Marshall Grossman

Alschuler Grossman Stein & Kahan

Specialty: Litigation

Law School: USC, 1967

Clients of Marshall B. Grossman can be assured of one thing: tenacity. Mayor Richard Riordan once called him the toughest litigator in Los Angeles, and he has been described as a “legal golem,” a reference to a mythological figure known for the relentless pursuit of its enemies.

That kind of reputation helps attract big-name clients to Grossman’s firm, which has recently added Larry Stein and Bob Kahan to its ranks. (Former partner Burt Pines recently took a post in the Gray Davis administration.)

Grossman is currently involved in a trial in Phoenix, representing Arthur Andersen LLP against a professional liability claim, and he has been retained by Tommy Hilfiger Inc. in a sweeping lawsuit involving clothing made in Asian sweatshops. The firm is also called upon by DreamWorks SKG for counsel on its major intellectual property-related litigation.

Through careful time management, Grossman says he is able to accomplish as much in an eight-hour day as he used to do over two or three days.

“I have always been fortunate in being able to focus my energy on one matter at a time. When I am focused on a particular matter, it has my undivided attention, so I rarely pick up the same piece of paper twice or deal with the same issue twice,” he said.

Grossman typically works in teams of one or two partners and a couple of associates. His firm keeps a ratio of more partners than associates, which Grossman says provides clients with more bang for the buck.

He insists that dollar signs never have been the determining factor in his professional activities, nor in the direction the firm has taken over the years. “I made a decision a long time ago to follow my heart in my career,” he said.

Karen Teitelman