SUMMARY
Kristin T. Busch is a trial attorney at the firm’s Pasadena office. Ms. Busch’s litigation practice focuses on the areas of employment, general liability litigation, construction defects, and professional liability, including representing architects, engineers, and legal professionals. She also represents public entities in civil litigation involving negligence, dangerous conditions, and other claims. In addition to these areas, Ms. Busch handles matters relating to trade secret protection.
She is a member of the Pasadena Bar Association, Los Angeles County Bar Association, and the Latina Lawyers Bar Association. Ms. Busch received her Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School, and her Bachelor of Arts in Criminology, Law & Society from the University of California, Irvine.
EXPERIENCE
Motion to Dismiss Granted Without Leave to Amend Based on Qualified Immunity: Ms. Busch moved to dismiss a U.S. section 1983 action against her district attorney investigator client, where the plaintiff alleged that the investigator violated his constitutional rights by unlawfully obtaining and executing an overbroad search warrant that was unsupported by probable cause. The Court agreed with Ms. Busch that the investigator was entitled to qualified immunity, granted her motion to dismiss without leave to amend, and dismissed the action in her client’s favor.
Demurrer Sustained Without Leave to Amend: Ms. Busch represented a criminal defense attorney sued by the attorney’s former client. Ms. Busch filed a demurrer based on the statutes of limitations for legal malpractice actions, arguing that the plaintiff’s own complaint established that his legal malpractice action was statutorily time-barred. The court sustained the demurrer without leave to amend and entered a dismissal with prejudice in favor of Ms. Busch’s client.
Obtained Permanent Injunction on Behalf of Engineering Corporation: Client’s competitors submitted a California Public Records Request to a public entity to obtain the client’s proposal submitted to the entity for a project. Petition for Writ of Mandate was granted, and a permanent injunction precluding release of confidential and proprietary information contained in the proposal was issued.
Demurrer Sustained Without Leave to Amend for Design Professional Client:
Ms. Busch represented an architect in an action for equitable subrogation asserted by a general contractor in an attempt to enforce an express indemnity provision provided in the architect’s contract with the property owner. Ms. Busch filed a demurrer arguing that because neither the owner nor general contractor had an express indemnity right that it could assert on their own behalf against the architect the claim was barred. The court agreed and sustained the demurrer without leave to amend.
Motion to Dismiss Granted with Prejudice for Public Entity:
In a federal civil rights action, Ms. Busch successfully obtained dismissal of a complaint asserted by a former NBA player against a public entity and its peace officers for claims of unlawful detention and excessive force on the basis that the claims were barred by Heck v. Humphrey, 512 U.S. 466 (1994).
Summary Judgment on Negligence and Breach of Mandatory for Public Entity:
Ms. Busch obtained summary judgment for a public entity client against claims that its employees failed to secure the plaintiff in a vehicle and failed to maintain that vehicle, thereby causing serious personal injuries during a collision. Ms. Busch persuaded the court that the employees properly secured the plaintiff in the vehicle and maintained the vehicle in good working order, which resulted in a dismissal for the entity.
Dismissal of Security Company at Trial: Ms. Busch represented a security company who was providing services for a large retail event. Plaintiff filed a personal injury action against the retail company and the security company after she sustained injury to her eye by another customer with a clothes hanger, claiming that the defendants failed to prevent the incident and were therefore, responsible. During trial, Ms. Busch persuaded Plaintiff that the security company had no liability and obtained a dismissal of her client with prejudice.
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
- State Bar of California