When your property is affected by landslides, unstable soil or other slope failures -- whether defectively constructed, improperly corrected or never addressed -- the effects are devastating both emotionally and financially for owners who trusted that their home and the slope it sits on were safe.

While the complexities of these issues can be difficult for those outside the engineering, architectural and construction fields, the impact is quite clear. Attorney David H. Pierce has made it his professional life’s work to dissect these problems in a way that is easily understandable to juries, resulting in positive changes for both his clients and the industry in general throughout both Northern and Southern California. Coming to the table with a background in land use and many years of experience working with soils and structural engineers and architects Mr. Pierce and his team have navigated slope failure issues with both serious risk of personal injury as well as potential financial ruin.

Example, Hasley Hills Homes, Castaic California: In the rains storms of 2005, many of the739 homes in the Hasley Hills project developed by KB Home of Greater Southern California were threatened with devastating slope failure, not as a result of the rains, but due to the developer’s failure to install appropriately located debris basins . Slopes above and at the base of homes valued at more than $1 Million, collapsed with mud and debris flowing into backyards and homes of the master planned development and leaving other homes on the edge of hillsides and falling down the slope gradually. Project development elements also included debris basin clean-up and inadequate drainage and waterproofing behind block walls for slope management.

Mr. Pierce and his team of attorneys and experts spent months in the field investigating the extent and nature of the damage and the method and cost of repair.

Discovery included marshalling large numbers of documents for the original construction of the project as well as separate documents from each individual homeowner effected with the use of specialized electronic tools for document and case management. Many depositions of witnesses and experts were necessary to facilitate settlement discussions.

After many days of mediation and the collaborative filing of a class action lawsuit on behalf of the individual homeowners along with the separate HOA claims, the case settled without trial for $6,200,000.