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Vanessa Adriance

Vanessa Adriance

Of Counsel
Los Angeles
About

Vanessa C. Adriance represents clients in environmental and product-related litigation, and assists clients with enforcement and compliance issues.

Vanessa has more than a decade of experience litigating environmental and products-related claims. She provides clients with advocacy and compliance advice regarding California's Health and Safety Code, including Proposition 65, and the defense of products-related and environmental tort claims. She advises clients in connection with California's Appliance Efficiency Regulations, California's Green Chemistry program, and other California products-related and environmental rules and regulations.

Vanessa advises manufacturers and retailers regarding a variety of products, including foods and beverages, over-the-counter medical products, personal care products, and home goods. She enjoys working with clients of all sizes, ranging from small businesses to multi-national corporations and advising them on environmental, labeling, and compliance issues. She assists clients in creating compliance programs, developing and maintaining testing programs, and represents clients in challenges to agency actions. She has also represented major trade associations in litigation and regulatory matters, including in connection with agency actions and government enforcement authorities.

She regularly speaks to trade associations and businesses on consumer-products related legal issues, regulation of chemicals in consumer products, and compliance with consumer products laws.

Vanessa's practice builds on a strong litigation foundation. She has experience trying cases before juries and judges in numerous jurisdictions. She has a deep knowledge of the California courts and procedure.

Areas of FocusConsumer Goods, Food and Retail
Bar admissionsCaliforniaNevada
CourtsSupreme Court of CaliforniaUnited States District Court for the Eastern District of CaliforniaUnited States District Court for the Central District of CaliforniaUnited States District Court for the Northern District of CaliforniaUnited States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitUnited States District Court for the District of NevadaUnited States District Court for the Western District of MichiganSupreme Court of Nevada

EXPERIENCE

Environmental law and consumer products
  • Represented multi-national food and beverage companies in putative class action asserting claims under California's Proposition 65 and consumer protection laws relating to the alleged presence of heavy metals.
  • Represented manufacturer in putative class action in connection with alleged PFAS contamination.
  • Represented stakeholders in challenges to proposed regulatory actions by California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment.
  • Regularly assists retailers and manufacturers in formulating and executing Proposition 65 compliance programs.
  • Represented numerous food manufacturers in actions alleging exposures to acrylamide brought under California's Proposition 65.
Commercial litigation
  • Brought successful demurrer to fraud and negligence claims on behalf of national banking client.
  • Represented majority shareholders in a dispute involving whether a Stockholders Agreement inhibited the sale of the company to a strategic buyer.
  • Represented aviation company in obtaining favorable ruling and denial of all plaintiff's claims before California Labor Relations Board.
Education
  • J.D., Tulane Law School 2006

    summa cum laude
    Order of the Coif

  • M.A., Tulane University 2003
  • B.A., Tulane University 2002

Pro Bono

Vanessa has done extensive pro bono work focused primarily in the area of reproductive and women's rights. She also recently was part of a team that succeeded in obtaining summary judgment in favor of a DACA applicant in equal protection claims.

Bylines

  • Author, California Takes the Lead on Plastic Waste Reduction, Environmental Edge Blog, May 9, 2021
  • Co-Author, ABC Test Retroactivity Remains An Open Issue After Vazquez, Law360 Employment Authority (with James F. Speyer), February 3, 2021

Seminars

  • Panelist, California League of Food Producers: Proposition 65 Webinar, Presentation to CLFP, January 1, 2021
  • Panelist, Whose Problem Is This? Practical Issues in Defense and Indemnity for Retailers, September 14, 2020
  • Panelist, COVID-19: Keeping Consumers Safe—and Your Company Safer—in a Changing, Challenging Environment, April 8, 2020

Prior Experience

Prior to joining DLA Piper, Ms. Adriance was a senior associate in the environmental group at a large, international law firm.

Memberships And Affiliations

  • Board member, Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles

My latest insights

Publication

California lists Bisphenol S as female reproductive toxin under Prop 65

15 December 2023 .4 minute read

Past event

Prop 65 and its impact on consumer products

13 December 2023 .2 minute read

Publication

For businesses selling goods in California, big changes are coming to small Prop 65...

2 November 2023 .5 minute read

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Phone

+1 310 595 3261
(Work, Los Angeles)
+1 213 330 7561
(Fax)
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