Introduction
Following two decades of service to the Orange County Superior Court, Judge Robert J. Moss is now available as a mediator, arbitrator, and private judge.
Judge Moss served as Supervising Judge of the Civil Panel, and as a member of the panel including complex and general civil. He has presided over a wide variety of civil cases including class actions, personal injury, business litigation, employment law, medical malpractice, and governmental entity cases.
During his judicial tenure, he was also a member of the Judicial Council and served on a variety of Council Advisory Committees, including Civil and Small Claims, Appellate, and Technology. He also served as an instructor at the Judicial College.
Prior to the bench, Judge Moss worked in private practice in Orange County for thirty years specializing in civil litigation for both plaintiffs and defendants.
Judge Moss is a long-time member and former president of the Orange County Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA.) Recognized for his dedication to the legal community, he is the recipient of several “Judge of the Year” awards from both plaintiff and defense bars, including the ABOTA Civility Award.
Practice Areas
Experience Summary
Throughout an impressive career on the bench spanning over two decades, Judge Moss has been involved in a wide variety of cases.
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Hobbies & Interests
Judge Moss enjoys sailing (he has participated in the Transpac, many times in the Ensenada race, and from OC to Puerta Vallarta,) skiing, reading, golfing, and bicycling. He does most of the cooking for his family and enjoys travelling, especially in Europe and within the U.S.
Experience Summary
COMMERCIAL
• Presided over a Trade Secrets case involving an alleged breach of employment contract and violation of trade secrets act. An executive of a major medical equipment manufacturer resigned to work for a competitor. Before he resigned, he downloaded thousands of documents from his former employer’s computer, many of which allegedly contained trade secrets. Plaintiff sought injunctive relief and monetary damages.
• Presided over a Breach of Contract case in which a food product manufacturer sued a supplier of a major grocery chain for failing to pay multiple invoices for product delivered. The defendant claimed that invoices overcharged for product supplied.
• Presided over a Breach of Contract case in which members of an RV park sued the owner of the park for wrongfully terminating park membership.
• Presided over a case in which a marine fuel station tenant sued the land and dock owner for wrongful termination of the lease.
COMPLEX MATTERS
• Coordinated cases regarding the financial collapse of a not-for-profit corporation formed by health care providers to provide worker compensation coverage for member health care providers.
• Handled a case brought by various governmental entities against opioid manufacturers.
• Handled a class action by a group of mobile homeowners against the association for unreasonable assessment for purpose of purchasing underlying real estate, forcing them to lose their homes.
• Presided over numerous construction defect actions.
• Presided over numerous wage and hour class actions.
EMPLOYMENT
• Presided over a case in which the plaintiff claimed that she was constructively terminated because of her gender.
• Presided over a case in which a veterinary assistant claimed that she was subjected to sexual harassment by her veterinarian employer.
• Presided over a case in which the plaintiff claimed that she was terminated by a university department because of pregnancy.
• Presided over a case in which a high-ranking officer in local police department sued for constructive termination and violation of the POBOR.
PERSONAL INJURY/WRONGFUL DEATH
• Presided over a case in which a pedestrian, wife and mother of three, sues an adverse driver, city and CalTrans for catastrophic brain and multiple orthopedic injuries suffered in a crosswalk accident.
• Presided over a case in which a worker sues the manufacturer and supplier of a scissor lift for a fall from a lift during a hotel construction project. The plaintiff claimed a defective fall prevention system and suffered catastrophic brain and multiple orthopedic injuries.
• Presided over a case involving a single plane aircraft accident wherein the pilot was killed, and passengers were severely injured. Consolidated cases for negligence on part of the pilot and defective aircraft parts.
• Oversaw multiple wrongful death claims arising out of a mass shooting at a local beauty salon. An early specially set settlement conference avoided years of litigation.
• Presided over a trip and fall case over poorly marked speed bumps in a grocery store parking lot with orthopedic injuries.
• Presided over a case in which orthopedic injuries suffered when a residential deck collapsed. The plaintiff fell approximately 10 feet to rocks below.
• Oversaw numerous automobile accident premises liability cases with a wide variety of claimed injuries.
PROFESSIONAL NEGLIGENCE
•Presided over an Accountant Malpractice case in which a mentally disabled heir contended that her accountant mishandled taxes on multiple holdings that she inherited from her father, resulting in large tax liability and penalties.
• Presided over a Medical Malpractice case in which the plaintiff claimed that her physician unreasonably delayed in diagnosis of colon cancer until it was too late for treatment.
• Presided over a Medical Malpractice case wherein during the repair of orthopedic injury to the right foot, the surgeon misplaced the screw, resulting in nerve damage.
• Presided over a Dental Malpractice case in which multiple patients sued a holistic dentist for unnecessarily removing amalgam fillings and teeth upon which root canals had been performed.
• Presided over a Legal Malpractice case in which the plaintiff contended that the defendant failed to file her legal malpractice claim within the appropriate period of limitation.
