Charles Harris

Managing Partner

Charles.Harris@lewisbrisbois.com

Charles Harris is the managing partner in the Orange County office of Lewis Brisbois and is chair of the Architects & Engineers and Construction Practices. Mr. Harris has more than 25 years of experience as a litigator in state and federal courts throughout California. He has defended developers, general contractors, sub-contractors/artisans, and design professionals in cases involving alleged design and construction defects and construction fee disputes. He has handled cases in virtually every area of construction in both residential and commercial projects. Mr. Harris has substantial experience in wastewater treatment cases (including liability for suspended solids (TSS) in wastewater), liability arising from storm water exposure and liability for dewatering projects including the failure to extract heavy metals before discharging water into municipal facilities. Representative clients include geotechnical engineers in landslide cases; civil engineers in drainage, wastewater treatment, and drinking water treatment cases; structural engineers in shoring design cases; mechanical engineers in HVAC and plumbing cases; architects in high rise and healthcare facilities; and land surveyors and engineers in road design cases.

Mr. Harris has extensive experience in representing homeowners associations in cases involving damage to private property which was allegedly caused by common area drainage, common area landslides, easement disputes  and personal injury and wrongful death claims arising out of allegedly dangerous conditions of common area property.

Mr. Harris has tried numerous cases to conclusion in Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange, San Bernardino, and Ventura Counties. He has also been successful at resolving numerous claims by way of arbitration and mediation. These actions include claims for wrongful death; governmental tort liability; inverse condemnation; premises liability; professional liability, including defense of real estate agents and brokers; products liability; construction defect; and personal injury.

Mr. Harris is Managing Partner of the firm's Orange County office. He is a member of the firm's Finance Committee (2006 to present), a member of the firm's Management Committee (2014 to present), and is a former member of the firm's Compensation Committee (2008-2009).

Primary Area(s) of Practice

• Construction
• Architects & Engineers
• Toxic Tort & Environmental Litigation
• Professional Liability
• National Trial Practice
• COVID-19: Construction/Contractors/Architects & Engineers

Admissions

California

Associations

• American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)
• Orange County Bar Association
• Association of Southern California Defense Counsel
• United States Olympic Team; 1992 Barcelona, Spain

Awards & Honors

AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell

Professional Presentations

Frequent lecturer to Insurance Company Claim Departments on issues involving additional insured endorsements, indemnity agreements, general contractor liability, standing to sue, and insurance carrier defense obligations.

Education

Pepperdine University School of Law

Juris Doctor, 1989

University of Southern California

Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, 1985

Legal Experience

• Trial Experience - Numerous jury trials, to verdict, in Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino and San Diego County Superior Courts in cases involving construction injuries, products liability, premises liability, inverse condemnation, landslides and contractual indemnity claims.
• Litigation Experience - In courts across the State in issues ranging from environmental insurance coverage, professional liability, construction defects, construction injuries, inverse condemnation to defending insured entities in general liability matters.
• Judge Pro Tem in Los Angeles and Orange Counties

Published Opinions

• KB Home v. Superior Court (Consolidated Industries Corp.) (2003)112 Cal.App.4th 1076
• Williams v. Moulton Niguel Water District (2018) 232 Cal Rptr 3d 356