Commercial Litigation

We represent plaintiffs and defendants in a broad array of commercial disputes, in federal and state courts and in arbitration or mediation.  Our lawyers often intervene before litigation arises, advising clients seeking to avoid legal action.  When litigation is necessary, however, our opponents know we won’t crumble on the courthouse steps.  We have tried over 250 cases to jury verdict, and earned a national reputation as skillful advocates.

We are winners of the prestigious California Lawyer Magazine 2012 CLAY Award (California Lawyers of the Year) in Litigation, and we are routinely featured in “The Best Lawyers in America,” among countless other honors.

Our clients include domestic and international corporations, with businesses in technology, manufacturing, retail, securities, and securities ratings.  We also represent high-profile individual clients.   We have successfully handled disputes involving:

• Bad faith
• Breach of contract
• Corporate investigations
• Environmental litigation
• Fraud
• Intellectual Property
• Intentional Interference with Business Relationship
• Labor and employment
• Real estate litigation
• Securities litigation
• Shareholder Derivative Suits
• Trade secrets
• Unfair competition

REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS

A sampling of our commercial litigation experience includes:

• Massive copyright infringement and trade secret misappropriation jury trial in MGA Entertainment’s epic battle with Mattel; won judgment of $309 million.
• Won $4.8 million compensatory and $1.4 million in punitive damages in breach of contract, fraud and conversion jury trial.
• Won jury award of $300 million in compensatory and $50 million in punitive damages after five-month business fraud jury trial in Los Angeles.
• Defense verdict for a client university in a multi-million dollar, six-month fraud and misrepresentation jury trial; plaintiffs were students in its inaugural law school class. The jury awarded them zero damages.
• Represented, through jury verdict, a lawyer charged with engineering the largest insurance fraud case in the history of California; a massive RICO prosecution over an alleged $200 million dollars’ worth of over-billing insurance carriers for legal fees.
• Successfully represented Little Tykes toy company in trademark infringement case in United District Court; confidential settlement in favor of client.
• Represented plaintiff in $100 million bad faith insurance litigation in United District Court; confidential settlement in favor of client.
• Represented law firm in “whistleblower” lawsuit by former head of its billing department who alleged fraudulent billings; defense verdict for client.
• Represented a real estate owner and operator in a billion-dollar breach of contract and partnership dispute.
• Represented a real estate developer in a $100 million partnership dispute.