Major Langer (Attorney)
Major Langer (Attorney)
Major A. Langer (1942 - December 29, 2017) was an American attorney based out of Long Beach, California. Langer was remembered by friends and family as a caring, sincere, and hardworking man with a heart of gold. He was a Senior Managing Partner in the Long Beach, California based law firm Perona, Langer, Beck, Serbin, Mendoza and Harrison which was founded in 1966. [1] In December, 2017 he was killed in a shooting allegedly committed by his law partner John A. Mendoza.
Personal Life
Major Langer was married for more than 40 years.
He lived in Rolling Hills, California and enjoyed operating a vineyard on his property harvesting grapes to make wine every year.
Upon the death of Langer his long time friend, Jim hall said:
“This guy was the most caring, sincere man I probably ever met.
He just had a heart of gold and really cared for everybody who works at the firm and considers them members of his family.
He certainly didn’t deserve this.”
Education
Major Langer graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo with a Bachelor of Arts before attending the University of North Carolina. In 1966, Langer graduated from St. Johns University School of Law with a Juris Doctor degree. [1]
Career
Major Langer was a Senior Managing Partner of Perona, Langer, Beck, Serbin, Mendoza and Harrison (PLSMH), founded in 1966.
He has tried over 75 civil and criminal cases to verdict.
The areas of laws Langer focuses on include Personal Injury, Workers’ Compensation, Construction Litigation, and Insurance. He also successfully represented actress Pamela Anderson in a breach of contract lawsuit. Langer has also won numerous 6-7 figure verdicts. [1]
Weber v. The City of Rolling Hills
Major Langer is well known for having handled the case of Weber v. The City of Rolling Hills as a result of the Rolling Hills Landslide. This case was believed to be the longest trial in the history of California, lasting 14 months before a successful jury verdict. [1] In the landslide case, Langer won more than $17.6 million in damages for property owners who sued the city of Rolling Hills and the California Water Service Co. after water was allowed to seep into the ground, awakening an inactive landslide in 1980 that destroyed six homes and damaged many others. A jury in 1988 found that leaking water service pipes and an antiquated drainage system were the culprits, the jury found.
Legal Credentials
Mr. Langer was admitted to the New York bar in 1966 and California Bar in 1967. Mr. Langer is also admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Central District of California, United States District Court for the Southern District of California, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and United States Supreme Court. Mr. Langer is a member of Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles and the American Association for Justice. [1]
Awards
In 2011, Major Langer received the Lawyer of the Year Award from the Anti-Defamation League. He is also a member of American Board of Trial Advocates, which is a prestigious National Trial Lawyers organization. [1]
Death
On Friday, December 29, 2017, Major Langer was fatally shot by his law partner John A. Mendoza who went on to shoot fellow partner Ron Beck, before committing suicide.
The shooting took place at the office of Perona, Langer, Beck, Serbin, Mendoza and Harrison on 300 E. San Antonio Avenue in Bixby Knolls, Long Beach.
Major Langer had come to the office to fire John Mendoza.
Mendoza pulled out a handgun and shot Langer dead before shooting Beck in the stomach. A friend of Beck’s said his son drove him to he hospital after the shooting and he was expected to survive.