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OLIVER W. WANGER

Attorney

OLIVER W.
WANGER

Oliver W. Wanger is a shareholder of Wanger Jones Helsley PC in Fresno, California. He is a former United States District Judge (1991-2011); sat by designation as United States Court of Appeal (9th Circuit) Judge; and former Pro Tem Trial and Settlement Judge, Superior Court of California, Fresno County. He is a co-founder, former Dean, Chair of the Board of Trustees, President and Adjunct Professor of Law at San Joaquin College of Law, Fresno, California (1970-1994, 2011). United States Marine Corps Reserve (1960-1967). He offers private judging services, including arbitration, mediation, and private jury and mock trials and sentencings. He also engages in trial practice and trial consulting. He has qualified as an expert witness in Federal and State Courts, Arbitrations in judicial ethics, performance, and standards of care; attorney ethics and professional conduct, standards of care, attorneys’ fees and billing; insurance coverage issues – tripartite relationship, Cumis and Buss issues; trial practice and performance.

Oliver W. Wanger

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REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS

  • As a judge, Mr. Wanger’s caseload included state diversity and federal complex business and commercial disputes and trials, all nature of employment cases, termination and discrimination, insurance coverage and bad faith, water law, environmental law, copyright, patent, and trademark cases, financial institution, labor and employment cases, securities, and constitutional torts cases and class actions. He is currently assigned by the United States Supreme Court to mediate a water law case between the States of Texas, New Mexico, Colorado and the United States, and just completed a water mediation for two water districts and the Bureau of Reclamation to resolve use of water outside three dams and reservoirs.   He has managed, heard and decided antitrust, construction defects, intellectual property, agri-business PACA and AMAA cases, and class actions in labor and employment, civil rights, mass torts, as well as creditor’s and debtor’s rights and bankruptcy appeals.
  • White collar crime experience includes career criminal enterprises, money laundering, securities fraud, Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO) crimes, public corruption, internet fraud, organized criminal groups, bank, mail, and wire fraud; conspiracies, and violent crimes, among others.
  • Mr. Wanger has tried or presided over more than 600 jury trials to verdict in State and Federal Courts. He has heard and decided myriad cases involving: water rights and drainage entitlements; environmental law, including cases under CERCLA, the ESA, NEPA, RCRA, and the Clean Air & Clean Water Acts, as well as government tort claims arising out of lawsuits among the U.S. Department of the Interior, its Bureau of Reclamation; the California Department of Water Resources; water districts; private and municipal and industrial water users; power generators; other federal and state water contractors; and environmental groups litigating the allocation and use of federal and state contracted water. Many of these decisions have been reviewed in the Court of Appeals and some in the United States Supreme Court.

Admissions

  • California State Bar
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • 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 Central District of California
  • United States District Court for the Southern District of California
  • United States Tax Court

Education

  • Colorado School of Mines
  • University of Southern California B.S.
  • University of California (Boalt Hall) LLB
  • Former San Joaquin College of Law Adjunct Professor of Law:  Trial Practice, Civil Procedure, Criminal Trial and Criminal Procedure, Constitutional Torts, Federal Courts, Remedies, Real Property

HONORS & PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

Mr. Wanger’s achievements as a trial lawyer have gained him:

  • Fellowship in the American College of Trial Lawyers;
  • Fellowship in the International Academy of Trial Lawyers;
  • American Board of Trial Advocates (President of San Joaquin Valley Chapter and a National Director);
  • Litigation Counsel of America (rank of Centurion) (Emeritus);
  • Founder Diplomat of the American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys;
  • A former Certified Civil Trial Specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy;
  • Founder and first President of San Joaquin Valley Inns of Court;
  • National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals;
  • Teacher of the Year, San Joaquin College of Law.

 

AWARDS:

  • U.S. Congressional Tribute (2011);
  • American Board of Trial Advocates Civility Award for Integrity, Professionalism and Civility (2018);
  • Top 100 Lawyers 2016-2021, Top 100 Registry, multi-practice law;
  • Los Angeles Daily Journal Top 100 Lawyers (2008);
  • Northern California Super Lawyers and Top 100 (2012-Present);
  • Marquis Who’s Who Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award for Career Longevity and Demonstrated Unwavering Excellence (2018);
  • Humanitarian Award (2019)
  • Benchmark Litigation California, Litigation Star; Environmental/Land Use/Water Rights, Noted Star (2018-2020)
  • Top 100 Registry Business Leaders and Professionals; 2020 Professional of the Year; 2019 Attorney of the Year; 2018 Professional of the Year in Recognition of Outstanding Efforts and Achievements; 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award in Recognition of Exemplary Accomplishments and Contributions in the Field of Law;
  • America’s Most Honored Professionals Top 1% (2016-2021);
  • America’s Top 100 Attorneys Lifetime Achievement Northern California 2017;
  • Teacher of the Year Award, San Joaquin College of Law, Fresno, where he served as Dean of the Law School (1980-82);
  • President and Chair of Board of Trustees (1983-1995);
  • NAACP Image Award (2005);
  • Central California Legal Services Champion of Justice (2006);
  • FCBA Witkin Lifetime Achievement Award (2012);
  • Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent 5.0/5.0 legal competence/integrity;
  • Beta Gamma Sigma (Business Honorary Society); and
  • Phi Alpha Delta Legal Society (Honorary Member).

Representative Cases

  • Appointed Mediator in water rights dispute in United States Supreme Court:  State of Texas v. State of New Mexico and State of Colorado v. United States to resolve extended major dispute over Rio Grande River (2020-2021).
  • Conducted mock sentencing trial regarding one hundred million dollar federal antitrust – price fixing fine (2019).
  • Lead trial counsel in one hundred million dollar water law case involving Merced River water and hydro power rights in Merced and Mariposa Counties.
  • Lead trial counsel in successfully defending multi-million dollar unfair competition jury trial brought by pistachio processor against largest nut and fruit grower-processor in California.
  • Lead trial counsel in employment lawsuit arising out of claimed unlawful practices in management transition of largest Central California health care provider.
  • Lead trial counsel in attorney errors and omissions case involving sixty-five million dollar water project and alleged breaches of fiduciary duty and conflicts of interest.
  • Lead trial counsel in contract dispute for largest U.S. frozen Mexican food manufacturer.
  • Lead trial counsel in patent infringement and unfair competition suit representing national medical device corporation.