
Orange County Legal Malpractice & Ethics Attorney Profiles
Gerald A. Klein
A former deputy district attorney and an expert litigator, Newport Beach attorney Gerald A. Klein has tried a wide range of complex business and commercial litigation cases for both plaintiffs and defendants, including cases involving legal malpractice, trade secrets, intellectual property, copyright and trademark disputes, as well as personal injury issues such as products liability, construction defects, and insurance bad faith. Mr. Klein's wealth of experience in legal malpractice matters includes a recent recovery of over $9 million in a case against one of the largest law firms in the country.
Education:
- J.D., University of California Los Angeles School of Law (1982)
- B.A., magna cum laude, State University of New York at Albany (1978)
Admissions:
- California (1982)
- U.S. District Court Central District of California (1983)
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of California (1985)
- U.S. District Court Northern District of California (1990)
- U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit (1986)
- U.S. Supreme Court (1986)
Professional Associations/Memberships:
- State Bar of California
- Orange County Trial Lawyers Association (Member, 2002 Board of Directors)
- Orange County Bar Association (Chairman, 2001 Business Litigation Section)
- Association of Business Trial Lawyers (Board of Governors, Orange County Chapter)
- College of Trial Advocacy (Chairman, 2002)
- American Board of Trial Advocates (Associate)
Honors and Awards:
GERALD A. KLEIN NAMED TRIAL LAWYER OF THE YEAR IN 2003

Orange County Trial Lawyers Association presented Gerald A. Klein with the award for Trial Lawyer of the Year for Business Litigation. The Orange County Trial Lawyers Association is the leading Orange County bar association for lawyers primarily involved in trial work. Each year, the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association recognizes a trial lawyer for outstanding achievement throughout his career. In 2003, the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association selected Gerald A. Klein Trial Lawyer of the Year for Business Litigation. While Mr. Klein was deeply flattered by the award, he recognizes the award truly belongs to the firm whose efforts led to consistently outstanding results for Klein & Wilson's clients.
GERALD A. KLEIN NAMED TRIAL LAWYER OF THE YEAR IN 2009

In 2009, the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association designated Gerald A. Klein as the Trial Lawyer of the Year in the field of Legal Malpractice. This award was given based on an award of approximately $10 million Mr. Klein won at trial for a client who had been betrayed by former counsel. This highly coveted award is given to only a handful of attorneys every year. Mr. Klein has won the award twice for his trial accomplishments.
- Super Lawyers® Southern California Magazine, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
- Super Lawyers® Corporate Counsel Edition, 2008
- Super Lawyers® Corporate Counsel Edition, 2008
- Klein & Wilson Named Among OC’s Top Attorneys in OC Metro Magazine in 2010
Published Works:
- Legal Malpractice, Klein & Wilson Website (June 2010)
- Creating a Masterpiece: The Art of Direct Examination , OCTLA Gavel (Spring 2010)
- Multi-Media Presentations at Mediation, Advocate (January 2006)
- The CEO as Witness: Super Hero or Arch Villain, ABTL Report (Summer 2005)
- Taking Care of Business on a Contingency Fee, OCTLA Gavel (April 2003)
- Animations - Star Wars Technology in the Courtroom, Forum (December 1998)
- Litigation: Using Mock Trials Effectively, California Lawyer (May 1998)
- Multimedia Trial Presentations Increase Chances of Defense Verdicts at Trial, Claims People (June 1996)
- Prop. 51 and the House that Tech-Bilt, California Lawyer (November 1986)
Class/Seminars Taught:
- Instructor, Modern Trial Tactics, Law Firms and Government Agencies
- Instructor, Modern Trial Tactics, University of California
- Instructor, Construction Law, California State University
- Panelist, Continuing Education of the Bar
- Panelist, Orange County Trial Lawyers Association
- Panelist, Orange County Bar Association
Mark B. Wilson
A seasoned litigator, Mark B. Wilson began trying cases before he had even graduated from law school, courtesy of a program sponsored by the Los Angeles District Attorney's office. A Los Angeles native, Mr. Wilson has since tried numerous cases in state and federal courts, involving everything from breach of contract to unlawful detainer. Mr. Wilson has enjoyed a stellar success rate in the courtroom and before the arbitration panel, losing only one jury trial in his career, a judgment that was later reversed by the appellate court in Mr. Wilson's favor.
Upon obtaining his Bachelor's degree in Public Administration from the University of Southern California, Mr. Wilson attended Loyola Law School, where he was named to the Scott Moot Court Honors Board and received the Jurisprudence Book Award for Legal Research and Writing. Mr. Wilson's numerous professional honors include being selected as a finalist for the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association's 2006 Business Litigation Trial Lawyer of the Year award.
Education:
- J.D., Loyola Marymount University (1988)
- B.S., University of Southern California (1985)
Admissions:
- California (1988)
- U.S. District Court Central District of California (1989)
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of California (1989)
- U.S. District Court Northern District of California (1989)
- U.S. District Court Southern District of California (1989)
- U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit (1989)
Professional Associations/Memberships:
- State Bar of California
- Orange County Trial Lawyers Association (Member, Board of Directors, 2002-2008)
- Consumer Attorneys of California (2005-Present)
- Banyard Inn of Court (2000-2010)
- Association of Business Trial Lawyers (2004-2010)
Honors and Awards:
- Super Lawyers® Southern California Magazine 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
- Super Lawyers® Corporate Counsel Edition 2008
- Klein & Wilson Named Among OC’s Top Attorneys in OC Metro Magazine in 2010
Published Works:
- Legal Malpractice, Klein & Wilson Website (June 2010)
- The Trial Lawyer's Screenplay, OCTLA Gavel (Summer 2007)
- Multimedia: An Unforgettable Trial Presentation, OCTLA Gavel (Fall 2006)
- The Do's and Dont's of Closing Arguments, OCTLA Gavel (Spring 2006)
- The Parol Evidence Rule. The Gatekeeper of Evidence in Contract Cases, OCTLA Gavel (Fall 2005)
- Mock Trials - One of the Most Powerful Tools for Case Evaluation and Trial Preparation, ABTL Report (Summer 2004)
- Plaintiff's Right to Recover Medical Costs: How to Introduce Evidence of Actual Bills, OCTLA Gavel (October 2003)
- Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Choice of Law Issues, OCTLA Gavel (Spring 2003)
- How to Get Your Attorneys' Fees Reimbursed!, Klein & Wilson Website
- Contributed to 1992 Supplement of California Defect Litigation, Thomas E. Miller
Class/Seminars Taught:
- Lecturer, Cumis Counsel Issues for the Business Litigator, Orange County Bar Association, 2010
- Lecturer, Using Video Technology in Case Management, Deposition & Trial, Orange County Trial Lawyers Association, 2009
- Lecturer, Technology Weapons Every Business Lawyer Must Learn to Use at Trial, Association of Business Trial Lawyers, 2008
- How to Use Videotaped Depositions at Trial, College of Trial Advocacy, 2009
- Lecturer, How to Take a Videotaped Deposition and Get it Into Evidence, Orange County Trial Lawyers Association, 2006
- Lecturer, Modern Evidence Techniques and Technology, Lorman Seminar, 2005
- Lecturer, Damages in a Commercial Case, Lorman Seminar, 2003
- Lecturer, How to Conduct Voir Dire, Orange County Bar Association, 2003
- Lecturer, Latest Trends in Jury Selection, Orange County Trial Lawyers Association, 2003
- Lecturer, Mock Trials - Everything You Ever Wanted to Know, Orange County Trial Lawyers Association, 2002
- Lecturer, Litigation in the 21st Century - How to Present a Multimedia Trial, Orange County Trial Lawyers Association, 2001
- Lecturer, Trying the Business Case on a Contingency Fee Basis, State Bar of California, 2000
- Lecturer, Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Mock Trials and Focus Groups, Orange County Bar Association, Business Litigation Section, 2000
- Lecturer, Construction Issues, California State University and American Society of Professional Estimators
- Lecturer, Litigation in the 21st Century, State Bar of California

