Desmond Hinds has been an attorney in California for more than 23 years. He has a civil trial practice emphasizing the defense of professional malpractice and breach of fiduciary duty claims against lawyers, commercial and residential real estate brokers and property managers, accountants, insurance brokers and appraisers.

Mr. Hinds’ practice also consists of business litigation, real estate litigation, environmental litigation and transactions and employment litigation. He has tried cases to conclusion in state, federal and state bar courts in several states. Mr. Hinds’ representative trial results include:

• Mr. Hinds had judgment entered for his client, a prominent Pennsylvania law firm, after Mr. Hinds won a defense verdict in the United States District Court, on a multi-million dollar legal malpractice suit brought by two Swiss venture capital concerns, Baloise Private Equity Fund and Venturetec, Inc. The plaintiffs claimed the law firm failed to properly secure their investments in a publicly traded United States medical device company.
• Mr. Hinds secured a judgment of reformation for a Southern California mortgage banking company against a bank on a buy-sell agreement. After a bench trial, judgment was entered for the precise reformation remedy sought by Mr. Hinds’ client and attorney’s fees and costs were awarded his client as the prevailing party.
• He won a 12-0 defense verdict in Los Angeles Superior Court in a legal malpractice case. Plaintiff alleged that defendant attorneys mishandled franchisor-franchisee litigation causing plaintiff a loss in the millions of dollars. The jury found unanimously for Mr. Hinds’ clients.
• Mr. Hinds successfully defended at trial a malicious prosecution action against a California attorney. On his motion, the court, after two days of argument, dismissed the defendant attorney before the jury was empanelled.
• Mr. Hinds successfully defended a property management company at trial on claims of negligence, breach of fiduciary duties, and fraud. The case ultimately settled on terms favorable to the client.

Mr. Hinds has successfully tried, litigated and resolved numerous other professional malpractice, fiduciary, business, real estate and employment cases throughout his career. He is equally proud of his settlement / resolution results as he is his trial victories. Mr. Hinds holds the AV® Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, its highest rating for ethics and legal ability. and in 2012 was named to the Super Lawyers list by Southern California Super Lawyers magazine.

Mr. Hinds joined Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP in January 2004. He is a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. Prior to joining the firm, he was a partner with Haight Brown & Bonesteel LLP where he focused on professional liability, real estate litigation and transactions and business litigation.

Mr. Hinds has served on the board of directors of, and as outside counsel for major California residential and commercial real estate brokerage firms.

He is a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association (Litigation and Real Property Sections) as well as the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel. Mr. Hinds has lectured and given presentations on numerous topics, including attorney professional liability and professional conduct and responsibility, real estate brokerage and transactional liability issues, Americans with Disabilities Act and employment law topics. His presentations include, “Recoverable Damages on Fiduciary and Duty of Care Claims Against a Lawyer,” Hinshaw’s annual Legal Malpractice & Risk Management conference, Chicago, Illinois, March 2007.