Royal F. Oakes

Royal Forest Oakes, a Los Angeles-based partner at Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP,[1] is a legal analyst and news contributor.

Royal Oakes

Career

Oakes is a graduate of UCLA and UCLA Law School. His business litigation practice involves representation of defendants in class action and "unfair business practices" litigation, and high-profile life, health and disability claim litigation, and defense of companies in employment law disputes. He has been lead counsel in victorious cases in the California Supreme Court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and regularly tries jury and bench cases in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, and the Los Angeles Superior Court. He also maintains a substantial caseload of litigation matters in northern California. Oakes serves as a Commissioner on the Los Angeles County Commission on Economy and Efficiency, and has served as chair of the Commission's Task Force on Organization and Accountability.[2]

In the news

Broadcast media

For over thirty years, Royal Oakes has provided commentary on the country's most talked about legal cases to national and local broadcast media.[3][4] He has appeared nationally on the syndicated programs Inside Edition,[5] Extra and Access Hollywood.[6] In Los Angeles, he has been the Legal Analyst for NBC4 News,[7] KABC Radio[8][9][10] and KFWB All-News Radio. His one-minute spot, "It's The Law," aired nationally on Westwood One's "Metro Networks." He contributes to network radio news broadcasts, and network television broadcasts such as ABC's Good Morning America, 20/20, and NBC's Today Show. He has hosted an ABC News Now program on the law, "Guilt or Innocence." In the San Francisco Bay Area, he is KGO Radio's Legal Analyst.[11]

In 2017, Royal was honored by Los Angeles City Hall for his 30 years as a media analyst and commentator. L.A. City Councilman Curren Price said, "[Royal] is dedicated to giving back to the community and has provided hours of thoughtful and provoking legal commentary on his home station KABC."[12]

"Too Many Lawyers" Podcast

In January 2020, In January 2020 Royal and his son, attorney Connor Oakes, launched the weekly half-hour podcast, “Too Many Lawyers” on the Revolver Podcasts platform.[13] The show provides commentary by Royal from a baby boomer/libertarian perspective, and by Connor, as a millennial progressive.

The Royal Oakes Show

Airing on CRN Digital Radio, The Royal Oakes Show was a one-hour talk show featuring Royal's unique analysis and thoughtful guest appearances, and listener call-ins. Airing every Saturday at 3PM PST, Royal discussed the week's major headlines, leaving listeners educated and up-to-date.[14]

Print

Oakes has been a regular contributor to the Los Angeles Daily Journal's "Business Litigation" column, and has written on law, tort reform and politics. He has published features in the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Dallas Morning News, San Francisco Chronicle, USA Today.[15]

Key cases

Royal Oakes has reported for media outlets from the scene of major legal cases involving Bill Cosby, OJ Simpson, Rodney King, Robin Williams.[16] He has appeared on studio broadcasts hundreds of times as part of national and local television and radio team coverage of blockbuster Supreme Court decisions on Obamacare, marriage equality and affirmative action, and the trials of Los Angeles Sheriff Leroy Baca,[3] Conrad Murray, the Boston Bomber, Casey Anthony, George Zimmerman, Jerry Sandusky and Governor Blagojevich.

As General Counsel for the Radio and Television News Association of Southern California since the 1990s, Oakes has appeared in court on numerous occasions to urge judges to allow or continue televised coverage of court proceedings.[2] During the O.J. Simpson criminal trial held before the Honorable Lance Ito, Oakes appeared in an attempt to dissuade Judge Ito from making good on a threat to "pull the plug" on cameras as a result of the perceived "media circus" atmosphere. In the book Cameras in the Courtroom: Television and the Pursuit of Justice (1998), authors Marjorie Cohn and David Dow stated at page 82 that "Also pleading with Judge Ito to retain the camera in Simpson's trial was media attorney Royal Oakes, who argued, the camera 'is a perfectly accurate reflection of reality.[17]'"

Testimony on cameras in court

The San Francisco Chronicle reported on 10 January 1996 that Oakes testified before a task force on cameras in the courtroom, appointed by then-California Supreme Court Chief Justice Malcolm M. Lucas:

The public has a right to see its court system at work,' said Royal Oakes, a lawyer for the Radio and Television News Association of Southern California. 'Are we going to let this case [Simpson] dictate our public policy? We are never again going to see anything like this case.

Business Litigation Practice

In 2020 Royal Oakes was selected as one of “America’s Top 100 Bet-the-Company Litigators” as a result of his handling high-profile business litigation. [18]  Royal has successfully represented insurers and other companies at the trial and appellate levels, including in the following noteworthy cases:

Trial Victories

Won a trial in an action following denial of a long-term care claim.  Following entry of judgment for the insurer, the plaintiff appealed to the Ninth Circuit, but then dismissed the appeal.  U.S. District Court, Central District of California (2018).

Won a trial in an action filed by the terminated district manager of a property-casualty insurer.  The plaintiff claimed the carrier  misclassified him as an independent contractor, and breached his contract by wrongfully terminating the agreement.  The insurer secured dismissal of all jury issues, followed by the bench trial resulting in a judgment for the carrier.  Sacramento County Superior Court (2013). 

Won a trial in a putative class action in which the putative class, holders of automobile insurance, alleged the carrier defrauded the insureds by entering into a conspiracy with body shops to conceal damage to vehicles.  The insurer defeated a motion for class certification, and the matter was then tried, involving claims of the three named plaintiffs.  Orange County Superior Court (2004).

Won a trial in an action in which a $1.5 million life insurance claim, submitted by the heirs of an insured murder victim, was denied by the carrier.  The judgment was affirmed by the California Court of Appeal, Second District.  Los Angeles Superior Court (2003).

Won a trial, involving a dentist seeking disability income benefits against an insurer.  He claimed his fear of AIDS rendered him unable to provide professional services to patients.  Los Angeles Superior Court (1990).

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References
  1. "Royal F. Oakes". Hinshawlaw.com. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  2. "Oakes, Royal F." court.cacd.uscourts.gov. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  3. "Feds May Try To Expand Probe into LA County Jail Misconduct". Losangeles.cbslocal.com. 13 December 2013. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  4. "Royal Oakes Interview - The Larry Elder Show". Larryelder.com. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  5. "The Latest on Nicollette Sheridan's Trial". Insideedition.com. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  6. "What Happens Now To Dannielynn Smith?". Access Online. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  7. "NewsConference: Legal Expert Royal Oakes on Same-Sex Marriage and SCOTUS". NBC Southern California. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  8. "Why Isn't Gloria Allred Donald Trump for the Alleged Sexual Assault". Kabc.com. 17 January 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  9. "Peterson Defense Comes Up Short, Legal Experts Say". ABC News. 7 January 2006. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  10. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 31 March 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2017.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  11. "Ronn Owens: June 16, 2016". Kgoradio.com. 16 June 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  12. Cardine, Sara. "La Cañada resident Royal Oakes honored by L.A. City Council for 30 years of commentary". Latimes.com. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  13. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/too-many-lawyers/id1495746430
  14. "The Royal Oakes Show". Crntalk.com. 15 July 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  15. "Volunteer Oklahoma deputy pleads not guilty, heads to Bahamas". Usatoday.com. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  16. "Robin Williams Family Torn Apart Over Fortune". Insideedition.com. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  17. Cohn, Marjorie; Dow, David (2002). Cameras in the Courtroom: Television and the Pursuit of Justice. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-0-7425-2023-3.
  18. https://www.top100betthecompanylitigators.com/listing-category/business-litigation/
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