Shalem Massey has a broad range of experience in civil litigation including aviation, products liability, crashworthiness, aircraft ground handling, insurance, insurance bad faith, admiralty/maritime, premises liability, toxic tort and business litigation.  Mr. Massey’s litigation experience involves matters throughout the United States, Canada, Asia, South America, Central America and Europe.  He has litigated numerous international and domestic airport, airline, fixed base operator, ground handling, commuter, military and general aviation cases.  Mr. Massey has handled a broad range of general civil cases including large and complex multi-district litigation, cases involving foreign sovereign immunity, forum non conveniens motions and matters overseas.  Additionally, he has represented and guided many aviation product manufacturers during the course of numerous Federal Aviation Administration certifications and National Transportation Safety Board investigations. 

Select Representations

• Acted as co-lead trial counsel for Teledyne Continental Motors in a six week trial in Santa Clara, California, arising from the crash of a general aviation aircraft
• Acted as counsel for Jeppesen Sanderson (the navigational data supplier) in litigation arising from the crash of American Airlines flight 965 to Cali, Colombia, which was eventually tried in Miami, Florida
• Acted as counsel for Equilon Enterprises, LLC (now Shell Oil Company) in litigation arising from the crash of Alaska Airlines flight 261 near Point Mugu, California
• Acted as counsel for Jeppesen GmbH (navigational chart manufacturer) for litigation brought in Greece. The case involved the crash of a Russian airliner carrying 88 passengers

Bar and Court Admissions

California, 1989

United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

United States District Courts for the Central, Eastern, Northern and Southern Districts of California

Education

University of San Diego, J.D., 1989

University of California-Los Angeles, B.A., 1986

Publications

• The “Sophisticated User” Defense – Protecting Aviation Manufacturers in Failure to Warn Cases, BC Aviation, Winter 2009
• "So, You’re Going To Be Deposed?" Insurance Day, July 2005
• "Electronic Discovery: Will You Byte?" Aircraft Builders Council, Inc. Law Report, Fall 2001
• "Ipse Dixit Meets Kumho Tire: Moving to Exclude ‘Junk Science’ from the Courtroom," Aircraft Builders Council, Inc. Law Report, Fall 1999
• "The Government Contractors Defense – Recent Developments," Aircraft Builders Council, Inc. Law Report, Fall 1998
• "Mandatory Disclosures Required By Federal Courts," Aircraft Builders Council, Inc. Law Report, Fall 1995
• "Statutes of Repose: How, What, Where, Why, and When," Aircraft Builders Council, Inc. Law Report, Fall 1994

Speeches and Seminars

• "Product Integrity Seminar/The Pretrial Discovery Process and How to Protect Your Company," Garmin, (Olathe, Kansas), November 2009

• "Indemnification Agreements and Additional Insured Provisions" Aviation Insurance Association Annual Meeting, (Indian Wells, Calif.), May 2007

• Recent Developments in Aviation Law," ATLA Annual Convention, faculty member, (Seattle, Wash.), July 2006
• "Legal and Investigation Issues with the NTSB," Defense Research Institute (DRI) Product Liability Conference, (Los Angeles, CA), February, 2005
• "Aviation Products Liability Insurance," Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, (Orlando, Fla.), January 2005
• "Legal and Investigation Issues with the NTSB," ABA Aviation Litigation Program's Practical Views from the Cockpit to the Courtroom, (Washington, DC), Oct. 2004
• "So You’re Going to Be Deposed," Aviation Insurance Association Annual Meeting, (Orlando, Fla.), May 2003
• "Product Integrity Seminar/The Pretrial Discovery Process and How to Protect Your Company," The Lancair Company, (Bend, Ore.), April 2003
• "Legal Issues Involved with Electronic Discovery," Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Fifteenth Annual Aviation Law/Insurance Symposium, (Daytona Beach, Fla.), January 2002
• "Electronic Discovery, How, What, Why, Where, and When," Aviation Insurance Association Annual Meeting, (Kansas City, Mo.), May 2002
• "Product Integrity Seminar/The Pretrial Discovery Process and How to Protect Your Company," The Marmon Companies, (London, England), June 2001
• "The Government Contractors Defense - Recent Developments," Lawyer Pilots Bar Association Summer Meeting, (Biloxi, Miss.), March 2001
• "Writing Business Documents – The New York Times Rule," Weber Aircraft Company Inc., (Gainesville, Texas), June 2000

Professional Affiliations

• Los Angeles County Bar Association – Member, Litigation Section
• Orange County Bar Association – Member, Aviation Section
• Lawyer Pilots Bar Association
• The State Bar of California
• Defense Research Institute
• International Association of Defense Counsel

Civic Involvement and Honors

• Los Angeles County Pro Bono Adoptions Program
• Orange County Forum Board of Directors
• S.H.E.P.O.W.E.R. – Centers for Abused Women in Southeast Asia