Month: August 2024

Mr. Alden joins the firm from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, where he most recently served as chief of the Criminal Appeals section.

“We are thrilled to welcome Bram to the firm,” said Moez Kaba, managing partner of Hueston Hennigan. “He is an experienced, creative and well-rounded trial lawyer who will comfortably fit within our national trial practice. And, Bram’s extensive appellate experience makes him a tremendous asset to our clients on appeal.”

Mr. Alden spent the last eight and a half years as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Criminal Division at the U.S. Attorney’s Office. In his most recent role as chief of Criminal Appeals, he handled and oversaw the most complex appeals, supervised nine other appellate prosecutors, advised hundreds of trial attorneys, and taught legal writing. During his tenure in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, he also tried five felony jury trials and one misdemeanor bench trial, never losing a single count, including for attempted murder, threats to kill major presidential candidates, bank robbery, false impersonation of a federal agent, conspiracy, and fraud. Mr. Alden also argued over 30 cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and drafted multiple successful en banc petitions. He received the Department of Justice Director’s Award for devising responses to novel legal issues arising from the pandemic and guiding federal prosecutors nationwide.

“I couldn’t be happier to join Hueston Hennigan, which has become the preeminent trial boutique in the country,” said Mr. Alden. “There isn’t a better platform out there, and I look forward to practicing alongside the firm’s incredibly talented lawyers.”

Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Alden was a litigation associate at Munger, Tolles & Olson, where his practice was focused on complex civil litigation. He served as a law clerk to Hon. John B. Owens of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Mr. Alden earned his J.D. from UCLA School of Law, where he was Order of the Coif and articles editor for the UCLA Law Review. He earned his B.A. from Columbia University and his M.S. from Pace University while teaching fifth grade as part of the Teach for America program in New York City.

The state turned to Hueston Hennigan to assist with its enormous responsibilities and litigation defense strategies in the wake of the deadly fires, which destroyed the historic town of Lahaina and killed over 100 people. The team has worked hand-in-glove with Gov. Green and AG Lopez over the past year and worked very closely with the mediators and litigants to drive the four-month mediation process leading up to the settlement filed Aug. 2.

The deal also stands out because it’s one of the unusual occasions in recent history that both sides of the political aisle worked together to quickly assist people in dire need of relief. Hueston Hennigan partner Michael Purpura, who has served as counsel to two Republican presidents, was sought by Gov. Green’s Democratic administration to help ensure the negotiation process flowed seamlessly both legally and politically.

“We are honored to have advised on this historic settlement that will help move the state forward and help compensate survivors and their families following this unprecedented disaster,” Mr. Purpura said. “It is a privilege for us to provide counsel to Gov. Green and execute his vision for Hawaii.”

Under the settlement, the seven defendants—the State of Hawaii, County of Maui, Hawaiian Electric, Kamehameha Schools, West Maui Land Co., Hawaiian Telcom and Spectrum/Charter Communications—will pay $4.037 billion to provide compensation to all those who have brought claims arising from the windstorms and wildfires on Maui, including the approximately 2,200 affected parties who filed lawsuits. The State of Hawaii would contribute to the settlement in addition to its $65 million contribution to the One ʻOhana Fund, which the governor established with the help of Hueston Hennigan to create a unique mechanism to resolve wrongful death and personal injury claims on an expedited basis.

The settlement is subject to final documentation and court approval. The agreement is conditional on the resolution of the insurance companies’ claims that have already been paid for property loss and other damages, with no additional payments from the defendants.

In addition to Mr. Purpura, the Hueston Hennigan team includes Rajan Trehan, Stephanie Xiao, Emerson Bursis and Erik Savitt.

In May 2024, the firm was also selected to serve on Gov. Green’s Climate Advisory Team. The committee was formed to tackle the challenges of climate disasters and provide a comprehensive roadmap for Hawaii’s strategy to mitigate the financial impact of climate change.

The settlement has received media coverage in outlets including the Daily Journal, Law.com and Law360.