Bird Marella Persuades Judge to Reject Prosecutors’ Request for Billion Dollar Fine

Following the successful defense of Plains All American Pipeline in a four-month jury trial last summer involving an oil spill in Santa Barbara, Bird Marella prevailed at the sentencing hearing held on April 25^th. The Plains defense team, led by principals Gary Lincenberg and Ariel Neuman along with principal Naeun Rim and associate Ray Seilie, successfully persuaded a California state judge to reject the prosecutor’s demand for a $1.2 billion penalty and to agree with Plains’ request for a $3 million fine, 1/400^th of the amount the prosecution originally sought.