With more than 400 jury trials to verdict, we know our way around a courtroom “on both sides of the v.” We’ve won more than $1 billion for our plaintiff business clients. And playing defense, we’ve defeated high-stakes and bet-the-company claims in the hundreds of millions. Our lawyers have also prevailed in some of the most challenging white-collar cases you could find.

Our trial lawyers have been recognized by Chambers USA and Chambers Global, the American College of Trial Lawyers, The Legal 500, Benchmark Litigation’s “Top 100 Trial Lawyers in America,” The LawDragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America, The Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America, The Daily Journal’s Top 100 Lawyers in California, the California Lawyers Association Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame, and many others.   California Lawyer Magazine has recognized our firm with three “CLAY Awards” (California Lawyers of the Year) for Municipal Law (2019), White Collar Criminal Defense (2018), and Intellectual Property Litigation (2012).

We have represented Fortune 500 and other companies across a number of industries, including financial services, entertainment, telecommunications, insurance and technology. We have also represented individuals, developers, venture capitalists, universities, startups, government entities, nonprofit religious institutions, and pro bono clients.

REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS

• In 2023, successfully defended MGA Entertainment against trade dress allegations made by Rapper, “T.I.” Harris. Mr. Harris and his family sought $100 million alleging MGA infringed the trade dress of the OMG Girlz. The jury returned a complete defense verdict in less than two hours. Shortly before returning the verdict, the jury asked the judge if they were allowed to award attorneys’ fees to the prevailing party.  Named by the Daily Journal as one of the Top Verdicts of 2023.
• In 2022, successfully defended Tony, Emmy and two-time Oscar winner Kevin Spacey in a sexual battery civil jury trial in the Southern District of New York.  After five years of intense litigation, the K/A team convinced the jury that Mr. Spacey was not liable and Mr. Rapp should not be given a penny of the $40 million dollars he was seeking.  The jury deliberated only thirty minutes before reaching a unanimous verdict. The trial was covered by the global media.
• Won jury award and attorneys’ fees of $309 million in a massive copyright infringement and trade secret misappropriation case for MGA Entertainment against Mattel in the epic battle popularly dubbed “Barbie v. Bratz.” Given 2012 CLAY Award (California Lawyers of the Year) in Intellectual Property for the victory.
• Won jury award of $300 million in compensatory and $50 million in punitive damages after five-month business fraud jury trial in Los Angeles.
• Successfully represented CashCall Inc. in legal malpractice lawsuit brought against Katten Muchin. Damages exceeded $850 million. A confidential settlement was reached on eve of trial.
• Represented three insurers from the AIG family of insurance companies, one of the world’s largest and most respected insurance groups, in defending against claims for bad faith and breach of contract brought by Victaulic Company of America in California Superior Court. The case was tried once before by different counsel, resulting in a $70 million verdict and three contempt actions against AIG. The California Court of Appeal vacated that decision in its entirety and remanded the matter for retrial. AIG retained us for the retrial. After five years and extensive discovery, we were able find evidence that Victualic’s valves were defective and the cause of the damage. We also discovered that Victualic knew about the defective valves before it applied for policies with AIG and before it made the claims at issue. As a result, the case settled for nuisance value.
• In 2021, won two court trials against billionaire bond king Bill Gross, securing a restraining order in the first trial for harassing his neighbor by blasting loops of the theme song from Gilligan’s Island, and later convicting Mr. Gross of contempt for defying court orders. Mr. Gross was sentenced to jail after the conviction.
• Represented real estate developer through 8-month jury trial on felony charges he used campaign contributions as a bribe to secure a $100 million settlement with the County of San Bernardino in an alleged pay-to-play corruption scheme. He was acquitted in less than three hours. Given 2019 CLAY Award in White Collar Defense.
• Defense jury verdict in Los Angeles for MassMutual Life Insurance Co. in $100 million bellwether class action lawsuit. Case was named a 2018 Top Verdict by CVN and the Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journals.
• Defense jury verdict in 2018 for the City of Costa Mesa in a landmark zoning lawsuit brought by sober living home operators and network; this led to another CLAY Award, in municipal law.
• Representing a national “AmLaw 100” law firm on claims asserted in California Superior Court involving the administration of a multi-billion dollar estate.
• Represented plaintiff in $100 million bad faith insurance litigation in United District Court; confidential settlement in favor of client.
• Successfully represented tech billionaire Henry Nicholas (Broadcom co-founder) in tax case against the United States, which had disallowed his deductions for distressed Chinese debt. Eve of trial settlement allowed an approximately $40 million deduction. This was the first time such a deduction has been permitted by the Government.
• Obtained favorable settlement for plaintiff client suing Fortune 100 insurance company for breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.
• Represented a real estate owner and operator in a billion-dollar breach of contract and partnership dispute.
• Won jury award of over $6 million in a breach of contract, fraud, and conversion trial.
• Won jury award of $3.5 million for client in legal malpractice and elder abuse lawsuit.
• Defense jury verdict for a university in a multi-million dollar, six-month fraud and misrepresentation trial; plaintiffs were students in its inaugural law school class. The jury awarded zero damages.
• Successfully defended, 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 States District Court; confidential settlement in favor of client.
• Defense jury verdict for law firm client in “whistleblower” lawsuit by former head of its billing department who alleged fraudulent billings.
• Represented a real estate developer in a $100 million partnership dispute; confidential settlement in favor of client.
• Represented several family members in a $250 million partnership dispute; confidential settlement in favor of client.
• Represented I-Hsin Chen, a shipping container warehouse magnate, who was indicted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the “Varsity Blues” college admissions scandal.
• Successfully represented former head of USA Swimming and Coach of US Olympic Swim Team in civil lawsuit alleging negligent supervision of an assistant. Lawsuit was dismissed by plaintiff after intense litigation.
• Representing Jazz, a wafer foundry that is a wholly owned United States subsidiary of Israel-based Tower Semiconductor (Intel) as defendant and cross-complainant in a lawsuit against its real estate developer, landlord.  Wanting to build luxury condos, the developer sued to evict Jazz nine years before its lease was to end.  Jazz filed a cross-complaint for fraud and breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing. Damages are approximately $500 million.  The case is set for trial in December 2023.
• Defended prominent Los Angeles physician on multi-million dollar white-collar case brought by the Orange County District Attorney. Representation lasted 16 years and resulted in a no-jail-time plea for client.
• Successfully represented Tony, Emmy and two-time Oscar winner Kevin Spacey on civil litigation in the Central District of California.
• Obtained emergency restraining order in federal court, preventing the state and federal governments from using a rundown building the state had declared unfit for human habitation as a coronavirus treatment facility.