding that one of the decedent’s liability releases was admissible and enforceable and that the testimony of the plaintiffs’ expert was insufficient to overcome the defense of express assumption of risk.
 

Gregory K. Lee and Danielle C. Rivera

Los Angeles and Phoenix Join Forces to Prevail in Jurisdictional Dispute for Chinese Tire Manufacturer

Partners Paul Dougherty (Los Angeles, CA), Greg Lee (Los Angeles, CA), and Taylor Allin (Phoenix, AZ) with Shirley Jin (Of Counsel-Los Angeles, CA) prevailed on a Rule 12 motion to dismiss in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona on behalf of a Chinese tire manufacturer based on lack of personal jurisdiction. The lawsuit arose from a highway rollover accident in which the rear tire of the plaintiff’s motorcycle, which had been manufactured at the client’s plant in Jiangsu, China, experienced a tread/belt separation. The plaintiff argued that the Chinese client had sufficient minimum contacts with Arizona based on, among other things, marketing and sales throughout the United States, a website, authorized retailers in Arizona, and the issuance of a recall by a domestic subsidiary that allegedly impacted Arizona. After taking the motion to dismiss under submission for more than nine months, the district judge ultimately agreed with the defense team that the plaintiff had failed to meet his burden of establishing sufficient minimum contacts with Arizona, and granted their motion to dismiss without leave to amend. 

E. Paul Dougherty, Jr., Gregory K. Lee, Taylor H. Allin and Xiao Wen (Shirley) Jin

Lee & MacManus Prevail in Jurisdictional Dispute

Gregory Lee (Partner-Los Angeles, CA) and Carlos MacManus (Of Counsel-Los Angeles, CA) successfully defended an international owner and operator of destination ski resorts against a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County by plaintiffs involved in a ski accident at a well-known ski resort in Colorado. Although the client is based in Colorado, the plaintiffs argued that general and/or specific jurisdiction could be exercised over the client in California based on the client’s purported operation and control over ski resorts in California, as well as marketing and advertisements targeting California residents and harm caused in California. The judge ultimately agreed with Greg and Carlos that the client was not subject to general or specific jurisdiction in California and dismissed the client. In addition, because the plaintiffs  had placed all of their eggs in California’s basket, the Colorado statute of limitations expired while they fought to maintain jurisdiction over the client in California.

Gregory K. Lee and Carlos E. MacManus

Lee and Parminter Win Summary Judgment For Ski Resort in Wrongful Death Suit

Gregory Lee (Partner-Los Angeles) and Steven Parminter (Partner-Los Angeles) secured summary judgment in the Superior Court of California, County of El Dorado, in a wrongful death lawsuit against Wilson Elser's client, a Lake Tahoe ski resort. The case arises from a ski accident involving a beginner skier who died after falling off the side of a green circle trail at the ski resort. Greg and Steve filed a motion for summary judgment pursuant to the express assumption of the risk defense, arguing that the decedent's release of liability is enforceable and operates as a complete bar to the wrongful death lawsuit. The court's tentative ruling on the motion was to grant in part and deny in part (regarding the gross negligence cause of action). After hearing oral argument, the court reversed its tentative ruling and issued a final decision granting Greg and Steve's motion for summary judgment in its entirety.

Gregory K. Lee

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