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Orange County board reports $19.75M global settlement tied to Sept. 2024 airport fire; delegates claims authority
Summary
County counsel told supervisors the board unanimously approved a $19,750,012.30 global settlement with multiple insurers over the Sept. 2024 airport fire and delegated limited settlement authority on several individual claims; the board also approved retention of outside defense counsel in a ground‑lease dispute.
County counsel reported Sept. 23 that the Orange County Board of Supervisors met in closed session under Government Code §54956.9 and unanimously approved a $19,750,012.30 global settlement with multiple insurers to resolve claims tied to the Sept. 2024 airport fire.
The counsel said the settlement covers insurers including AAA, Allstate, American Family Insurance, Mutual Holdings, Assurant, Bamboo, California Casualty, California Fair Plan, Farmers, Kemper Property and Casualty, Lemonade, QBE Insurance Company, State Farm and USAA. The board also delegated limited settlement authority for the claim of Robin Putt and authorized risk management and outside counsel to resolve claims brought by Jamie Ray McLean (individually and as trustee of the McLean Family Revocable Trust dated 11/19/2018), Joseph McLean, Margaret Donalda Keeter, Burrell James Jr., Charles Huie, Nicole Huie, James Ray Huie, Edward Sapienza and Luwada Sapienza.
County counsel said the board unanimously approved delegation of limited settlement authority in Jane Doe 1 v. County of Orange, a case alleging the social services agency failed to adequately investigate reports of child abuse involving two female minors during a custody dispute; counsel said the plaintiffs’ biological father and stepmother were criminally convicted of torture and child abuse and are serving prison terms.
The board also rejected a mediator’s $2,500,000 settlement proposal in the employment case of Jennifer Kearns v. County of Orange, an alleged retaliation claim involving an Orange County district attorney investigator. Counsel said the county disputes the plaintiff’s whistleblower and retaliation allegations.
Separately, supervisors authorized County Counsel to retain the law firm Seltzer, Caplan, Meier & Viteck (as spoken) to assist in the defense of Mindo Sievers v. County of Orange, a dispute over termination of a ground lease at Be Well Orange. The board approved lead counsel Neil Panish at $775 an hour; partner Sarah Schechter at $600 an hour; associate rates of $375 to $550 an hour; and paralegal rates of $275 to $300 an hour.
The chair thanked county counsel for the report. The board moved on to supplemental and consent items.
Notes: This account reflects the board’s closed‑session report as read into the public record. The amounts, named insurers, plaintiff names and counsel rates are reported verbatim from the transcript.
