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]]>“I’m honored to be included amongst such an elite group of trial lawyers and look forward to supporting the College’s mission,” said Vicki Chou.
Founded in 1950, the College is composed of the best of the trial bar from the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. According to the College, fellowship “is extended by invitation only and only after careful investigation, to those experienced trial lawyers of diverse backgrounds, who have mastered the art of advocacy and whose professional careers have been marked by the highest standards of ethical conduct, professionalism, civility, and collegiality. Lawyers must have a minimum of fifteen years trial experience before they can be considered for Fellowship.”
Described by Benchmark Litigation as one of the “brightest litigators across the U.S.” and Chambers as “incredibly smart” and “tenacious, engaging and hard charging,” Ms. Chou is an accomplished trial lawyer and a key member of both the Trial Practice and the White Collar and Investigations teams. She is also a former Assistant United States Attorney in the Central District of California where she was a Deputy Chief, representing the United States in hundreds of criminal cases.
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]]>The post Kelly Toys, Maker of Squishmallows Files IP Suit Against Build-a-Bear Workshop appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Lead Counsel Moez Kaba as quoted in Reuters:
“When it comes to intellectual property rights, imitation is not the sincerest form of flattery. Build-a-Bear cannot freeride on Kelly Toys’ extensive investments and creativity in the wildly successful Squishmallows products.”
Partner Sourabh Mishra as quoted in the Daily Journal:
“Squishmallows have skyrocketed to fame, appealing to consumers of all ages and backgrounds. Rather than create its own unique product, Build-A-Bear released copycat products that infringe the trade dress that consumers throughout the country associate with Squishmallows.”
Media Coverage
The New York Times
Associate Press
Reuters
BBC
Law360
The Recorder
Daily Journal
New York Post
The Guardian
The Telegraph
BusinessMatters
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]]>The post Court SLAPPs Down Byron Allen’s Suit Claiming Fraud and Racism by McDonald’s appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>“This win represents full vindication for McDonald’s. By rejecting Allen’s effort to convert McDonald’s good faith DEI initiative into a personal money grab, and finding that his claim against McDonald’s lacked even “minimal merit,” the Court has brought a quick end to Allen’s baseless claims of racism,” said John Hueston, co-lead counsel for McDonald’s.
Moez Kaba, co-lead counsel added, “ESN has been on a campaign to sue McDonald’s to obtain, through the courts, what it cannot achieve in the market. The Court’s ruling is a powerful message: while it may be easy to file meritless but sensationalized lawsuits, there are hefty consequences for doing so.”
The dismissal is a major blow against Allen’s efforts to smear McDonald’s through baseless lawsuits. Hueston Hennigan also represents McDonald’s in a case brought by Allen under the federal civil rights laws, alleging that McDonald’s refused to advertise with his companies because of Allen’s race. Hueston Hennigan looks forward to proving these allegations to be similarly false.
The Hueston Hennigan team included John Hueston, Moez Kaba, Michael Todisco, Karen Ding, Justin Greer, Arianna Demas, and Segun Babatunde.
Media Coverage:
Law360
Daily Journal
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]]>The post Hueston and Kaba Named Leading Commercial Litigators for Bet-the-Company Cases appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Leading Commercial Litigators – Moez Kaba
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]]>The post Jackson Named Among Leaders of Influence appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Ms. Jackson represents clients in a broad range of complex business litigation and investigations conducted by the SEC and various Attorneys General. In January 2024, she became one of Hueston Hennigan’s newest partners. She joined the firm in March of 2018, and since then has become an integral member of the team taking lead roles in several high-profile matters, including obtaining a favorable settlement, after a week of trial, for Synchrony Financial (formerly GE Capital) in a lawsuit involving breach of contract, fraudulent misrepresentation, and alter ego claims, successfully representing Endo Pharmaceuticals in litigation related to opioid abuse in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco, and representing Bill McGlashan, founder of TPG Growth LLC and The Rise Fund, in the “Varsity Blues” college admissions case.
The Los Angeles Business Journal recognized influential professionals with minority backgrounds. The attorneys on this list are considered to be particularly impactful on the legal scene while serving as trusted advisors in the LA region.
Click here to view full profile.
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]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Shortlisted for 2024 US Awards by Benchmark Litigation appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>After months of peer review-based research and hundreds of submissions to review, the Benchmark team recognizes the country’s most distinguished litigators and their firms for their exemplary work over the past 12 months.
The awards ceremony will take place on March 13 at Guastavino’s in San Francisco.
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]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Promotes Four to Counsel appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Craig Fligor, Counsel
Craig represents companies and individuals in every aspect of litigation, from prefiling investigations to posttrial appeals. He has substantial courtroom experience, including examining key witnesses at trial, winning on appeal, and arguing countless motions in federal and state courts. Recently, he completed a seven-week jury trial on behalf of PacifiCorp, favorably settled a lawsuit on the eve of trial for Palantir Technologies relating to a potential $300 million stock sale, and secured dismissal for the Houston Astros of a lawsuit relating to cheating allegations. He is also counsel in several upcoming trials, including for Southern California Edison and PacifiCorp.
Mr. Fligor clerked for the Hon. Diane S. Sykes on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. He earned his J.D. with high honors from the University of Chicago Law School, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif and served on The University of Chicago Law Review.
Brandon Marsh, Counsel
Brandon has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in all phases of litigation in federal and state courts, at both the trial court and appellate levels. He recently won the largest-ever U.S. trademark award representing Monster Energy Company against rival beverage company Vital Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; obtained a favorable settlement, after a week of trial, for Synchrony Financial (formerly GE Capital) in a lawsuit involving breach of contract, fraudulent misrepresentation, and alter ego claims; and obtained a favorable settlement, after two weeks of trial, for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan in a lawsuit brought by a group of California hospitals seeking hundreds of millions of dollars for emergency medical services provided to Kaiser members.
Mr. Marsh completed a clerkship with the Hon. Jerome Farris on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He earned his J.D. from Stanford University, with distinction, and served on the Stanford Law Review.
Emily Michael, Counsel
Emily represents clients in complex commercial litigation, high-stakes government investigations, and white collar criminal cases. She represents Southern California Edison and Edison International in ongoing litigation arising out of recent wildfires in Los Angeles and Orange County. She successfully represented Endo Pharmaceuticals in litigation related to opioid abuse in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco; successfully settled a suit brought by Don Lee Farms against Beyond Meat alleging breach of contract, fraud, and negligent misrepresentation arising out of Beyond Meat’s termination of an exclusive supply agreement and defended against Beyond Meat’s related cross-claims; and successfully settled a suit brought by Palantir Technologies against a former early investor alleging breach of contract, misappropriation of trade secrets, and other wrongful conduct after defeating a motion for summary judgment.
Ms. Michael completed a clerkship with the Hon. Edward J. Davila on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. She earned her J.D. from UCLA School of Law, Order of the Coif.
Dan Sheehan, Counsel
Dan has experience in various stages of litigation and investigations, including trial, dispositive motion practice, and depositions. He recently obtained a favorable settlement, after two weeks of trial, for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan in a lawsuit brought by a group of California hospitals seeking hundreds of millions of dollars for emergency medical services provided to Kaiser members, and he secured a complete defense verdict of no infringement and invalidity representing ClearOne Inc. as trial counsel in the District of Delaware in a case involving design patent for beamforming microphone arrays against Shure Incorporated.
Prior to joining Hueston Hennigan, Mr. Sheehan was a consultant with Sperling Economic Strategies, where he focused on research for Gene Sperling, former director of the National Economic Council under then-Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
After law school, Mr. Sheehan completed a clerkship with the Hon. Sidney R. Thomas on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He earned his J.D. from Yale Law School and served on the Yale Journal of Law & Technology.
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]]>The post Galaviz and Marsh Named Leaders of Influence appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Ms. Galaviz focuses her practice on complex civil litigation, including environmental litigation, complex business disputes and class actions. She is currently representing Southern California Edison and Edison International in litigation arising out of the 2017 Thomas Fire, the 2018 Woolsey Fire, and the 2018 Montecito mudslides; advising an aerospace manufacturer in a dispute involving unfair competition and misappropriation of trade secrets claims; and a pharmaceutical company in a putative class action suit alleging false advertising claims.
Mr. Marsh focuses his practice on complex, high-stakes business litigation, including securities litigation, intellectual property litigation, contract disputes and employment matters. He has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in all phases of litigation in federal and state courts, at both the trial court and appellate levels. He was a key member of the team that won the largest-ever US trademark awards for Monster Energy Company against rival beverage company Vital Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
The Los Angeles Business Journal recognized leading business professionals in the region who are trusted advisors.
Click here to view full profile.
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]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Elects Four to Firm Partnership appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>“Brittani, Sourabh, Raj, and Christine have been instrumental in some of our firm’s major wins over the past years. They are creative and hard-charging lawyers and, equally importantly, wonderful people. We are proud to welcome them to the partnership,” added Co-Founding Partner John Hueston.
Brittani Jackson, Partner
Named a “Lawyer on the Fast Track,” Brittani is a recognized rising star who represents clients in a broad range of complex business litigation and investigations conducted by the SEC and various attorneys general. Most recently, she obtained a favorable settlement, after a week of trial, for Synchrony Financial (formerly GE Capital) in a lawsuit involving breach of contract, fraudulent misrepresentation, and alter ego claims; helped secure a unique plea for Bill McGlashan, founder of TPG Growth LLC and The Rise Fund, in the Varsity Blues college admissions case; and successfully represented Endo Pharmaceuticals in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco in litigation related to opioid abuse, where following extensive fact and expert development that strengthened Endo’s position, the case favorably settled on the eve of trial. Brittani has also secured favorable results for several clients in government investigations.
Brittani recently participated in the Trial Advocacy Project at the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, where she was the lead trial attorney in a criminal case. She has also been active in representing pro bono clients, including a former pro se litigant in a Central District of California case against the city of Los Angeles and several police officers, as well as a young mother seeking asylum in the United States.
Brittani has been named among the “Lawyers on the Fast Track” by The Recorder, “Ones to Watch” by Best Lawyers, and “Top 40 Under 40” and “Top 100” by The National Black Lawyers. Brittani is the vice chair of the Friends of the Los Angeles County Law Library and a member of the board and treasurer of the Inner City Law Center.
Brittani earned her J.D. from Harvard Law School, her MBA from Harvard Business School, and her B.A. in international relations from Stanford University.
Sourabh Mishra, Partner
Sourabh began his career at Hueston Hennigan just months after graduating from law school and immediately focused his practice on trial work. A core member of multiple high-profile trial teams, he has achieved seven trial victories, including two wins at trials occurring only weeks apart on separate coasts. Most recently, he won a “record-setting” $293 million jury verdict – the largest Lanham Act award ever – for Monster Energy Company against rival beverage company Vital Pharmaceuticals; won a complete arbitration trial victory for a prominent Napa winery and its majority owner against the winery’s founder and former CEO; won a full defense verdict of no infringement and invalidity for ClearOne in a design patent trial; and won “the largest-ever U.S. trademark award” for Monster Energy Company after a multiweek arbitration.
Sourabh has also amassed a string of important appellate and pretrial victories. Just over the past month, he prevailed at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit for Shopify Inc. in a published decision on a matter of first impression that limited the reach of personal jurisdiction. He has also won multiple dispositive motions on behalf of our clients in highly significant matters, including the dismissal of a putative securities class action for PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Sourabh has been recognized as a “Leader of Influence: Minority Attorneys” by The Los Angeles Business Journal and among the “Ones to Watch” by Best Lawyers. He has also recently been selected to serve on the board of directors for the Public Law Center based in Orange County.
Sourabh earned his J.D. from Columbia Law School, where he was a notes editor for the Columbia Law Review, and his B.A. in economics and government from Dartmouth College.
Rajan Trehan, Partner
Raj is a compelling courtroom communicator who has distinguished himself for his ability to navigate challenging examinations at trial. In his first year at the firm, Raj second-chaired a trial and obtained a unanimous jury verdict for Electronic Arts. He continues to achieve noteworthy results in his clients’ highest stakes matters, earning recognition on the list of “Ones to Watch” by Best Lawyers. In the last year alone, Raj obtained a favorable settlement, on the eve of trial, exceeding $300 million in value for Match Group against Google over its illegal monopolization and other anticompetitive behavior in the distribution of mobile apps and processing of in-app purchases; secured a favorable settlement, after two weeks of trial, for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan in a lawsuit brought by a group of California hospitals seeking hundreds of millions of dollars for emergency medical services provided to Kaiser members; and represented PacifiCorp against numerous lawsuits in multiple jurisdictions across Oregon and California arising out of the 2020 Labor Day fires.
Raj also maintains an active pro bono practice. He represented Freedom for Immigrants in a high-profile, closely watched case involving the immigration-detention hotline featured in the television series “Orange is the New Black.” Raj obtained an injunction against ICE that protected the non-profit’s First Amendment rights and restored the hotline, a critical lifeline for persons in immigrant detention.
Prior to joining Hueston Hennigan, Raj completed a clerkship with the Hon. Paul G. Gardephe on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. He earned his J.D. from Columbia Law School, where he was a notes editor for the Columbia Law Review and a James Kent Scholar, and his B.A. in economics and political science from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Christine Woodin, Partner
Christine Woodin focuses her very active practice on intellectual property and complex commercial litigation, including patent, antitrust, and breach of contract disputes. Named a “Top IP Lawyer” by the Daily Journal, she has secured a series of wins for her clients in high-profile cases, many of which received media attention. Among these was a favorable settlement, on the eve of trial, exceeding $300 million in value for Match Group against Google over its illegal monopolization and other anticompetitive behavior in the distribution of mobile apps and processing of in-app purchases; a complete defense verdict of no infringement and invalidity representing ClearOne Inc. against Shure Inc. in a patent case in the District of Delaware; a mid-trial global settlement for Ericsson against Apple, resolving dozens of patent cases around the world after the close of Ericsson’s case in chief in its first-filed case; and an eve-of-trial settlement of a suit brought by Don Lee Farms against Beyond Meat, resolving both parties’ breach of contract claims as well as Beyond Meat’s related cross-claims, including allegations of misappropriation of trade secrets and trademark infringement. She also recently obtained a confidential but complete defense win on behalf of a client after an 11-day ICC arbitration where she presented multiple witnesses.
It goes without saying that Christine has a strong background in the interrelationship between law and the sciences. At the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), she carried out research in computational applied mathematics and was a recipient of the Monticello Research Fellowship.
Christine earned her J.D., with honors, from the University of Chicago Law School, where she was a comment editor for the University of Chicago Legal Forum. She earned her B.S. in applied and computational mathematics from the California Institute of Technology.
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]]>The post Chou and Purpura Once Again Named Top White Collar Lawyers appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Mr. Purpura has served as an adviser to two United States Presidents, handling complex separation-of-powers issues between the executive and legislative branches, worked as a commercial litigator in private practice, and served as a former Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York. “In many of my representations since entering private practice, there has been tremendous media and political attention,” said Mr. Purpura to editors. “I have found that my experience has been valuable in helping our clients successfully navigate public attention as well as the legal issues.” Mr. Purpura’s notable cases include representing former White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, former Deputy Counsel Patrick Philbin, and former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe in the DOJ investigations into the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol and the handling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. He was also recently retained by the State of Hawaii to assist with legal and strategic issues arising from the devastating Maui wildfires.
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]]>The post Law360: How Hueston Hennigan Won Monster $336M False Ad Suit appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Getting the CEO of a multibillion-dollar company to break down on the stand was nothing new for Hueston, who was lead prosecutor with the U.S. Justice Department’s Enron Task Force in 2006 and earned a reputation as a star litigator for his tough questioning of Kenneth Lay, the company’s founder. Lay was convicted of conspiracy, wire fraud and securities fraud, and Hueston’s work is widely credited with having helped seal the government’s criminal cases against both Lay and former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling.
Hueston told Law360 that his firm went up against Owoc at a previous trial and saw how he could become combative when challenged, and used that during the false advertising trial. As Owoc became more aggressive on the stand, Hueston kept his cool while needling Owoc over inconsistencies in his testimony.
“With Lay, Owoc and any CEO of a company, they typically are trained in the public to control themselves and to deliver a different type of demeanor than what you might see behind the scenes,” Hueston said.
“Both in the Enron trial and here, particularly here, we had seen the explosive, out-of-control Owoc,” he continued. “So in these exams … the winning approach is to work with the facts and then find ways to surprise the witness in areas that they might not be as prepared on to get under their skin and to flip their demeanor, to get them to drop the mask of the sort of calm and focused CEO to reveal, you know, the anger, the rage and their reactions.”
Owoc “began to lose control” as he was challenged, Hueston said.
“I’ve been in that situation before when a witness starts losing their temper and getting angry with me,” Hueston said. “I inwardly smile. I knew it was going well when the jury itself stopped looking at him during the cross-exam.”
A Three-Planked Approach
Much of the trial focused on Vital’s advertisement for the key ingredient in its successful Bang energy drink, “super creatine,” which Monster argued is a useless ingredient that holds none of the benefits of traditional creatine, a common supplement used by athletes and bodybuilders. The false advertising was part of an overall pattern to “lie, cheat and steal,” Hueston told the jury during his opening statement.
Monster alleged that the false advertisement of super creatine cost it hundreds of millions in profits, and the jury agreed. The verdict was a devastating blow to Vital — which did business as VPX Sports — and was the second nine-figure court loss VPX suffered to Monster in 2022. Following the trial, VPX filed for bankruptcy, and Owoc was terminated as CEO by the company’s board. In July, VPX announced a $362 million sale to Monster in its Florida bankruptcy case.
Monster also brought claims for trade secrets theft and interference with Monster’s contracts over shelf space with some major retailers, with the jury finding in favor of Monster on those claims as well. While they weren’t big money items compared to the false advertising claims, they helped paint a picture of Vital as a company that cheated, both Hueston and Hueston Hennigan co-founder Moez M. Kaba told Law360.
Hueston and Kaba were co-leads at the trial, and attorneys Allison Libeu, Sourabh Mishra, Lauren Johnson, Michael Todisco, Julia Haines, Justin Greer and Amber Munoz also contributed to the firm’s win.
The trade secrets and contract interference claims helped make Monster more sympathetic in the eyes of the jury, so that it didn’t just look like a big company going after a rival — a top concern going into the trial, Hueston and Kaba said.
“One of [the concerns] was the idea that Monster, this large, very successful energy drink company, was suing another company, and would we be able to tell in a sufficiently compelling way why Monster is the right plaintiff and why Monster deserves relief,” Kaba said.
Hueston said the team “worked hard to build in contract interference and trade secret misappropriation because then we knew that we could present the jury with a comprehensive, corrupt course of conduct that they would understand appropriately requires a jury’s intervention.”
“And by coming at it on all three planks, I was able to say, and we were able to echo this in our examinations, that Bang had built itself into a billion-dollar enterprise by lying, cheating and stealing,” Hueston continued. “And the lying, cheating and stealing, each of those, connected to each of the three planks.”
The Science of Creatine
Getting the jury to understand the science of creatine, and the studies finding that “super creatine” is not creatine, was another challenge heading into the trial, Kaba said. Although VPX did not present any scientific studies and Monster conducted several finding that super creatine is useless, there was a concern about whether the jury would understand the studies, which often involved molecular structures, he said.
Using models with marbles and a lock-and-key to demonstrate the science helped make the scientific data accessible to the jury, Kaba said.
“That’s the kind of work that we do, these kinds of significant, involved cases,” Kaba said. “And our team was very focused from the moment we got this case all the way through the trial and thereafter, simplifying the scientific concepts and bringing the jury or the judge along with us on the journey of discovery.”
Kaba also said making the scientific data clear to the jury was critical because “not only was the science complex and required simplification, but we are living in a world sometimes where the state of scientific knowledge is really where people think that a study doesn’t really prove anything, and a set of studies doesn’t really prove anything. Consensus doesn’t really prove anything, right? So, [it was important] being able to say scientific consensus does matter, and we can understand the truth, the scientific truth of something.”
During the trial, Monster presented evidence that VPX made many false claims to consumers, retailers and distributors about super creatine, including that it boosts creatine levels as well as helps those suffering from Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and other ailments.
Hueston agreed that with those types of health claims, it’s conceivable that a government agency could have sued VPX, which made litigating the case similar in some ways to his work as a federal prosecutor.
“I agree, there’s both the fun and appeal of that, but that was also a danger in our case because we knew through mock trial efforts that often the jury said, ‘Well, this sounds like something the government would be involved in, so if they’re not here, this must just be a business dispute, and who cares,’” Hueston said.
“So part of how we framed this case was to make sure the jury understood that the laws of the United States were vesting them with this responsibility, to try and inoculate them from the notion that this sounds like a government issue and the government ought to be looking at it,” he continued.
Proving the Damages
After presenting evidence that VPX engaged in trade secret theft and contract interference, and showing the jury scientific data that super creatine is useless, Hueston Hennigan’s final key task was to prove that Monster was substantially harmed by the conduct.
One key strategy for demonstrating harm was showing the jury a survey finding that one in five cans of Bang sold would go to Monster beverages if super creatine were removed or if Bang buyers were more informed about the amount of super creatine in each can. Monster also presented damages experts, and the jury ultimately gave Monster nearly everything it asked for with a $293 million verdict.
After the trial, some jurors said “they were given a number from us, and they were basically given a zero from the other side about damages,” Kaba said, adding that if the jury “is going to rule for you on liability, they’re going to want to give you something. So zero was not a fair place for the jury to go. And that’s what one juror said to us. He said, ‘Well, I got a zero on one hand, and your number, and it obviously isn’t zero, so we went with your number.’”
Kaba also said one satisfying aspect of the trial was that “we had multiple associates, multiple women, multiple associates of color get up and take witnesses at this trial. Each of them just did a fantastic job. And that’s a big part of what we try to do as a firm as well, is sort of train the next generation of fantastic trial lawyers, and we were so impressed with them.”
David P. Muth of Quarles & Brady LLP, who represented both Owoc and VPX at the trial, declined to comment for this story.
–Editing by Karin Roberts.
How Hueston Hennigan Won Monster $336M False Ad Suit
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]]>The post Zaccaro and Kohli Publish Article on SEC Whistleblower Protections appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Thomas Zaccaro and Deeksha Kohli recently published an article for the Daily Journal, titled: “The SEC’s recent enforcement actions confirm whistleblower protections.” The article examines those cases and discusses practical steps for employers to avoid similar enforcement scrutiny.
Mr. Zaccaro is a leading SEC defense lawyer. He previously served as the Chief Trial Counsel of the SEC’s Los Angeles Office and as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
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]]>The post In ‘Novel’ Jurisdiction Issue, 9th Circuit Limits Where Consumers Can Sue E-Commerce Payment Platforms appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The Hueston Hennigan team included Moez Kaba, Sourabh Mishra and Adam Minchew.
Media Coverage:
The Recorder: In ‘Novel’ Jurisdiction Issue, 9th Circuit Limits Where Consumers Can Sue E-Commerce Payment Platforms
Law360
Bloomberg Law
Media Daily News
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]]>The post “The Ultimate Bet-the-Company Law Firm” Says U.S. News & World Report appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Bet-the-Company Litigation
Commercial Litigation
Criminal Defense: White Collar
Litigation – Intellectual Property
Litigation – Securities
Litigation – Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy)
Media Law
Arbitration
Appellate Practice
In addition, a number of lawyers were also recognized by Best Lawyers in America in the rankings released earlier in the year.
Best Lawyers include:
Marshall A. Camp
Vicki Chou
Douglas J. Dixon
Padraic Foran
Brian J. Hennigan
John C. Hueston
Moez M. Kaba
Robert N. Klieger
Allison Libeu
Harry A. Mittleman
Alison L. Plessman
Michael M. Purpura
Christy V. Rayburn
Andrew Walsh
Thomas Zaccaro
Best Lawyers: One to Watch include:
Michael Acquah
Joseph Aronsohn
Brittani Jackson
Lauren McGrory Johnson
Sourabh Mishra
Sam Schnier
Michael Todisco
Raj Trehan
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]]>The post Epic Games Set for Last Trial over Google Monopoly Claim appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Epic Games Set for Last Trial over Google Monopoly Claim appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Benchmark Litigation Acclaims Hueston Hennigan as U.S. Boutique Law Firm of the Year and Awards Additional Top Rankings appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Benchmark goes on to describe Hueston Hennigan as “having logged substantial triumphs over the years,” adding that the “record continues this year.”
“Hueston Hennigan,” Benchmark concludes, “doesn’t do the ‘cookie-cutter,” instead, “‘They do really cool, cutting-edge work,’ in the words of an admiring peer, who told Benchmark that, “I admit it makes me jealous, and I’m sure I’m not alone!”
Benchmark went on to honor partners, John Hueston and Moez Kaba as two of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in the Country and as well as two of the Top 20 Trial Lawyers in California.
John Hueston was acclaimed as “a trial trailblazer who has carved himself an enviable position even among others in the elite trial lawyer circuit,” while noting that, “Hueston’s proven activity as lead counsel on a number of high-level appointments more than supports this near-unanimous acclaim.”
Moez Kaba, lauded as “accomplished,” “impressive” and “the youngest appointee to this prestigious list by some distance,” was praised for having “staked himself a position as another of the firm’s lead trial counsel on some of the firm’s most high-stakes disputes.”
Benchmark went on to single out Douglas Dixon, commending him for his work “generating a rising level of acclaim,” as well as future stars Christy Rayburn and Joseph Reiter.
Individual Hueston Hennigan lawyers who received accolades from Benchmark include:
Marshall A. Camp, Litigation Star
Vicki Chou, Future Star
Douglas J. Dixon, Litigation Star
Padraic Foran, 40 & Under Hot List
Brian Hennigan, Litigation Star
John C. Hueston, Top 100 Trial Lawyers in the Country, Top 20 Trial Lawyers in California, Litigation Star
Moez M. Kaba, Top 100 Trial Lawyers in the Country, Top 20 Trial Lawyers in California, Litigation Star
Robert N. Klieger, Litigation Star
Allison Libeu, Litigation Star, Top 250 Women in Litigation
Christy Rayburn, Future Star
Joseph Reiter, Future Star, 40 & Under Hot List
Andrew Walsh, Future Star
Benchmark Litigation is the definitive guide to America’s leading litigation law firms and lawyers. Research is conducted through extensive interviews with litigators, dispute resolution specialists and their clients to identify the leading litigators and firms. During these interviews, we examine recent casework handled by law firms and ask individual litigators to provide their professional opinions on peers and practitioners within their jurisdiction or practice area.
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]]>The post Judge Awards Monster an Additional $43 million and Upholds Jury Verdict, Bringing Historic Total to $336M appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>In September 2022 after a five-week trial, a nine-person jury found that Vital Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (VPX) and its CEO, Jack Owoc, falsely advertised the “Super Creatine” ingredient of Bang energy drink, handing Monster a record-breaking verdict. At trial, Monster presented scientific and other evidence that Bang did not contain creatine and that creatine is not even water-soluble and cannot be put into a drink. The jury also found that VPX stole Monster’s trade secrets and interfered with Monster’s contracts for shelf space with major retailers.
Following trial, VPX requested a new trial or judgment notwithstanding the verdict. VPX also asked, in the alternative, that the Court reduce what VPX called the jury’s “grossly excessive” damages award. The judge denied VPX’s motions in their entirety, explicitly holding that “the evidence supports the jury’s damages award.” The judge found that “Monster presented evidence that Defendants’ false advertising harmed Monster’s sales across its product portfolio”; that “Vital engaged in a ‘widespread effort’ to interfere with Monster’s contracted shelf placements”; and that “Monster proved at trial that…Vital misappropriated [Monster’s] trade secret.”
After upholding the jury’s damages award, the Court addressed Monster’s request for equitable relief. The Court upheld its earlier finding that Monster is entitled to a permanent injunction prohibiting VPX and Mr. Owoc “from falsely or deceptively claiming that Super Creatine is creatine, that Bang contains creatine, and that Bang or Super Creatine provide the physical, mental, health, or other benefits of creatine.”
The Court further held that the case was “exceptional” under the Lanham Act. The judge found that jury’s unanimous finding that VPX’s and Mr. Owoc’s false advertising was “willful and deliberate” reflected the substantive strength of Monster’s position. The judge also found that VPX and Mr. Owoc litigated the case in an unreasonable manner. “During trial, Mr. Owoc refused to cooperate at times and displayed a disrespect for the judicial process. He repeatedly tried to reference documents that the Court had excluded. He refused to answer straightforward questions during cross-examination, despite admonitions from the Court. He berated Monster’s counsel and the Court had to instruct the jury to disregard any disparaging remarks this witness has made against opposing counsel.” In addition, “Mr. Owoc contradicted his prior sworn testimony numerous times and Monster’s counsel impeached him over 50 times.”
Given the exceptional nature of the case, the judge awarded Monster an additional $20,972,953.90 in attorneys’ fees, $6,709,552.18 in costs, $101,028.60 in expert witness expenses, and $15,256,554.65 in prejudgment interest. Combined with the jury’s verdict, Monster’s award totals $336 million, likely the largest in Lanham Act history.
The Hueston Hennigan team included John Hueston, Moez Kaba, Allison Libeu, Lauren McGrory Johnson, Sourabh Mishra, Michael Todisco, Julia Haines, Justin Greer and Amber Munoz.
Read Reuters article.
Read Law360 article.
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]]>The post Reiter Named to List of Top 40 Under 40 appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Mr. Reiter is prepping for a major antitrust jury trial in November against Google LLC in a “bet-the-company” suit for Match Group LLC. Last year, he scored a major win by obtaining injunctive relief for Match. “It’ll be a high-profile jury trial, and our arguments will benefit all app developers and consumers,” explained Mr. Reiter to the Daily Journal.
Mr. Reiter recently won a favorable mid-trial settlement for a hospital chain for claims for hundreds of millions of dollars in alleged underpayments. “We go into every trial with the goal of winning ever day, and we effectively rebutted every element of their case,” explained Mr. Reiter.
Earlier this year, Mr. Reiter prevailed on appeal for Amazon.com in a suit under California’s “taxpayer waste” law. He persuaded a Los Angeles County trial court to dismiss the case on the grounds that the state tax agency has discretion to decide who a retailer is. A state appellate panel agreed.
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]]>The post Jackson Named Among the Lawyers on the Fast Track appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The California Legal Awards celebrate the achievements of lawyers and companies leading technology, innovation and the profession as a whole.
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]]>The post Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Wins Round in Diversity Bout With Diageo appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Combs will now be able to engage in “broad discovery” aimed at uncovering evidence that the company didn’t support Combs’ liquor brands—Ciroc Vodka and DeLeón Tequila—in the same manner that it support its other brands, according to John Hueston, Combs’ attorney.
“This case has always been about getting fair and equal treatment,” Hueston said in a statement. “Today’s decision is an important step in the right direction. Diageo tried to end this action. Today the judge soundly rejected that effort.”
Click here to read full Bloomberg Law article.
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]]>The post Case Against Masimo Founder and CEO Joe Kiani Dismissed appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>In October 2022, after acquiring an 8.4% ownership stake in Masimo, activist investor group Politan Capital Management initiated this litigation in the Delaware Court of Chancery. Initially, the focus of Politan’s lawsuit was on Masimo’s advance-notice bylaws, which Politan claimed were invalid and unenforceable due to their purportedly adverse effects on stockholder franchise. But soon after Masimo repealed those bylaws, mooting Politan’s claims, Politan dramatically shifted the focus of its lawsuit to focus on Mr. Kiani’s employment agreement with Masimo.
In March 2023, Politan filed an amended complaint, in which another Masimo investor, the California State Teachers Retirement Systems (CalSTRS), joined as Plaintiff, seeking to invalidate core provisions in Mr. Kiani’s employment agreement. Specifically, Plaintiffs claimed that certain compensation terms of that agreement—including those that entitle Mr. Kiani to receive, upon the occurrence of certain conditions, a one-time grant of 2.7 million restricted stock units in Masimo (equal to approximately 5% of Masimo’s market cap) and a $35 million cash payment—are invalid under Delaware law. Hueston Hennigan appeared in the litigation to represent Mr. Kiani against Plaintiffs’ challenge.
On August 18, 2023, Mr. Kiani, along with the other Defendants, filed a motion to dismiss all of Plaintiffs’ claims. Shortly thereafter, on September 6, 2023, Plaintiffs filed a motion to dismiss their lawsuit in its entirety, and the Court granted the motion the following day.
Masimo is a global medical technology company that develops, manufactures, and markets a variety of life-saving noninvasive patient monitoring technologies, hospital automation solutions, home monitoring devices, ventilation solutions, and consumer products. Masimo is best known today for its proprietary pulse oximetry technology, which is currently used to monitor over 200 million patients per year, and it is the primary pulse oximetry technology used in many of the top hospitals in the United States.
Since founding Masimo 34 years ago, Mr. Kiani has developed a proven track record as a leader and innovator whose contributions have been critical to Masimo’s success. Mr. Kiani is the co-inventor of measure through motion pulse oximetry, and his ideas and inventions have been integral to nearly every major product and service that Masimo offers. His accomplishments have been widely recognized by stockholders and others, as Masimo has substantially outperformed the market since its initial public offering in 2007.
The Hueston Hennigan team included John Hueston, Marshall Camp, Yegor Fursevich, Rajan Trehan, Lauren Johnson, Adam Minchew, Karen Ding, and Stephen Andrews.
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]]>The post Hueston and Kaba Repeat on List of Top 100 Lawyers appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Mr. Hueston has new challenges ahead for McDonald’s, Medtronic, and Brittney Spears’ former manager Lou Taylor, where he has replaced existing trial counsel.
“We specialize in trial work,” Mr. Hueston explained. “We are often asked to come in when serious cases look like they’re going to trial, not settle.” He went on to explain, “they’re known as ‘higher yield to trial’ matters.”
McDonald’s hired Hueston Hennigan in a bet-the-company race discrimination case brought by billionaire media mogul and entertainer Byron Allen. The suit seeks $10 billion in damages. Medtronic, facing hundreds of millions in damages, hired Hueston Hennigan to defend it in a patent infringement suit over heart valve technology. And last, Mr. Hueston replaced another law firm in upcoming conservatorship litigation, where we represent Britney Spears’ former manager and Tri Sports and Entertainment group.
Moez Kaba is co-founder of Hueston Hennigan and “a courtroom star.” After winning a number of high-profile matters, including $293 million for Monster Energy, he was voted in as Managing Partner. With a busy trial schedule ahead, Mr. Kaba explains “the prize for winning a pie-eating contest is you get more pie.”
Mr. Kaba’s success with his commercial clients parallels his success with his pro bono work. As an out gay man, he helps with LGBTQ+ advocacy. As Muslim, he fought off a threatened ban on an anti-Islamophobia program in San Diego Schools. And when authorities shut down a hotline for persons in immigration detention, he sued ICE and got the hotline restored.
“My great professional joy is to take complex cases all the way to trial,” said Mr. Kaba. “My great personal joy is to represent causes near to my heart.”
Not every case goes to trial, however. Recently, Mr. Kaba secured a settlement, after replacing a major law firm, in a $50 million claim of fraudulent inducement and breach of contract case. Mr. Kaba “later learned from the jury that his opening and cross provided a compelling defense.” He also obtained a similar mid-trial outcome for Kaiser as it faced demands for hundreds of millions of dollars in alleged underpayments. After replacing existing counsel, and delivery a compelling opening statement, and cross-examining several witnesses, the case settled.
“My aim is to tell our story through their witnesses and try to keep impeachment very tight,” Mr. Kaba said. “It only works because of our amazing colleagues and staff. I’m the conductor, but they drive the train.”
The list recognizes the very best California attorneys who have made an impact on the law and society within the last year. Mr. Hueston has been named to the prestigious list for over a decade, and Mr. Kaba has been on the list for seven consecutive years.
Click here to read Mr. Hueston’s full profile.
Click here to read Mr. Kaba’s full profile.
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]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Lawyers Recognized for Professional Excellence appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The following lawyers are recognized:
Marshall A. Camp
Vicki Chou
Douglas J. Dixon
Padraic Foran
Brian J. Hennigan
John C. Hueston
Moez M. Kaba
Robert N. Klieger
Allison Libeu
Harry A. Mittleman
Alison L. Plessman
Michael M. Purpura
Christy Rayburn
Andrew Walsh
Tom Zaccaro
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. The methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services.
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]]>The post Nine Lawyers Named “Ones to Watch” appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The following lawyers are recognized this year:
Michael Acquah
Joseph Aronsohn
Annie Banks
Brittani Jackson
Lauren McGrory Johnson
Sourabh Mishra
Samantha Schnier
Michael Todisco
Rajan Trehan
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]]>The post Libeu Among the Top 250 Women in Litigation appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The extensive research process used in the creation of Benchmark’s Top 250 Women in Litigation involves months of investigation into individual litigators’ professional activities as well as client feedback surveys and one-on-one interviews, and has culminated in the selection of the most distinguished women in the world of litigation. These women have earned their place amongst the leading women litigators by participating in some of the most impactful litigation matters in recent history as well as by earning the hard-won respect of their peers and clients. Though they hail from widely different practice areas, they all share the distinction of being recognized as top players in their respective fields.
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]]>The post Reiter and Foran Named to the Benchmark 40 & Under List appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Attorneys named to the 2023 publication were chosen through several phases of research: namely, the review of their recent case work, peer review in which we consider how attorneys at peer legal institutions might rank them, and a consideration of client feedback on their performances. These attorneys, though young, have established themselves in their respective fields and are set to enjoy bright futures.
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]]>The post Dixon and Libeu Named Among Top Litigators & Trial Lawyers appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Ms. Libeu litigates high-stakes business disputes across a variety of areas, including business torts, contracts, class actions, securities fraud, and trade secrets. She consistently achieves successful outcomes for her clients both before and at trial, and has extensive experience in all stages of litigation—up to and including settlement negotiations and trial.
The Los Angeles Business Journal recognizes the region’s most outstanding litigators as “Leaders of Influence: Litigators & Trial Lawyers in Los Angeles.” These are the very best litigators and trial attorneys in the region. These are the trusted advisors you want in your corner in court.
Click here to view full profile.
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]]>The post Purpura and Rayburn Named to the List of 2023 Visionaries appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Ms. Rayburn litigates high-profile, high-stakes technology disputes for companies of all sizes, including Amazon.com, Monster Energy, BlackBerry, ClearOne, and Acorn Technologies. Described by clients as “a fierce advocate” and “intensely brilliant at understanding the detail and complexity of the subject matter, while retaining a clear view of the big issues and impact on strategy,” she has experience in patent, copyright, and trade secret litigation at every stage.
The Los Angeles Times B2B Publishing team selected 101 of the very best thought leaders and power brokers in the legal space in Southern California.
Click here to read profiles.
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]]>The post Plessman and Libeu Once Again Repeat as Top Women Lawyers appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>“It’s been fantastic. We’ve been more successful than we’d ever dreamed,” she noted to editors. “We work our hearts out on these matters. The people in this firm truly know how to try cases.”
Allison Libeu focuses her practice on complex civil litigation and was part of the team that recently won two of The Daily Journal’s Top Verdicts of 2022 awards: a $293 million jury verdict and a $197 million arbitration award plus ongoing royalty payments in cases targeting Monster Energy’s energy drink rival. “At both the trial and the arbitration, Libeu was credited with the key cross-examination of Vital Pharmaceutical’s damages expert,” noted the Daily Journal editors. “She obtained critical admissions about his methodology that undercut his opinions and lined up with her disgorgement and royalty theories. Next up for Ms. Libeu is co-lead trial counsel for e-commerce software maker Shopify Inc. in a set of cases over a data breach.
“Everyone at the firm is involved in at least one community organization,” said Ms. Libeu, further adding “it’s an excellent way to get out of the office and stay grounded.”
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]]>The post “Litigation Powerhouse” and One of the “Best Firms in America” Says Chambers of Hueston Hennigan appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Describing the firm as boast[ing] “outstanding trial capabilities, drawing from a high-quality bench of litigators,” “Chambers noted “Hueston Hennigan is a different beast with a ridiculous reputation.” Market commentators described Hueston Hennigan as “an extraordinary firm full of incredibly talented practitioners and litigators” who “form excellent client relationships.” “They’re real trial lawyers,” says a client.
Chambers further proclaimed Hueston Hennigan as one of “the market’s strongest firms,” which consistently “punch[es] above their weight.”
Underscoring its culture, commitment to diversity and pledge to train the next generation of lawyers, Chambers also noted: “their commitment to diversity and inclusion initiatives is very strong.” “They pluck the best associates. They take the effort to train their young people effectively. They supervise them throughout and grow them into terrific lawyers.”
In addition to the firm rankings, the Hueston Hennigan lawyers below were also individually recognized.
John Hueston is “consistently recognized as one of the top trial attorneys in the country, with clients regularly turning to him for their most sophisticated commercial disputes.” He is described as “a lawyer of the highest caliber. He illustrates the perfect mix of incredible intelligence, extreme skillfulness and unwavering humbleness.” Chambers notes, “When it comes to trial lawyers, he is as good as it gets.” Mr. Hueston has earned Chambers’ highest recognitions including Band 1 (USA: Litigation – Trial Lawyers), Band 1 (CA: Commercial Litigation) and Star Individuals (CA: White Collar).
Moez Kaba is described as a “superstar and outstanding in his trial capabilities,” “an incredibly strong trial lawyer,” who is “terrific, outstanding and very good strategically,” and a “secret weapon.” Mr. Kaba’s “impressive…and strong reputation” as a “trial specialist,” garners him recognition as one of the best trial lawyers in the country (USA: Litigation – Trial Lawyers) and one of the best litigators in California (CA: Commercial Litigation). As Chambers succinctly put it, “he tries a lot of cases and wins, which is what it’s all about.”
Doug Dixon, ranked among the top Commercial Litigators in California, is described as “extremely smart, zealously meticulous in his preparation, and a fantastic advocate and negotiator for his client.” A client further noted that he is “a phenomenal litigator” with the “ability to distill into simple concepts the essence of a very complex case, and great advocacy skills that have led to an impressive record of trial successes.”
With an “eminent reputation in the marketplace,” Brian Hennigan is ranked among the top White Collar and Government Investigation attorneys in California. He is described as “a fabulous lawyer with phenomenal judgment. He is so effective in interacting with people and in the courtroom, he owns it. Clients trust him and judges love him.” “Talented and pragmatic – a real dean of the white collar bar.”
A former Assistant US Attorney in California’s Central District, Vicki Chou is “absolutely fantastic,” which garners her recognition as one of the best White Collar and Government Investigation attorneys in California. As a client proclaims, “Vicki is phenomenal. She is incredibly smart and a real people person – she is going to do great things.” “She is tenacious, engaging and hard charging,” said another.
Chambers ranks Rob Klieger as one of the top Media and Entertainment attorneys in California describing him as a “brilliant” lawyer whose “level of sophistication is very strong.”
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]]>The post Chou Recognized on List of Top 100 Lawyers appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Ms. Chou has been recognized as a rising star by multiple publications: Top White Collar Attorneys by the Daily Journal, 40 & Under Hot List by Benchmark Litigation, Women of Influence and Minority Leaders of Influence lists by the Los Angeles Business Journal, and one of only 20 recipients of National Asian Pacific American Bar Association’s (NAPABA) 2020 Best Under 40, a significant accomplishment as the field includes those in all areas of the law, including the judiciary, academia, and politics.
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]]>The post Rayburn and Woodin Named Top IP Lawyers appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>From medical devices to cellular technology and patents on machines, Ms. Woodin enjoys working on cases involving patents in different areas. “The fact that you’re interested in the technology and can understand it and work with the experts on it comes across to juries, and that ends up being persuasive,” said Ms. Woodin. Recently, she was instrumental in settling a six-year-old breach of contract action on the eve of trial between Beyond Meat and Don Lee Farms and she also helped bring in a mid-trial settlement of a patent infringement lawsuit for Ericsson against Apple. She is currently representing Match in its multidistrict litigation over Google’s dominance of Android app sales.
Click here to read Ms. Rayburn’s full profile.
Click here to read Ms. Woodin’s full profile.
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]]>The post Summary Judgment Win for Deloitte Consulting in False Claims Act Litigation appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>This case arose out of a large, multi-year project the City of San Diego began in 2014 to overhaul its enterprise asset management system. The City hired Deloitte to provide professional consulting services, including the implementation and integration of software designed by co-defendant SAP America, Inc. Plaintiff Thomas Rocco, a former SAP employee, alleged that Deloitte and SAP had violated numerous conflicts of interest laws and conspired to defraud the City of San Diego out of public funds. Rocco claimed, among other things, that Deloitte had billed the City for work it did not perform, exchanged illegal kickbacks with SAP, intentionally concealed conflicts of interest, and rigged the City’s bidding system in violation of California’s False Claims Act and Government Code 1090. Rocco sought to invalidate the contract between Deloitte Consulting and the City and obtain treble damages and fines in excess of $75 million.
We obtained early dismissal of Rocco’s sprawling complaint, winning three successive demurrers and obtaining dismissal with prejudice of all of Rocco’s claims against Deloitte in December 2019. On appeal, the California Court of Appeal affirmed dismissal with prejudice on all but one of Rocco’s theories against Deloitte – that Deloitte had billed the City of San Diego for GIS (geographic information systems) work that Deloitte did not perform. After remittitur, the case proceeded to discovery in the trial court where Hueston Hennigan defeated Rocco’s repeated attempts to revive allegations and theories that had been dismissed with prejudice.
On April 14, 2023, Orange County Superior Court Judge Kimberly A. Knill granted Hueston Hennigan’s motion for summary judgment on Rocco’s sole remaining claim, finding there is no evidence that Deloitte submitted false claims for payment to the City of San Diego. In addition, the court found that Rocco’s claim is barred by the False Claims Act’s public disclosure bar because he relied on documents obtained from public record act requests. The court’s order reflects a complete victory for Deloitte and maintains the integrity of its work on an important project for the City of San Diego.
The Hueston Hennigan team included John Hueston, Joseph Reiter, Ashley Artmann, and Zach Murray.
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]]>The post Chou and Haji Named “Women of Influence” appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The Los Angeles Business Journal’s “Women of Influence: Attorneys” list recognizes women for their “exceptional legal skill and achievement across the full spectrum of responsibility, exemplary leadership as evidenced by the highest professional and ethical standards, and for contributions to the Los Angeles community at large.”
Click here to view full profile.
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]]>The post Monster’s Injunction Drops Bomb On Bang’s ‘Super Creatine’ appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The permanent injunction requires the company for 30 days to post on any website or social media account it uses to promote Bang a corrective statement about the jury’s false advertising verdict and cease claiming in advertising and marketing that Bang contains creatine or “super creatine,” or provides any of the physical or mental health benefits associated with creatine.
“Defendants argue that VPX must continue to sell Super Creatine labeled cans because the destruction of its existing cans ‘would cause millions of dollars in losses, severely disrupt VPX’s supply lines and business relationships, and leave VPX unable to fill existing customer orders or meet consumer demands,” U.S. District Judge Jesus Bernal wrote in an order issuing the permanent injunction. “But defendants have brought on themselves these unfortunate consequences through their false advertising.”
John C. Hueston of Hueston Hennigan LLP, who represents Monster, said in a statement that the injunction “is another important victory for our client Monster in an effort to prevent further harm from Bang’s and its founder’s campaign of false statements that we brought to light during our hard-fought trial. Defendants are enjoined and must issue corrective statements to, as the court put it, ‘remedy lingering confusion caused by defendants’ past and ongoing deception.’”
Click here to read the entire article.
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]]>The post Litigation Leaders: Moez Kaba on Hueston Hennigan’s ‘Trial Lawyers Above All Else’ Approach and New York Expansion appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Litigation Leaders – Moez Kaba Q&A
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]]>The post With “High-Impact Heavy Trial Wins” and a “Deep Bench of Stars,” Hueston Hennigan Wins US Trial Firm of the Year and US Boutique of the Year appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>US Trial Firm of the Year
US Boutique Firm of the Year
California Firm of the Year
Benchmark commended Hueston Hennigan’s multi-year record of “high-impact heavy trial wins,” and noted that “to amplify its already national presence,” the firm has “recently launch a New York office to further is trial-forward agenda.”
After months of peer-and-client-review-based research and hundreds of submissions to review, Benchmark Litigation arrived at this year’s USA Awards. The awards recognize “the country’s most distinguished litigators and their firms for their exemplary work over the past twelve months. After months of peer review-based research and submission reviews, the Benchmark team set out to uncover the most impactful cases, the lawyers and law firms behind them, and the litigators who have paved the way.”
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]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Earns Two Top Verdicts Spots for 2022 appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Earns Two Top Verdicts Spots for 2022 appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Publishes Its 2022 Year in Review appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Click here to read the full report.
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]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Named National Trials Group of Year for Second Consecutive Year appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>“From the very founding of our firm, our philosophy has been we will always hire every talented person that we can,” said Moez Kaba, the firm’s new managing partner.
In September, a California federal jury awarded Monster Energy Co. nearly $293 million after finding Vital Pharmaceuticals Inc. and its CEO falsely advertised a “super creatine” ingredient in the Bang energy drink. The nine-person jury also found that Vital — which does business as VPX — and its CEO Jack Owoc acted willfully and deliberately in violating the federal Lanham Act by falsely advertising the health benefits of Bang.
VPX then filed for bankruptcy.
The California jury also ruled in Monster’s favor on several state law claims. The jury cleared Owoc of any liability on the contract claim, and he was not a defendant with respect to the trade secrets claim.
VPX went from an obscure company facing financial ruin in 2015 to the No. 3 energy drink company in the United States within a few years, but Monster convinced the jury that VPX’s meteoric rise was due largely to the false advertising of super creatine.
Owoc is the founder, CEO and sole owner of VPX, and much of the trial focused on his social media statements about the wonders of super creatine, which included his saying it can help people suffering from Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
Computer programmer Brent Tuominen, the jury’s foreperson, told Law360 that none of the jurors felt that super creatine was the equivalent of creatine. “The first question is: Is super creatine, or creatyl-L-Leucine — see, I can rattle these things off now — is it creatine?” Tuominen told Law360. “There was not anybody in the room at any point that said ‘yes’.”
It was Monster’s second nine-figure court win over Vital Pharmaceuticals this year under Hueston Hennigan’s guidance. In April, Monster and a small family-owned business called Orange Bang Inc. scored a $175 million trademark win in arbitration against VPX that also requires the company to pay $9.3 million in attorney fees.
Vital Pharmaceuticals must pay $175 million to disgorge the profits it made off the back of the Bang mark after it breached a years-old deal with Orange Bang, in which it agreed to use the mark only in relation to creatine-based sports beverages, according to a 25-page motion to confirm the arbitration award.
Hueston Hennigan also won an arbitration for investors in a vineyard that claimed their business partner, part of a storied Napa Valley wine family, had “bamboozled” them and was misappropriating revenue for his own uses. An arbitrator awarded $6 million and had the defendant “dissociated” from the vineyard, an “extraordinary remedy,” according to Hueston. During the two-week hearing, witnesses were put on live, but remotely from the courtroom that the firm has built in its office.
The firm also successfully defended Endo Pharmaceuticals in opioid litigation in California.
Printed with permission from Law360.
Trials Group Of The Year
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]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Attorneys Named to the Super Lawyers List appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Marshall A. Camp
Vicki Chou
Douglas J. Dixon
Padraic Foran
Brian J. Hennigan
John C. Hueston
Moez M. Kaba
Robert N. Klieger
Allison L. Libeu
Alison L. Plessman
Christy V. Rayburn
Andrew K. Walsh
John Hueston was also named to the lists of the “Top 100 Lawyers” and the “Top 50 Orange County Lawyers”.
Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. This selection process includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations.
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]]>The post Hueston and Dixon Named Leading Commercial Litigators appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The Daily Journal editors noted Doug Dixon’s focus on intellectual property law, white collar crime and general commercial disputes. He currently represents a leading online dating service Match Group LLC in a bet-the-company suit against Google accusing the tech giant of illegally monopolizing and exploiting the markets for the distribution of mobile apps for Android devises. “Google is engaging in business practices in its Play Store that harm developers and users by tacking on a service fee and requiring developers to use Google’s proprietary payment system so that Google gets a cut,” Dixon said. Editors also noted his recent victory for Amazon.com, obtaining summary judgement of non-infringement in a patent matter asserted by MasterObjects, a serial patent litigator.
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]]>The post Mishra Named Among Minority Leaders of Influence appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The Los Angeles Business Journal recognized influential professionals with minority backgrounds. The attorneys on this list are considered to be particularly impactful on the legal scene while serving as trusted advisors in the LA region.
Click here to view full profile.
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]]>Described by clients as “a fierce advocate” and “intensely brilliant at understanding the detail and complexity of the subject matter, while retaining a clear view of the big issues and impact on strategy,” Ms. Rayburn has a depth of experience in patent, copyright, and trade secret litigation at every stage. She recently obtained summary judgment of non-infringement in favor of Amazon.com against claims for patent infringement brought by serial patent litigant MasterObjects, Inc., and also won two trials and a Federal Circuit appeal in 2021. In early 2021, she won a $25 million trial victory for Acorn Technologies in a patent infringement case against Samsung relating to its semiconductor technology.
The Los Angeles Business Journal recognized leading business professionals in the region that are in their 40s.
Click here to view full profile.
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]]>The post Chou and Purpura Named Among Top White Collar Lawyers appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The Daily Journal editors noted Mike Purpura’s “wide range of matters” including, representing a high-profile sports entertainment executive who is being investigated by the SEC, the Department of Justice and the company board for allegedly paying at least $12 million to settle allegations of sexual misconduct, representing a company’s board of directors in an investigation and related litigation regarding allegations of sexual harassment at the company, and representing Pat Cipollone before the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, to name a few. Mr. Purpura has served as an adviser to two United States Presidents.
The list recognizes 28 of the very best white collar attorneys in California.
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]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Named Among Most Recommended Law Firms appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Earlier in the year, Hueston Hennigan was included – for the second year in a row – among the “Most Feared Law Firms in Litigation” in the United States.
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]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Receives National and Metropolitan Rankings by U.S. News & World Report appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Bet-the-Company Litigation
Commercial Litigation
Criminal Defense: White Collar
Litigation – Intellectual Property
Litigation – Securities
In addition, a number of lawyers were also recognized by Best Lawyers in America in the rankings released earlier in the year.
Best Lawyers include:
Marshall A. Camp
Vicki Chou
Douglas J. Dixon
Padraic Foran
Brian J. Hennigan
John C. Hueston
Moez M. Kaba
Robert N. Klieger
Allison Libeu
Harry A. Mittleman
Alison L. Plessman
Michael M. Purpura
Andrew Walsh
Best Lawyers: One to Watch include:
Michael Acquah
Brittani Jackson
Lauren McGrory Johnson
Sourabh Mishra
Rajan Trehan
The 2023 rankings incorporate more than 12.2 million evaluations of more than 115,000 individual leading lawyers from more than 22,000 firms. According to editors, achieving a tiered ranking in U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” signals a unique combination of quality law practice and breadth of legal expertise.
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]]>The post Complete Trial Victory for Prominent Napa Winery and Investors appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>On September 30, 2022, the arbitrator, retired federal judge Hon. Elizabeth D. Laporte, entered a 94-page final award that ruled for our clients on all claims and counterclaims between Amulet and Mr. Beckstoffer, awarded more than $5 million in damages, fees, and costs against Mr. Beckstoffer (in addition to approximately $1.3 million that he paid on the eve of trial), and ordered his dissociation from Amulet, thereby stripping him of any remaining rights to participate in the company’s management by virtue of his minority ownership interest. In her ruling, Judge Laporte found that Claimants proved by “clear and convincing evidence” that Mr. Beckstoffer “engaged in systematic, deliberate fraud, through ubiquitous and intentional misrepresentations and deceit,” including “serial lies to Claimants and Winery staff to cover up his fraud,” and even that Mr. Beckstoffer made statements during cross-examination at trial that Claimants proved to be false.
The Hueston Hennigan team includes John Hueston, Andrew Walsh, Marshall Camp, Samantha Schnier, Sourabh Mishra, Spencer Schmider and Zach Murray.
Media Coverage
San Francisco Chronicle
Daily Beast
Napa Valley Register
Eater
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]]>BTI Litigation Outlook 2023 is based solely on in-depth telephone interviews with leading legal decision makers. This research is independent and unbiased —no law firm or organization other than BTI sponsors this study. Each year, BTI reaches out to a strategically designed group of top legal decision makers at large organizations with $1 billion or more in revenue. BTI targets the decision makers in the industries who spend the most on legal affairs as well as thought leaders and innovative Chief Legal Officers. The survey also includes Chief Legal Operating Officers and business executives who hire and influence the selection and hiring of law firms.
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]]>The post Hueston Hennigan’s “Ascent Can Only Be Described as Astonishing” appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Benchmark analysis noted Hueston Hennigan is on “an ascent that can only be described as astonishing” … “is massively successful” … “with a client base [that] is remarkably diverse … with very little repeat business and virtually no ‘routine’ cases.”
“Hueston Hennigan doesn’t do the ‘cookie-cutter.’ They do really cool, cutting-edge work,” declared a peer, who goes on to confide, “I admit it makes me jealous, and I’m sure I’m not alone!”
Benchmark recognized partners, John Hueston and Moez Kaba, as two of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in the Country and two of the Top 20 Trial Lawyers in California.
John Hueston was acclaimed as “a trial trailblazer who has carved himself an enviable position even among others in the elite trial lawyer circuit.” “Hueston’s proven activity as lead counsel on a number of high-level appointments more than supports this near-unanimous acclaim.”
Moez Kaba, lauded as “accomplished,” “impressive” and “the youngest appointee to this prestigious list by some distance,” was praised as having “staked himself a position as another of the firm’s lead trial counsel on some of the firm’s most high-stakes disputes.”
Benchmark also commended Douglas Dixon for “generating a rising level of acclaim, with the work to support the accolades.” And Allison Libeu was hailed as an attorney “whose profile has been swiftly on the rise,” after winning “the largest-ever U.S. trademark award” (Reuters) for Monster Energy Company against rival beverage company Vital Pharmaceuticals, Inc. along with lead counsels John Hueston and Moez Kaba.
Individual lawyers also received individual recognitions are summarized below:
Marshall A. Camp, Litigation Star
Vicki Chou, Future Star
Douglas J. Dixon, Litigation Star
Brian Hennigan, Litigation Star
John C. Hueston, Top 100 Trial Lawyers in the Country, Top 20 Trial Lawyers in California, Litigation Star
Moez M. Kaba, Top 100 Trial Lawyers in the Country, Top 20 Trial Lawyers in California, Litigation Star
Robert N. Klieger, Litigation Star
Allison Libeu, Future Star
Christy Rayburn, 40 & Under Hot List
Joseph Reiter, 40 & Under Hot List
Hueston Hennigan also earned national – and State of California – tier 1 rankings in the General Commercial, White Collar, Securities and Entertainment practice areas.
Benchmark Litigation is the definitive guide to America’s leading litigation law firms and lawyers. Research is conducted through extensive interviews with litigators, dispute resolution specialists and their clients to identify the leading litigators and firms. During these interviews, we examine recent casework handled by law firms and ask individual litigators to provide their professional opinions on peers and practitioners within their jurisdiction or practice area.
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]]>The post Monster Wins $293M Verdict Against VPX In False Ad Trial appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The verdict is a devastating blow to Vital, whose attorney acknowledged in court recently that an adverse outcome could push the company into bankruptcy. It’s the second nine-figure court loss Vital suffered to Monster this year.
“We are grateful for the jury delivering what we believe is the largest Lanham Act jury trial award in U.S. history,” John C. Hueston of Hueston Hennigan LLP, who represents Monster, told Law360 after the verdict.
Moez M. Kaba of Hueston Hennigan told Law360 the purpose of the lawsuit was to “reveal that Vital Pharmaceuticals has been engaged in an at least seven-year long campaign of deception, and we believe that the jury’s resounding verdict combined with the $185 million from our earlier case against Vital Pharmaceuticals — which totals about half a billion dollars in recovery — really sends that message once and for all. We’re very proud of that and our whole team is really proud of that work.”
Vital, Owoc and their counsel declined to comment.
The jury also ruled in Monster’s favor on several state law claims, finding that VPX stole trade secrets and interfered with Monster’s contracts over shelf space with some major retailers. The jury cleared Owoc of any liability on the contract claim, and he was not a defendant with respect to the trade secrets claim.
The jury awarded Monster $271,924,174 for the Lanham Act claim — the full amount Monster asked for — and awarded only slightly less than what Monster sought on the state law claims. Earlier in the week, Monster asked the jury for a total of $297 million.
Under the Lanham Act, the court can order disgorgement of ill-gotten profits as well as an award of treble damages, which is typically premised on a finding of willfulness. U.S. District Judge Jesus Bernal oversaw the trial and will rule on any enhanced damages and disgorgement at a later date.
The jury also found that VPX is liable for potential punitive damages on the state law claims. Following the verdict, VPX attorney David P. Muth of Quarles & Brady LLP waived the company’s right to have the jury decide the punitive damages in favor of allowing Judge Bernal to do so following briefing on the issue.
VPX went from an obscure company facing financial ruin in 2015 to the No. 3 energy drink company in the United States within a few short years, according to evidence presented at trial. But Monster convinced the jury that VPX’s meteoric rise was due largely to the false advertising of super creatine, which VPX touted as offering enormous health benefits.
Monster hinged its false advertising damages theory on a survey that found about one in five cans of Bang sold would go to Monster beverages if super creatine were removed or if Bang buyers were more informed about the amount of super creatine in each can.
The survey concluded Monster lost $271.9 million in profits since 2015 due to the false advertising of super creatine, while VPX made $173 million in profits.
According to Monster’s 2018 lawsuit, super creatine offers none of the benefits of traditional creatine, which bodybuilders and athletes take to enhance performance and muscle strength and is believed to improve brain function. Creatine is not water-soluble and is generally sold in powder form, but Vital claimed to have solved the problem in 2015 with the water-soluble super creatine it puts in Bang, according to Monster.
Owoc is the founder, CEO and sole owner of VPX, and much of the trial focused on his own statements in social media videos and other posts about the wonders of super creatine, which included his saying it can help people suffering from Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s, as well as build muscle and improve overall brain function.
Monster alleged these statements were key to Bang’s success because the company never used traditional advertising such as television or magazine ads, but rose to prominence through social media as well as direct marketing pitches to retailers and distributors that were laced with false claims about super creatine.
No studies were ever shown to the jury by VPX backing up its past claims about the benefits of super creatine, while studies conducted by Monster and presented to the jury concluded super creatine is a useless ingredient that does not increase creatine levels in the body.
Computer programmer Brent Tuominen served as the jury’s foreperson and told Law360 that none of the jurors felt that super creatine was the equivalent of creatine.
“The first question is: Is super creatine, or creatyl L-Leucene — see I can rattle these things off now — is it creatine?” Tuominen told Law360. “There was not anybody in the room at any point that said ‘yes’.”
A highlight of the trial was Owoc’s two-day appearance on the witness stand, where he verbally sparred with Monster’s counsel and had much of his testimony stricken from the record.
Owoc often appeared to contradict himself, telling the jury super creatine is “by far” the greatest invention in the history of supplements, but is not responsible in any way for Bang’s success. He also said no studies are needed to prove super creatine’s effectiveness because it is a combination of the creatine molecule and the leucine molecule, both of which have been studied on their own. But he also suggested some studies are in the works.
He also insisted that he is a scientist despite holding no scientific academic degrees.
Owoc was often aggressive and pugnacious with Hueston, broadly accusing him of committing a “fraud on the court” when asked to read from documents or witness testimony without being allowed to read the entire document out loud. The comments were frequently stricken by Judge Bernal, who lectured him that he as judge decides “what is and is not against the law.”
Many of the jurors often did not look directly at Owoc during his testimony, appearing uncomfortable with his attitude. At one point Owoc directly implored the jurors to “look at me” as he made a direct pitch to them, and some appeared to reluctantly turn their heads before looking away when he was finished speaking.
Tuominen said he would describe Owoc as “entertaining” but that his personality didn’t impact the jury’s deliberations much.
VPX and Owoc suffered several unfavorable rulings about admissible evidence both before and during the trial, which hamstrung their ability to counter the scientific results presented by Monster’s witnesses.
Unable to present a study Judge Bernal ruled inadmissible because it was brought forward far after a deadline, VPX was left in the position of having to criticize the Monster studies while also pulling out elements from them that could be seen as favorable to VPX.
The trial is part of an increasingly bitter series of legal disputes that have broken out in the past few years between Monster and VPX, another chapter of which opened in Florida last month when Vital filed a suit of its own against Monster, asserting Monster ignored reports of “hazardous” ingredients and engaged in “trademark bullying.”
VPX lost trade dress claims in 2021 following a trial against Monster over claims Monster copied Bang’s design with a “knockoff” version of Bang called Reign. In April, Monster and a small family-owned business called Orange Bang Inc. also scored a $175 million trademark win in arbitration against VPX which also requires Vital to pay $9.3 million in attorney fees.
Reprinted with permission from Law360.
Law360 – Monster Wins $293M Verdict Against VPX In False Ad Trial
Media Coverage:
Reuters
Bloomberg Law
BevNET.com
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]]>The post Amazon Beats Patent Claims After Alsup ‘Misstated’ Its Motion appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Click here to read the entire Law360 article.
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]]>The post Hueston and Kaba Repeat on List of Top 100 Lawyers appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>“It’s been both exhilarating and exhausting, but, as I tell my colleagues, if you are to be real trial lawyers, you have to go to trial,” noted Moez Kaba. Mr. Kaba has tried four cases to verdict or judgment and prevailed in each.
Mr. Hueston and Mr. Kaba, as co-lead counsel for Monster, won a landmark
$175 million verdict plus 5% annual royalties and $10 million in attorney fees on counterclaims in a trademark showdown with the maker of a rival beverage known as Bang. The “big judgment” was upheld by a federal court, and will yield an “additional $40 million each year.”
Earlier in the year, Mr. Hueston and Mr. Kaba were lead counsel representing Endo Pharmaceuticals in California’s $50 billion statewide false advertising and unfair competition action against the makers of prescription painkillers.
“Our overall strategy from the start was to try to move the focus beyond the question of ‘Is there an opioid crisis,’” noted Mr. Hueston. “By the final closing argument, we had reduced the plaintiff’s case to a mere 11 Endo documents with alleged false statements out of millions produced.
A turning point was Mr. Kaba’s cross-examination of the government’s star witness,
Dr. Anna Lembke, regarding her opinions about allegedly false and misleading marketing. “Through cross examination, we were able to get her to admit that Endo extensively disclosed risks, that Endo faithfully, adhered to its FDA-approved label and that her issue was not with Endo’s marketing but rather with the FDA’s decision to allow opioid medications in the first place.”
The list recognizes the very best California attorneys who have made an impact on the law and society within the last year. Mr. Hueston has been named to the prestigious list for over a decade, and Mr. Kaba has been on the list for six consecutive years.
Click here to read Mr. Hueston’s full profile.
Click here to read Mr. Kaba’s full profile.
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]]>Their Biggest Accomplishment Over the Past Year:
The duo’s back-to-back trials were, in themselves, a feat, they said. This summer, a California federal court confirmed an arbitration award that Hueston and Kaba won for Monster Energy Co., the energy drink maker.
Monster and a small company that sells a sweetened orange drink under the name Orange Bang had brought a dispute against the maker of Bang energy drinks, Vital Pharmaceuticals Inc. In 2010, Orange Bang Inc. settled a trademark fight with Vital, and Vital agreed to use the name “Bang” only for drinks with the amino acid creatine or drinks meant for stores’ nutritional supplement sections.
An arbitrator agreed Vital had breached the decade-old agreement and ordered it to pay $175 million to Orange Bang, plus a 5% quarterly royalty. Monster helped fund the litigation.
The trial came right after a landmark opioid case, and in that respect, “The quick sequencing of the trials has forced us to institutionalize what we think is our unique preparation and approach to trials,” Hueston said. They “bring along our associates on a fast learning curve [so they] know how outlines should be prepared and at what point,” among other skills, he said.
Other Notable Cases They Worked On:
Immediately before the Bang case, they represented Endo Pharmaceuticals in an opioid case that was of equal importance to them. A judge eventually found that four California communities failed during the landmark 2021 trial to show that four drugmakers, including Endo, were liable for an epidemic of opioid abuse. The Orange County judge rejected allegations that the companies created a “public nuisance” by flooding the communities with opioids. It was a long and grueling case, but Kaba said, “You focus entirely all of your energy on the case at hand and give it all you got.”
Hueston said it was never a given that they would be able to prevail. “It was a $50 billion action that, frankly, everybody thought — except for us and the client — that we would lose,” he said.
Their Advice for Less Experienced Lawyers:
Kaba said the most important thing is not to be afraid to find your voice in the courtroom.
“If you want to be a trial lawyer, you have to get up” and speak, Kaba said.
He added, “Take on the challenging legal issues, the challenging witnesses. It’s time-consuming, but it is the most rewarding way to develop your skills.”
He said that over the last year, more than half of the firm’s associates have “had speaking roles at trials, which is obviously everything we stand for.”
Their Biggest Challenge of the Last Year:
The two also said that being methodical but also ready to pivot whenever the need arises is difficult but central. Sometimes it means stepping away from family obligations or changing on the fly in a hearing with a judge.
Sometimes it even means departing one trial while it’s going on and coming back to it later. During the California opioid trial, Hueston actually had to leave for a week to go to Texas and work on an intellectual property trial.
“We made it work, and we won the trial in Texas, and I was able to rejoin,” Hueston said, coming back to relieve Kaba of the additional work he had taken on during what Hueston called the “biggest challenge of not just my last year but probably last 10 years.”
Reprinted with permission from Law360.
Law360 – Trials MVP: John Hueston and Moez Kaba
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]]>The post Reiter Named Among Lawyers on The Fast Track appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The California Legal Awards celebrate the achievements of lawyers and companies leading technology, innovation and the profession as a whole.
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]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Selected for Bet-the-Company Litigation appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Mr. Hueston was also selected as a “Lawyer of the Year” for his work in bet-the-company litigation. This designation is only awarded to a single lawyer in a specific practice area and location.
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. The methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services.
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]]>The post Rising Stars Named Ones to Watch appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Michael Acquah
Brittani Jackson
Lauren McGrory Johnson
Sourabh Mishra
Rajan Trehan
Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch awards recognize extraordinary lawyers who have been in private practice for less than 10 years in the United States. Like traditional Best Lawyers awards, a Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch recognition is based entirely on peer review.
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]]>The post Hueston and Reiter Named Finalists by The American Lawyer appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The American Lawyer announced the finalists for its annual Industry Awards, selecting from more than 700 submissions to find those lawyers, business professionals, law firms, and organizations that are elevating the profession to new heights.
Click here to view the complete list of finalists.
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]]>Botta sued PwC and seven of its partners, claiming he was fired and retaliated against for filing a whistleblower complaint with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission accusing PwC of misconduct. But a California federal judge dismissed his suit, finding that Botta failed to link his complaint to the SEC with his firing.
But the work is far from over for the legal titans for the rest of 2022; Hueston Hennigan has about half a dozen trials left to go, a number that founding partner John C. Hueston said shows a “historically busy trial cycle for the firm.”
“Our goal by the end of this year is to complete a record run of trials and have everyone’s health intact,” he said. “This is a hallmark of our work. Clients come to us with matters they really think will go to trial, and that’s why I keep telling our firm, let’s emphasize the numbers because it’s easy to talk, but we’re actually walking the walk.”
Founded in 2015, Hueston Hennigan started off with only about a dozen attorneys. Since then, the firm has grown to 72 on staff, with offices in Los Angeles and Newport Beach.
Looking back nearly a decade ago as the firm’s founding partners were on the verge of launching their own shop, the group was confident in what they were about to build, said partner Moez M. Kaba.
“It’s been terrific to see how things have come together, and continue coming together,” he said. “The best piece of advice I would’ve given myself then would be to take on challenging opportunities to develop your skills as a trial lawyer.”
Added Hueston: “You’ll never get to the top of your profession unless you’re willing to have confidence in yourself and take risks as entrepreneurs — and even with your reputation. With skills and development, you can succeed at the highest level of practice.”
From the start, the founding partners had a vision of launching a national boutique focused not only on building a powerhouse team of formidable trial attorneys, but also molding and mentoring younger associates to become skilled courtroom litigators, ready to face off against anyone on the other side of the table.
The goal was to be the go-to, premier trial firm with a diverse practice, covering corporate, contracts, intellectual property, white collar, business litigation and more.
“Every one of our cases is truly a team effort,” said Kaba. “Everyone leaves it all out there. We leave nothing behind.”
It’s that attitude that served the firm well in its crusade on behalf of its highest-profile clients in the last year, from Monster Energy and PwC to Kaiser Permanente and Endo Pharmaceuticals.
Hueston Hennigan represented Monster in a massive April arbitration victory on behalf of Monster and Orange Bang, which accused sports supplement and drink maker Vital Pharmaceuticals of ripping off the “Bang” trademark for energy drinks, in violation of a prior agreement between Orange Bang and Vital.
Monster agreed to help Orange Bang defend its rights in exchange for half of any recovery. In April, an arbitrator awarded Monster and Orange Bang $175 million plus a 5% future royalty.
“In order to be a credible trial firm, you must have teams that truly relish going to trial,” Kaba said. “It helps bring a focus to the case, ask the right questions, and zero in on the things that will matter most to prevail in front of a judge, jury or some other fact-finder. It brings both discipline and creativity to our cases that we think sets us apart.”
Hueston Hennigan’s big break with Endo Pharmaceuticals came in 2018, when the company selected it over other top-notch firms to do some national trial work. Endo eventually tapped the firm as the counsel of record for a $50 billion state court bench trial in which Endo, Johnson & Johnson, Teva Pharmaceuticals and Allergan PLC were accused of creating a “public nuisance” by causing the opioid crisis.
Last November, after a monthslong bench trial, Orange County Superior Court Judge Peter J. Wilson ruled that the city of Oakland and the counties of Orange, Los Angeles and Santa Clara failed to prove an actionable public nuisance for which Endo and the three other drugmakers were liable. The decision was finalized in December.
“We were by far the smallest firm, and we were very grateful for the confidence,” Hueston said. “Frankly, everyone was betting this was a case that couldn’t be won, but we knew this could be won with the right approach to the facts and the law.”
The entire team was focused and remained aggressive throughout the long, complex trial, and it crafted a narrative to tell the story from the company’s point of view of why prescription pain medication was critical in the health care industry, and how Endo’s conduct didn’t fit within any of the elements required to establish a public nuisance, Kaba said.
The opioid litigation taught the firm some crucial lessons.
“John has a saying that we’ve lived by in all of our trials, which is: ‘We’ve got to go out there and try to win every day,’” Kaba said. “So what I tell our team is that even on the day the other side gets their key witness on the stand, we still try to win that day.”
Also in November, the firm secured a victory for ClearOne in its long-running spat with competitor Shure in an infringement dispute relating to a microphone array that uses a ceiling tile to deliver audio through an acoustically transparent outer surface, which allows the technology to be mostly out of sight.
A Delaware federal jury ultimately ruled that ClearOne didn’t infringe the patent owned by Shure, while also concluding that the entire patent wasn’t valid to begin with.
That same month, Hueston Hennigan helped Kaiser defeat emergency attempts to block its COVID-19 vaccination policy for its staff, more than 4,000 of whom fought against the enforcement of the policy, which terminated those that didn’t get the vaccine or receive an exemption.
As soon as the court rejected the employees’ petition seeking emergency relief, Hueston Hennigan moved to dismiss, and the employees subsequently dropped their suit.
Hueston Hennigan’s work extends beyond the private sector. In January 2021, it made a $10 million pledge when it launched the Social Justice Legal Foundation, a separate entity that focuses on public work, criminal justice reform and civil rights, representing children of undocumented immigrants, members of the LGBTQIA community, victims of police misconduct, and more.
When asked what the future holds for Hueston Hennigan, Hueston and Kaba both expressed excitement about the firm’s advocacy for its clients and litigating their most challenging cases. They emphasized the importance of growing nationally while attracting and mentoring the best and brightest attorneys and law clerks.
“We hope to continue what we’ve been doing, and to keep doing it at the highest levels,” Kaba said.
“We wanted to be one of the leading national trial firms, and we feel we rang the bell regionally from the start,” Hueston added. “We’ve been very excited and grateful to our clients for coming to the West Coast with their most important cases. Our next step is to make that national footprint more concrete.”
Reprinted with permission from Law360.
Law360 – California Powerhouse Hueston Hennigan
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]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Files Amicus Brief with the US Supreme Court in Support of Affirmative Action appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>“Our brief argued that diversity in the military officer corps is essential to national security, and that all officers benefit from attending colleges or service academies that maintain a diverse student body,” said Michael Purpura.
Among our clients are four former Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs (one from each service), multiple former Superintendents of the Nation’s service academies (West Point, Annapolis, and Air Force), Congressional Medal of Honor winner and former Senator Bob Kerrey, and Admiral William McRaven, who was Commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command at the time of the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
The Hueston Hennigan team included Michael Purpura, Moez Kaba, Segun Babatunde, and Amber Munoz.
Brief of Amici Curiae Former Military Leaders
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]]>#6 Best Litigation Boutique Law Firms
#6 Best Midsize Law Firms for Compensation
#13 Most Selective Midsize Law Firms
Associates commended Hueston Hennigan for “challenging work and early responsibility” and “top-of-market compensation.”
Vault’s 2023 Rankings are derived from Vault’s Annual Associate Survey conducted from March 2022 through May 2022.
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]]>The post Three Partners Named to Benchmark’s 40 and Under Hot List appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Attorneys named to the 2022 publication were chosen through several phases of research: namely, the review of their recent case work, peer review in which we consider how attorneys at peer legal institutions might rank them, and a consideration of client feedback on their performances. These attorneys, though young, have established themselves in their respective fields and are set to enjoy bright futures.
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]]>The post Camp and Chou Named Among Top Litigators & Trial Lawyers appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Ms. Chou is a key member of Hueston Hennigan’s White Collar and Investigations teams. She is a seasoned trial and appellate attorney and recently served as a deputy chief in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Central District of California. Editors noted Ms. Chou’s “outstanding reputation for her public sector work.”
The Los Angeles Business Journal recognizes the region’s most outstanding litigators as “Leaders of Influence: Litigators & Trial Lawyers in Los Angeles.” These are the lawyers you want in your corner in court.
Click here to view full profile.
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]]>The post Purpura Represents Former White House Counsel Pat Cipollone before House Jan. 6 Committee appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>“We negotiated to have his subpoena withdrawn because the executive branch has taken the position for decades that close advisers to the president are not subject to compelled testimony by Congress,” said Mr. Purpura. “Through a lot of hard work and a lot of negotiation with the committee, we were able to solve the problem and still be sensitive to Pat’s role as a lawyer. We protected the direct advice that he gave to his client.”
As noted in the National Law Journal, “Cipollone was present for many of the key events under investigation by the select committee and has been portrayed at the committee’s public hearings as someone who resisted Trump’s more extreme plans to reverse his election defeat.”
National Law Journal
Daily Journal (subscription required)
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]]>The post Court Confirms $175 Million “Blockbuster” Trademark Win appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Moez Kaba, co-lead counsel, added to Law360, “Arbitrator Isaacs took great care with both the factual issues and the law.”
After a weeks-long trial in April 2022, an arbitrator found, in a 177-page ruling, that Bang Energy does not contain creatine, contrary to VPX’s prominent and false claims. In the significant ruling, the arbitrator awarded Monster and Orange Bang $175 million in damages, nearly $10 million in attorney’s fees and costs, and a 5% royalty on all future sales of Bang Energy (and other Bang products).
The Hueston Hennigan trial team was co-led by John Hueston and Moez Kaba, along with Allison Libeu, and includes Lauren McGrory Johnson, Sourabh Mishra, Brandon Marsh, Michael Todisco, Julia Haines, Justin Greer, Segun Babatunde, and Amber Munoz.
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]]>The post Talented Lawyers Named 2022 Southern California Rising Stars appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Michael Acquah
Michael Behrens
Sara Haji
Brittani Jackson
Lauren Johnson
Sourabh Mishra
Christy V. Rayburn
Joe Reiter
Michael Todisco
Rajan Trehan
We are incredibly proud of this group who are indicative of the young lawyers who are working on cutting-edge litigation for the world’s leading companies.
To be eligible, a candidate must be either 40 years old or younger, or in practice for 10 years or less. While up to 5% of the lawyers in the state are named to Super Lawyers, no more than 2.5% are named to the Rising Stars list.
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]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Attorneys Named to the Super Lawyers List appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Marshall A. Camp
Vicki Chou
Douglas J. Dixon
Padraic Foran
Brian J. Hennigan
John C. Hueston
Robert N. Klieger
Allison L. Libeu
Alison L. Plessman
Andrew K. Walsh
John Hueston was also named to the lists of the “Top 100 Lawyers” and the “Top 50 Orange County Lawyers”.
Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. This selection process includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations.
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]]>The post Walsh and Reiter Named to the List of 2022 Visionaries appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Mr. Reiter, recently recognized by Law360 as a Rising Star, is counsel on many of the firm’s highest-profile trials, having played a key role in six trial/arbitration victories to date. Editors noted Mr. Reiter’s recent trial victories for PricewaterhouseCoopers in a closely watched federal whistleblower retaliation trial; a $25 million federal jury verdict for Acorn Technologies against Samsung for patent infringement; and Amazon.com in a high-profile and consequential breach-of-contract and tortious interference suit brought by eBay.
The Los Angeles Times B2B Publishing team select 81 of the very best thought leaders and power brokers in the legal space in Southern California.
Click here to view Mr. Walsh’s profile.
Click here to view Mr. Reiter’s profile.
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]]>The post Legal 500: Hueston Hennigan’s “Phenomenal Trial Attorneys” “Carry Tremendous Gravitas with the Court” appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>“Phenomenal trial attorneys”
“Carry tremendous gravitas with the court”
“Trial focus. They start with the end in mind”
“Steel trap minds”
“Every member of the Hueston Hennigan team has a deep well of relevant experience in governmental investigations, and that experience informs how they direct corporate responses to inquiries”
“Every member of the team is talented and hard working; those at the top of the team are all leaders, either innate leaders or those who the firm developed”
Brian Hennigan was selected to the Legal 500 “Hall of Fame” for Investigations and White Collar Defense. John Hueston was recognized as a Leading Lawyer for both Commercial Litigation and White Collar Defense. Vicki Chou was also recognized among the next generation of partners.
Marshall Camp, Doug Dixon, Padraic Foran, Brittani Jackson, Moez Kaba, Rob Klieger, Allison Libeu, Mike Purpura, Christy Von der Ahe Rayburn, and Joe Reiter were also included as key lawyers.
The Legal 500 Series, now in its 35th year, is widely acknowledged as the world’s largest legal referral guide. More than 300,000 buyers of legal services are surveyed and interviewed globally each year.
The Legal 500 is an independent guide, and firms and individuals are recommended purely on merit. It is the only guide to truly reflect the needs of corporate counsel by focusing on the strength in depth of the teams (practice and associates) rather than simply list individual partners.
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]]>The post Navajo Nation Recovers More Than $40 Million to Date For Historic Gold King Mine Spill Disaster with Latest USEPA Settlement appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Last year, on behalf of the Navajo Nation, we won a motion for sanctions against the USEPA for destroying evidence. To date, Hueston Hennigan has recovered $41 million dollars on behalf of the Navajo Nation, and trial is set for November 2022 against two USEPA contractors.
“This settlement is an important victory for the Navajo Nation and holds the United States accountable for its role in causing this disaster,” said Hueston Hennigan partner Andrew K. Walsh. “It is the most significant step yet in our commitment to obtain full and fair compensation for the Navajo Nation.”
The Hueston Hennigan team includes John Hueston, Moez Kaba, Andrew Walsh, Joseph Crusham, Shannon Coit, Lauren McGrory Johnson, Sara Haji, Justin Greer, Spencer Schmider, and Kelsey Dayton.
Media Coverage
Navajo Nation Press Release
Law360
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]]>The post Reiter Named “Rising Star” for Trials by Law360 appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Mr. Reiter also discussed the complete defense verdict he secured for PricewaterhouseCoopers against a whistleblower who had reported to the SEC. “I think we disproved the plaintiff’s narrative and completely flipped it on its head,” Mr. Reiter said. PwC “had, in fact, encouraged the plaintiff to raise any concerns,” and Hueston Hennigan was able to “vindicate the reputation of a client who had had these horrible things alleged.”
When asked what motivates him, Mr. Reiter said “first and foremost, delivering results” for his clients. He went on to say that clients place a great deal of trust in the firm, and he aims to exceed their expectations, especially “when reputation and significant exposure is on the line.”
Mr. Reiter also likes working with “some of the best trial lawyers in the country,” and says he finds the “the intensity and high stakes [of trial] enlivening.” “When you’re in trial, you’re singularly focused on winning the case before you,” he said. “That gives me an adrenaline rush that I think brings out my best work.”
A team of Law360 editors selected the 2022 Rising Stars winners after reviewing more than 1,350 submissions. Attorneys had to be under 40 as of April 30, 2022, to be eligible for this year’s award.
Click here to read full article.
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]]>The post Chambers: Hueston Hennigan “Expert Trial Lawyers” Praised as a “Go-To for Hard Trial Cases” appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Chambers further described Hueston Hennigan as a “high-caliber litigation platform with powerhouse white collar criminal defense credentials.”
John Hueston is “consistently recognized as one of the top trial attorneys in the country, with clients regularly turning to him for their most sophisticated commercial disputes.” Mr. Hueston has earned Chambers’ highest recognitions including Band 1 (USA: Litigation – Trial Lawyers), Band 1 (CA: Commercial Litigation) and Star Individuals (CA: White Collar). “John is a highly skilled trial lawyer – he’s so convincing and persuasive and his cross-examinations are outstanding.” “John is devastatingly savvy and effective. He’s a special blend of superior intellect, intuition, incisiveness, courtroom artistry, energy, practicality, fair-mindedness, and determination.” “John is the best trial lawyer I’ve ever worked with.”
Chambers likewise recognizes Moez Kaba as a leading, go-to trial lawyer: “The term ‘steel trap mind’ was coined for Moez. There’s nobody quicker or more consistently on the money when complex judgment calls need to be made.” “Moez is one the best litigators I have worked with. His legal skills are only surpassed by his professionalism. He’s strategic, agile, creative, and a master in the courtroom.” “He’s highly skilled on paper and is a very versatile trial lawyer.”
Chambers describes Brian Hennigan, as possessing “a wealth of experience in high-stakes criminal enforcement matters and advises clients on white collar matters ranging from antitrust and False Claims actions to fraud.” “He is one of the best lawyers I have ever worked with. He’s thoughtful, sensible, wise and creative.”
Vicki Chou “enjoys a burgeoning reputation for her role in representing clients facing major enforcement actions, with clients benefiting from her significant experience in bet-the-company litigation matters and her prosecutorial experience as an Assistant US Attorney in California’s Central District.” A client noted, “if there’s anything coming out of Central District, she is all over it and understands it implicitly.”
Chambers’ feedback describes Rob Klieger as having a highly respected litigation practice, which sees him handle high-stakes profit participation, intellectual property and contract disputes. Clients noted “he is a dynamo who works very hard and is committed to his clients.”
Chambers Research is conducted by 200 Research Analysts, across 200 jurisdictions and provides nearly 6,000 rankings tables. Annually they collect hundreds of thousands of responses from clients, the majority via in-depth interview. Hueston Hennigan’s rankings are available, here.
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]]>The post Plessman and Libeu Repeat on List of Top Women Lawyers appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Allison Libeu focuses her practice on complex civil litigation with a niche specialty in the “corporate divorce” arena, which typically involves disputes between the founders or owners of a business. She noted that “Hueston Hennigan takes on complex cases, whatever the topic.” Editors noted her successful representation of Monster Energy Co, recently winning $175 million plus royalties in one of the largest-ever U.S. trademark arbitration awards. “The big award came after Libeu cross-examined Vital Pharmaceutical’s damages expert and obtained critical admissions about his methodology that undercut his opinions and agreed with her disgorgement and royalty theories.” Editors also noted her successful representation of baby products manufacturer Hello Bello in a trademark dispute with a company named Hello Products.
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]]>The post Plessman Recognized Among “Top 100 Lawyers” appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The Los Angeles Business Journal highlighted the region’s outstanding legal community by recognizing Los Angeles’ top 100 lawyers for their legal achievements, community involvement and impacts on the profession. The Top 100 lawyers have demonstrated exceptional legal skill and achievements across the full spectrum of responsibility, exemplary leadership and contributions to the Los Angeles community at large.
Click here to view full profile.
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]]>The post Match Accuses Google Of ‘Extortionate’ Fees In Antitrust Suit appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>“Ten years ago, Match Group was Google’s partner,” the lawsuit says. “We are now its hostage.”
The suit claims Google has promoted Android as being an “open” ecosystem, but over time it’s forced app developers such as Match to agree to collusive one-sided agreements that require them to distribute their apps through the Google Play Store using the Google Play Billing service.
Visit Law360 to read the full article.
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]]>The post Plessman and Chou Repeat as “Women of Influence” appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>“A recognized rising star” and one of the “brightest litigators across the US,” Ms. Chou is a partner and a key member of the White Collar and Investigations team. She is a seasoned trial and appellate attorney and served as a Deputy Chief in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Central District of California. Since joining Hueston Hennigan, Ms. Chou has been involved with developing strategies related to many of the firm’s complex and high-profile cases. She has been recognized as a rising star by multiple publications: Top White Collar Attorneys by the Daily Journal, 40 & Under Hot List by Benchmark Litigation, Women of Influence and Minority Leaders of Influence lists by the Los Angeles Business Journal, and one of only 20 recipients of National Asian Pacific American Bar Association’s (NAPABA) 2020 Best Under 40, a significant accomplishment as the field includes those in all areas of the law, including the judiciary, academia, and politics.
The Los Angeles Business Journal’s “Women of Influence: Attorneys” list recognizes women for their “exceptional legal skill and achievement across the full spectrum of responsibility, exemplary leadership as evidenced by the highest professional and ethical standards, and for contributions to the Los Angeles community at large.”
Click here to view full profile.
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]]>The post Dixon and Rayburn Named Top IP Lawyers appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>“Trials are about organizing facts around a memorable story,” Dixon explained. “Asking the inventor to describe the process that led to that ‘eureka’ moment when he or she discovered something novel, something new, helps humanize and dramatize what can often be complex technology in a very memorable way.”
Rayburn—who participated in both the Acorn and ClearOne trials—credits “a lifelong ability to translate issues that people might not understand into plain English, to explain things in simple terms” and a mechanical engineering degree from Stanford University as assets in representing clients in intellectual property litigation.
Daily Journal editors noted the multi-district battle between ClearOne and Shure, describing it as a “David and Goliath story.” In a related case in the Northern District of Illinois, Rayburn was able to show, before trial, that Shure likely infringed a ClearOne patent, thus obtaining a preliminary injunction, something rare in patent litigation. ClearOne then obtained a contempt finding against Shure for Shure’s violation of that preliminary injunction and had that contempt finding upheld on appeal before the Federal Circuit.
The list recognizes the very best intellectual property attorneys in California who have made an impact on the law and society within the last year.
Christy Von der Ahe Rayburn profile
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]]>The post Rayburn and Haines Author Article on Willful Patent Infringements appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>To read the full article, click here. (Subscription required).
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]]>The post Three-Time “California Trial Firm of the Year” Hueston Hennigan Cited as “Gold Star Litigation Boutique” with “Yearly Streak of High-Profile Trial Wins” appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>For the third consecutive year: California Trial Firm of the Year
For the fourth consecutive year: Los Angeles Firm of the Year
Impact Case of the Year: eBay v. Amazon.com
John Hueston was also honored with the following awards:
Hall of Fame
California Trial Lawyer of the Year (second consecutive year)
Los Angeles Litigator of the Year (third consecutive year)
The Benchmark Litigation awards recognizes “the country’s most distinguished litigators and their firms for their exemplary work over the past twelve months. After months of peer review-based research and submission reviews, the Benchmark team set out to uncover the most impactful cases, the lawyers and law firms behind them, and the litigators who have paved the way.”
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]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Wins $175M, Fees & Royalty, One of the Largest-Ever U.S. Trademark Awards appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>In awarding nearly $185 million and a 5% royalty on future sales to Monster and Orange Bang, the arbitrator noted that VPX’s conduct was intentional: “there was plenty of convincing evidence of VPX’s cavalier attitude about adhering” to the terms of the agreement. The arbitrator further noted that Mr. Owoc demonstrated a “cavalier indifference” to his contractual obligations.
“The arbitrator found overwhelming evidence that Bang violated both the contract and trademark law. This is an important and significant victory,” explained co-lead counsel Moez Kaba to Law360.
The significance of the 5% royalty on future sales awarded by the arbitrator is underscored by a recent social media post by Mr. Owoc claiming that VPX’s sales grew to $1.57 billion in 2021. If VPX fails to pay the royalty, it can only market and sell Bang products in vitamin and dietary supplement sections, and it cannot use the Bang mark at all within 12 states, including California, Texas, and New York.
The Hueston Hennigan trial team was led by John Hueston and Moez Kaba, and includes Allison Libeu, Lauren McGrory Johnson, Sourabh Mishra, Brandon Marsh, Michael Todisco, Julia Haines, Justin Greer, Segun Babatunde, and Amber Munoz.
Media Coverage:
Reuters
Law360
Daily Journal (subscription required)
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]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Publishes Its 2021 Year in Review appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Click here to read the full report.
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]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Earns Top Verdicts Spot appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>After a four-month bench trial, Judge Peter J. Wilson found no actionable public nuisance or false or misleading claims by the defendants.
“We convinced the judge that to find nuisance you have to find an underlying bad act, and that proved the plaintiff’s downfall. It’s not enough to show there’s an opioid crisis,” said John Hueston to the Daily Journal.
The win was hailed as “giv[ing] drug companies their first major victory in the litigation brought by cities and counties across the country over the opioid crisis,” American Lawyer.
Daily Journal – Top Verdicts Profile
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]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Shortlisted for Benchmark Litigation US Awards appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>These awards recognize the country’s most distinguished litigators and their firms for their exemplary work over the past twelve months. After months of peer review-based research and submission reviews, the Benchmark team set out to uncover the most impactful cases, the lawyers and law firms behind them, and the litigators who have paved the way.
The awards ceremony will take place on April 7 in San Francisco.
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]]>The post USEPA’s Contractors Cannot Escape Trial appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The Hueston Hennigan team includes John Hueston, Moez Kaba, Andrew Walsh, Shannon Coit, Joseph Crusham, Spencer Schmider, and Kelsey Dayton.
Media Coverage:
Law360
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]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Named a Law360 Trials Group of the Year appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>“What sets us apart is, as a firm, we start with ‘What is the trial narrative?’” said partner and trial practice chair John C. Hueston. “What is the narrative of fairness that’s going to attract the hearts and minds of the jury. We set the stage for the development of our trial themes from the onset of discovery.” Their success at focusing the trial narrative — particularly in emotionally charged cases generating significant media attention — proved key to defending Endo from allegations by four local California governments that the Dublin-based drugmaker’s reckless marketing contributed to the deadly opioid epidemic.
Hueston Hennigan’s success is due in part to the diversity and willingness to entrust associates with significant roles. In the last year, more than half of the roughly 40 associates at the 75-attorney shop had speaking roles in one or more of the firm’s trials.
With a successful trial record over the last five years, the firm is looking forward to several high-profile trials in the offing, too, representing Palantir Technologies Inc. in Delaware and California lawsuits, the criminal defense of Outcome Health CEO Rishi Shah in a $1 billion fraud case and communications company ClearOne Inc.’s patent infringement suit targeting a multinational competitor.
“As the record of victories piles up, so too does the additional trial work,” Moez Kaba said. “It’s the old, ‘The prize for winning a pie-eating contest is more pie.’ But it really excites us. It drives us. The people we attract to this firm as associates and counsel are coming for that reason.”
Trials Group Of The Year Article
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]]>The post Kaba and Chou Once Again Named Leaders of Influence appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Recognized as a “seasoned trial and appellate attorney,” Ms. Chou is a key member of both the Trial Practice and the White Collar and Investigations teams. With an “outstanding reputation for her public sector work,” Ms. Chou has quickly built a formidable private sector practice developing strategies related to securing a unique plea agreement for of one of the highest profile criminal defendants in the “Varsity Blues” college admissions case, securing a presidential pardon, and securing a declination for Southern California Edison in the criminal investigation of the deaths from the wildfires. Ms. Chou served as an assistant United States attorney in the Central District of California in both the Criminal and National Security Divisions and was a deputy chief.
The Los Angeles Business Journal recognized the top 92 minority attorneys considered to be particularly impactful on the legal scene while serving as trusted advisors in the LA region.
Click here to view Ms. Chou’s full profile.
Click here to view Mr. Kaba’s full profile.
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]]>The post Camp and Chou Named Among “Leaders of Influence: Thriving in Their 40s” appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Ms. Chou, a recognized rising star, is a seasoned trial and appellate attorney and served as a deputy chief in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Central District of California. Editors noted Ms. Chou’s recent successes in developing strategies related to securing a unique plea agreement for one of the highest profile criminal defendants in the “Varsity Blues” college admissions case, securing a presidential pardon for Amir Khan, and securing a declination for Southern California Edison in the criminal investigation of the deaths from the wildfires.
The Los Angeles Business Journal recognized leading business professionals in the region that are in the 40s age demographic. Publishers highlighted the top 100 Los Angeles professionals who continue to demonstrate success inside business and throughout their communities.
Click here to view full profile.
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]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Announces Partnership and Counsel Promotions appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Each of these lawyers played a key role in trials this year. Altogether, in this past year alone, the five attorneys below participated in seven trials, five of which were won and two of which are pending judgment. We look forward to the continued contributions of our next generation of leaders.
Joe Reiter, Partner
Joe Reiter represents leading companies and institutions in a broad range of high-stakes disputes. A relentless and creative litigator with substantial courtroom experience, Mr. Reiter has achieved exceptional results for his clients, including six trial victories in just five years. Those wins include a complete defense verdict for Amazon.com against claims that it had illegally poached eBay sellers; a victory for PricewaterhouseCoopers in a closely watched federal trial; a $25 million jury verdict against Samsung for patent infringement; and a total defense verdict for the California Institute of Technology after a four-week jury trial involving tortious interference and whistleblower claims.
In addition, Mr. Reiter has drafted, argued, and won significant motions and complex appeals. He prevailed at summary judgment for the California Institute of Technology in a False Claims Act lawsuit alleging widespread fraud against the Department of Energy and obtained the early dismissal of a case seeking to hold Amazon.com liable for billions of sales taxes. Mr. Reiter also drafted the successful petition for a writ of certiorari and merits briefing in Nutraceutical Corp. v. Lambert, 139 S. Ct. 710 (2019), which obtained a 9-0 victory before the Supreme Court of the United States.
Before joining Hueston Hennigan at its inception, Mr. Reiter clerked for the Honorable Andrew J. Kleinfeld on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He earned his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School, magna cum laude, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif.
Yegor Fursevich, Counsel
Yegor Fursevich is a commercial litigator whose practice focuses on high-stakes business disputes and complex commercial litigation. Mr. Fursevich has represented multinational pharmaceutical companies, global accounting firms, renowned restaurant brands, and top online retailers in a wide array of matters involving insider trading, trade secret misappropriation, business torts, whistleblowing, and violations of fiduciary duties. Mr. Fursevich takes an aggressive and proactive approach in every aspect of litigation, from pre-filing investigation to post-trial appeals.
This past year, Mr. Fursevich was a member of the trial team who obtained a complete defense verdict for PricewaterhouseCoopers in a closely watched federal trial. He is also scheduled to go to trial early next year representing a public data analytics company in a case involving allegations of tortious interference.
Mr. Fursevich clerked for the Honorable Jay S. Bybee on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the Honorable Michael W. Fitzgerald on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. He earned his J.D. from the UC Berkeley School of Law, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif.
Sara Haji, Counsel
Sara Haji is a complex commercial litigator focusing on high-stakes business disputes oriented towards trial. From pre-filing investigation to post-trial appeals, clients trust Ms. Haji to develop effective strategies based on deep familiarity with the federal and state courts. Ms. Haji has been key in securing favorable pre-litigation and litigation outcomes for Monster Energy Company, Amazon.com, Ring, the Navajo Nation, and a variety of high-profile individuals.
Ms. Haji has obtained substantial courtroom experience, examining witnesses at a trial on behalf of real-estate investor Robert K. Barth and arguing countless motions on behalf of Monster Energy. Her written advocacy has secured case-dispositive rulings for several clients, including Amazon.com and Ring. This coming year, she will represent Monster Energy in an upcoming trial involving Lanham Act, misappropriation, and interference claims, and will represent Robert K. Barth in a trial involving a Ring dispute over corporate governance at a leading asset management firm.
Ms. Haji clerked for the Honorable Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar on the Supreme Court of California; the Honorable Raymond C. Fisher on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and the Honorable Margo K. Brodie on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. She earned her J.D. from the UC Berkeley School of Law, with high distinction.
Sourabh Mishra, Counsel
Recognized among the “Ones to Watch” by Best Lawyers, Sourabh Mishra focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation, intellectual property litigation, and white collar criminal defense and investigations. Mr. Mishra represents companies and individuals in complex litigation matters across a wide array of industries, including medical devices, information analytics, food and beverage, telecommunications, biopharmaceuticals, and technology hardware and equipment. In addition, he regularly represents individuals and corporations in connection with complex and sensitive internal investigations and governmental inquiries.
This year, Mr. Mishra obtained a jury trial victory in federal court for ClearOne of no patent infringement and invalidating opposing party Shure’s design patent; and represented Monster Energy in a two-week arbitration involving breach of contract and trademark infringement claims (pending decision). Mr. Mishra is also counsel in several upcoming trials, including for Monster Energy Company involving Lanham Act, trade secret misappropriation, and contract interference claims set for trial in April 2022; and for ClearOne in multiple federal venues involving patent and tort claims.
Mr. Mishra earned his J.D. from Columbia Law School, where he was a notes editor for the Columbia Law Review and a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar.
Samantha Schnier, Counsel
Samantha Schnier focuses on complex commercial litigation and white collar defense and investigation. She has experience in all stages of litigation, including drafting pleadings and dispositive motions, taking and defending depositions, managing fact and expert discovery, preparing cases for trial, and drafting appellate briefs. She also regularly represents both corporate and individual clients in sensitive investigations and governmental inquiries.
Recently, Ms. Schnier was a key member of the trial team that obtained a landmark victory for Endo Pharmaceuticals in a $50 billion action alleging claims of false advertising and public nuisance. She was also part of the team that secured a declination of prosecution from the California Department of Justice for Southern California Edison in connection with the 2018 Woolsey Fire. She is currently representing the former dean of USC’s School of Social Work on federal corruption charges in an alleged bribery scheme involving a public official.
Ms. Schnier clerked for the Honorable Joan M. Azrack on U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. She earned her J.D. from the New York University School of Law, where served as senior editor for the Journal of Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law.
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]]>The post Chou Named Among Top White Collar Lawyers appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Ms. Chou will also be leading the jury trial of former Outcome Health CEO Rishi Shah, once one of the richest men in Chicago, on charges that he ran a $1 billion fraud scheme.
The list recognizes the very best white collar attorneys in California. Ms. Chou is one of 25 selected.
Click here to read the full profile.
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]]>The post Todisco Named Rising Star of the Year appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The article noted Mr. Todisco’s recent wins for PricewaterhouseCoopers in a federal whistleblower trial and for the California Institute of Technology after a four-week jury trial in a $65 million+ tortious interference and whistleblower case.
The 11th annual special event honored the leading general counsels and firm-based attorneys in the Los Angeles area for 2021.
Click here to view full profile.
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]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Defeats Attempts to Block Kaiser Permanente’s COVID-19 Vaccination Policy appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The United KP Freedom Alliance, a group representing more than 4,000 Kaiser employees, filed a lawsuit in the Northern District of California alleging that Kaiser’s vaccine policy violates employee’s constitutional rights and California law. Plaintiffs sought both a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction prohibiting Kaiser from enforcing its policy and terminating employees who do not become fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or obtain an applicable exemption.
In denying both of plaintiffs’ motions, Judge Vince Chhabria ruled for Kaiser on every point in dispute. Judge Chhabria found that plaintiffs could not succeed on their privacy claims under the California Constitution because Kaiser’s “policy is justified by multiple important interests,” including promoting the health and safety of its workforce, and Kaiser had presented “strong empirical evidence about the efficacy of the vaccine.” On their federal constitution claims, Judge Chhabria found that plaintiffs had not shown “even a possibility” of success because Kaiser is not a state actor.
The Hueston Hennigan team included John Hueston, Marshall Camp, Joseph Reiter, Haoxiaohan Cai, Joseph Crusham, and Emily Minton Mattson.
See Bloomberg Article.
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]]>The post Kaba and Todisco Honored as Leaders in Law Nominees appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Attorneys who specialize in litigation, real estate, IP, labor & employment, bankruptcy, and corporate excellence, in general, will be honored, as will in-house counsel professionals from organizations of various sizes and industries. Honorees will be recognized for their exceptional legal skills and achievements across the full spectrum of responsibility, exemplary leadership, and contributions to the Los Angeles community at large.
All finalists can be viewed here.
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]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Receives National Rankings by U.S. News – Best Lawyers® appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>In addition, a number of lawyers were also recognized by Best Lawyers in America in the rankings released earlier in the year.
Best Lawyers include:
Marshall A. Camp
Vicki Chou
Douglas J. Dixon
Brian J. Hennigan
John C. Hueston
Moez M. Kaba
Robert N. Klieger
Alison L. Plessman
Best Lawyers: One to Watch include:
Michael Acquah
Brittani Jackson
Lauren McGrory Johnson
Sourabh Mishra
Rajan Trehan
The 2022 rankings incorporate more than 8.2 million evaluations of more than 115,000 individual leading lawyers from more than 22,000 firms.
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]]>The post Trial Victory for ClearOne in Long-Running Legal Dispute with Shure appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The litigation between ClearOne and Shure began in 2017 in federal court in Illinois, where ClearOne accuses Shure of infringing several patents. After a string of losses in Illinois, Shure expanded the parties’ litigation in 2019 to the District of Delaware, where it filed claims for patent infringement, including of a design patent, and trade libel against ClearOne. In May 2020 and January 2021, we secured an important pair of wins for ClearOne, defeating Shure’s requests first for a temporary restraining order and then a preliminary injunction, allowing ClearOne to continue selling its ground-breaking audio-conferencing products. In addition to defeating Shure’s requests for preliminary injunctive relief, we also obtained a stay of the proceedings with respect to the only other asserted patent. Then, on the eve of trial, Shure dropped its trade libel claims. This trial verdict disposed of Shure’s claims, other than a stayed patent claim, while ClearOne maintains false advertising claims in Delaware, to be tried at a later date, along with its original claims in Illinois.
ClearOne is a global company that designs and develops conferencing, collaboration, and networked streaming devices. Its customers have included Boeing, Toyota, Netflix, Exxon, and Kaiser Permanente.
The Hueston Hennigan team includes Doug Dixon, Christy Rayburn, Christine Woodin, Sourabh Mishra, Michael Acquah, Neil Anderson, Dan Sheehan, and Joseph Aronsohn.
Media Coverage
“Jury Says Microphone Co. Shure’s Patent Invalid After Trial,” Law360, November 5, 2021.
“ClearOne Beats Rival Microphone Maker’s Design Patent Claims,” Bloomberg, November 4, 2021.
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]]>The post Law360: How Hueston Hennigan Notched A Landmark Opioid Trial Win appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The plaintiffs, three counties and one city, claimed the companies misled the public and doctors about the safety of prescription opioids, needlessly addicting patients and ultimately burdening public systems. They were not immediately available for comment.
With other opioid trials in West Virginia, New York and Ohio awaiting decisions, and more trials set for next year, lead Endo trial lawyers John Hueston and Moez Kaba of Hueston Hennigan LLP spoke with Law360 about how they helped secure the California win. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What was your strategy going into the trial?
Kaba: Before the trial, too much was getting lost in the story of the opioid epidemic, and there wasn’t enough focus on the actual burden to prove the claim. We were very focused on getting the truth out — frankly, in large part through the people’s own witnesses.
What were some of the most important or key cross-examinations during the plaintiffs’ case, from your perspective?
Hueston: One was Stanford professor [Anna] Lembke. Dr. Lembke was presented as the lead voice by the plaintiffs for their case trying to establish misstatements that drove the crisis in California.
And through methodical undermining, through Moez’s cross-examination, of each of these alleged statements, showing that in many cases the statements she said we made were not made by us or that she simply construed the statement to be something else, I think it was a true turning point.
Can you give an example of one of those statements?
Kaba: Sure. One of the things that Dr. Lembke claimed, for example, was that it was false or misleading to suggest that opioids can improve the function of people who take them. And we had her admit very clearly, very plainly, that not just the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] but the state of California itself in its own laws acknowledges that opioid medications when properly prescribed do, in fact, improve function.
The judge would often stop the trial and hold long discussions about evidence and give hints about what he wanted to see or what was working or not working. Were there specific times when those discussions helped you figure out what directions to go in?
Hueston: Our overall strategy from the start was to try to move the focus of the trial beyond the question of “Is there an opioid crisis,” which everyone largely conceded from the get-go, and to focus in singularly on “Where are the false statements?”
There was risk with that approach because we weren’t sure coming into the trial that the judge agreed with the legal theory that proof of false statements had to undergird effectively all the claims of the case. And when the judge began challenging the plaintiffs on that very point and suggesting that, in fact, that was likely determinative, that I think helped confirm and further focus our presentations.
By the final closing argument, we had reduced the plaintiffs’ case to a mere 11 [Endo] documents with alleged false statements, out of millions of pages produced. So I think his discussion and focus of the parties on that aspect of the law was very helpful — frankly, to both sides, although I think the plaintiffs largely brushed off [that evidence] to their detriment.
Kaba: It’s an extraordinarily methodical order. He goes through alleged statement after alleged statement and reaches the findings that these are not false statements.
There’s another part of his order where he says that there’s no causation, which was another big part of our case. In the examination that John did of our economist, we proved up that there is no causation — even though it wasn’t our burden in the first place. It was the people’s burden to prove up causation. But we did it anyway through Dr. [Justin] McCrary, a professor from Columbia Law School.
But we did hear during the trial at times that there isn’t a massive crisis in these four jurisdictions, like there is elsewhere in the country. That argument hasn’t been used in other major opioid trials. Did it contribute to the success you had here?
Hueston: We certainly wanted to make sure that a case about the opioid epidemic in California actually related to California. And what we wanted to do was to anticipate and blunt the attack from plaintiffs that California is like Appalachia and Tennessee, or some of the other notorious hot spots. And so we did contextualize that for the judge.
But then we quickly moved beyond that. Because, again, by lingering too long on that issue we were concerned that would play into the hands of the plaintiffs, who wanted to really advance a simplistic case of stating, “Your Honor, all you need to find is an opioid epidemic or crisis and then find that the companies knew of the risk of opioids and simply promoted that, and that is sufficient to find a nuisance.” And of course, as the judge pushed back on that throughout the trial and ultimately found in the order, that was a legally insufficient framework for their nuisance theory.
Kaba: The notion of the opioid crisis was one that actually wasn’t really in dispute at all during the trial. The dispute in the trial was, in these jurisdictions, is this a crisis of prescription opioid medications? And you saw during the trial, repeatedly, us making the point that what has led to more emergency department visits, more bad outcomes, has been the use of heroin, has been the use of fentanyl, not the use of prescription opioids. There is a real problem of drug abuse, but that’s not the question for this trial.
Was there a moment where you felt the tide turning? The judge telegraphed a bit at arguments on Sept. 30 how he was leaning, but before that, was there a moment where you felt as though things were on your side?
Kaba: Oh, no. I think we went into trial every day and we thought, “We’ve got to go out there, we have to be the best lawyers in the room, we have to put forward the best evidence.” John has this saying, which is: “We need to go out, and we need to win every day.” And that was our attitude for three months.
Hueston: You’ll recall at the end of the plaintiffs’ case the judge invited argument. And we all made presentations, and we were hopeful that the judge would tip his hand. At one point he said, “I’m going to come back in a couple of hours,” and we thought that he was going to render some sort of substantive decision or give guidance.
But he expressly declined to do so, which caused us some angst and uncertainty. But it’s a credit to him as a judge; I think he wanted to remain fair, balanced and beyond reproach as the adjudicator while the evidence was still coming in.
When the decision came down Monday, was there anything the judge said that specifically echoed an argument you had made at trial?
Kaba: At one point the judge quotes specifically an admission that I got from the very first witness at trial, which was the people’s historian, Dr. [David] Herzberg, who admitted on the stand — the very first person to testify for the people — that there are, even according to him, any number of potential causes for the opioid crisis. And the judge was given no basis to figure out, well, who caused what, where, when, how and why? And he cites that in his order.
How does it feel to not just get a win, but get a win for Endo, which has been defending itself in other opioid cases on claims that it withheld critical evidence?
Hueston: We pride ourselves in taking on the toughest cases from clients who are literally in a bet-the-company situation. And nothing could better define that now than, I think, for Endo — and, frankly, for a number of the other pharmaceutical manufacturers.
We worked very hard with the Endo in-house team, and they were really part of the strategy and the work on this case as well, to be able to push aside the noise and the politics and the hype around trying to find liability for manufacturers and to winnow it down to a focused case on the facts. To be able to do that and to land that for a deserving client is really all that we could have asked for and what you dream about in terms of the firm’s mission.
Kaba: Endo is not actually selling its Opana products anymore; it stopped marketing and stopped selling them, and this is a company that has manufactured and sold and developed some really extraordinary other pharmaceutical medications. It is important that the company not be defined by its status as a defendant in opioid litigation. It’s done a lot of good in terms of medical development and progress.
Is there anything else that stood out in the trial?
Kaba: I do think it’s worth mentioning that the trial and the work that was put into it truly was a team effort for us — not just, obviously, with our client, but also with the other partners and associates that worked with us who really were extraordinarily committed and working hard every day. It is hard in the middle of a pandemic to show up to the office seven days a week for three months.
Hueston: There is another item that we haven’t fully addressed. It was critical to our strategy to ensure that the voices that are in support of proper pain management were heard, that pain management doctors who could help describe the life crises of people who simply have inadequate treatment of pain and the legislative processes behind that to protect that was key to balancing the narrative. And that approach succeeded, and it’s shown in the judge’s opinion as he sets forth not only the understanding of that balance by the FDA and the federal government but how that is enshrined specifically in California in, for instance, the Patients’ Bill of Rights. We thought it was very important to make sure that that sort of emotional arc, which is typically possessed by the plaintiff in these sorts of cases, was balanced here by the defense.
Looking ahead, are there more opioid trials in your future?
Hueston: Well, we have another case in federal court set in April in San Francisco, and then there are yet other cases that we have been invited to try. And we’re focused on fitting that within our trial schedule for 2022.
–Additional reporting by Jeff Overley and Emily Field. Editing by Orlando Lorenzo.
How Hueston Hennigan Notched A Landmark Opioid Trial Win
The Hueston Hennigan team was led by John Hueston and Moez Kaba, and included Marshall Camp, Mike Purpura, Padraic Foran, Tom King, Samantha Schnier, Michael Todisco, David Sarfati, Josh Burk, Karen Ding, and Stephen Mayer.
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]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Named One of the “Most Feared Law Firms in Litigation” in U.S.: “Fearless Nature, Uber Urgent, Relentless, and Strategically Aggressive.” appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>BTI Litigation Outlook 2022 is based solely on in-depth telephone interviews with leading legal decision makers. This research is independent and unbiased —no law firm or organization other than BTI sponsors this study. Each year, BTI reaches out to a strategically designed group of top legal decision makers at large organizations with $1 billion or more in revenue. BTI targets the decision makers in the industries who spend the most on legal affairs as well as thought leaders and innovative Chief Legal Officers. The survey also includes Chief Legal Operating Officers and business executives who hire and influence the selection and hiring of law firms.
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]]>The post Hueston and Kaba Named Top 100 Trial Lawyers in America appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>While Moez Kaba, “the youngest appointee to this prestigious list by some distance,” was praised as having “staked himself a position as another of the firm’s lead trial counsel on some of the firm’s most high-stakes disputes.”
The firm also earned spots on the coveted list of “Top Boutiques” and “Top 20 Trial Firms” in the United States, noting “a multi-year streak of trial wins.” In addition, Benchmark analysis declares: Hueston Hennigan’s “mission of putting a premium on trial work, a mission that has been fulfilled with rapid momentum…”
Hueston Hennigan also earned national – and State of California – tier 1 rankings in the General Commercial, White Collar, Securities and Entertainment practice areas.
Benchmark Litigation is the definitive guide to America’s leading litigation law firms and lawyers. Research is conducted through extensive interviews with litigators, dispute resolution specialists and their clients to identify the leading litigators and firms. During these interviews, we examine recent casework handled by law firms and ask individual litigators to provide their professional opinions on peers and practitioners within their jurisdiction or practice area.
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]]>The post Appellate Victory for Caltech appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>After just a few hours of jury deliberation in June 2019, the Hueston Hennigan team, co-led by John Hueston and Moez Kaba, emerged victorious in a month-long trial. The jury unanimously found for Caltech on Dr. Roumi’s claims that the school had retaliated against him. Hueston Hennigan had previously obtained dismissal of claims of tortious interference. Dr. Roumi, who sought nearly $100 million in damages, was hired to work on a project funded by the Department of Energy, but ultimately failed.
The Hueston Hennigan team included John Hueston, Moez Kaba, Joe Reiter, and Michael Todisco.
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]]>The post “Massively Successful” Hueston Hennigan Named Top National Trial Firm During a Multi-Year Streak of Trial Wins appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Benchmark analysis noted Hueston Hennigan “is massively successful” … “with a client base [that] is remarkably diverse … with very little repeat business and virtually no ‘routine’ cases.” Editors noted “a multi-year streak of trial wins” observing “these cases are just ‘WOW!’ factor all the way.” “Even by [Hueston Hennigan’s] usual standards of trial breeding, this is exceptional.”
“Hueston Hennigan doesn’t do the ‘cookie-cutter.’ They do really cool, cutting-edge work,” declared a peer, who goes on to confide, “I admit it makes me jealous, and I’m sure I’m not alone!”
Benchmark recognized partners, John Hueston and Moez Kaba, as two of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in the Country and two of the Top 20 Trial Lawyers in California. John Hueston was acclaimed as “a trial trailblazer who has carved himself an enviable position even among others in the elite trial lawyer circuit.” While Moez Kaba, “the youngest appointee to this prestigious list by some distance,” was praised as having “staked himself a position as another of the firm’s lead trial counsel on some of the firm’s most high-stakes disputes.”
Benchmark also praised multiple additional Hueston Hennigan lawyers. Doug Dixon, for example, recognized as a Litigation Star, is “a spectacular lawyer” who shines on “tough cases.” Marshall Camp, Rob Klieger, and Brian Hennigan were likewise recognized as Litigation Stars. A peer noted, Future Stars and Top Lawyers Under 40, Allison Libeu, Vicki Chou, and Christy Rayburn, “have really positioned themselves as key counsel on a number of issues.”
Hueston Hennigan lawyers’ individual recognitions are summarized below:
Marshall A. Camp, Litigation Star
Vicki Chou, 40 & Under Hot List, Future Star
Douglas J. Dixon, Litigation Star
Brian Hennigan, National Star (White Collar Crime), Litigation Star
John C. Hueston, Top 100 Trial Lawyer, Top 20 California Trial Lawyer, National Star (White Collar Crime and General Commercial Litigation), Litigation Star
Moez M. Kaba, Top 100 Trial Lawyer, Top 20 California Trial Lawyer, 40 & Under Hot List, Litigation Star
Robert N. Klieger, Litigation Star
Allison Libeu, 40 & Under Hot List, Future Star
Christy Rayburn, 40 & Under Hot List
Hueston Hennigan also earned national – and State of California – tier 1 rankings in the General Commercial, White Collar, Securities and Entertainment practice areas.
Benchmark Litigation is the definitive guide to America’s leading litigation law firms and lawyers. Research is conducted through extensive interviews with litigators, dispute resolution specialists and their clients to identify the leading litigators and firms. During these interviews, we examine recent casework handled by law firms and ask individual litigators to provide their professional opinions on peers and practitioners within their jurisdiction or practice area.
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]]>The post Hueston and Kaba Once Again Named to Daily Journal’s Top 100 List appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The Daily Journal noted Mr. Kaba’s “enthusiasm for being back in the courtroom,” and commented on his impressive trial record, including three trials in the past nine months with several more to come. Among others, Mr. Kaba obtained a complete defense judgment for Amazon.com after a 2-week trial in a case promoted by eBay as an international RICO and fraud conspiracy to unlawfully recruit eBay sellers to Amazon; prevailed at trial as co-lead counsel on behalf of PricewaterhouseCoopers; and obtained dismissals for multiple cases on behalf of the California Institute of Technology.
The list recognizes the very best California attorneys who have made an impact on the law and society within the last year. Mr. Hueston has been named to the prestigious list for over a decade, and Mr. Kaba has been on the list for five consecutive years.
Click here to read Mr. Hueston’s full profile.
Click here to read Mr. Kaba’s full profile.
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]]>The post Hueston and Kaba Named to the List of Legal Visionaries appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Mr. Kaba was recognized for his work recent successes in trials and arbitrations across the nation, including most recently for Amazon, California Institute of Technology, William Koch and State Bar of California.
Click here to view full profile.
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]]>The post Match Defends First Amendment Rights and Defeats Apple’s Motion to Compel appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>We represent Match Group, which operates Tinder, OKCupid, and PlentyofFish, among other widely-popular dating apps. Match is a founding member of the Coalition for App Fairness, a nonprofit advocacy group opposed to anticompetitive practices in the online app marketplace. This dispute arose after Apple served a third-party subpoena on Match in connection with the Epic Games v. Apple litigation and related class actions concerning Apple’s app store policies. Apple’s subpoena sought discovery of Match’s internal communications with the Coalition and other app developers. The dispute was closely-watched for its First Amendment implications.
In denying Apple’s motion to compel, Judge Hixson ruled for Match on every point in dispute. Judge Hixson found that Apple’s requests were improper, explaining that he “[could] not understand how” documents about the Coalition could be “relevant and proportional to the needs of” the underlying cases seeking to hold Apple liable for antitrust violations. Judge Hixson further found that enforcing the subpoena would chill Match’s and the Coalition’s First Amendment-protected advocacy, asking “[w]ho in their right mind would want to participate in a public advocacy organization, knowing that all their internal communications about strategy, lobbying, planning, and so on, would be turned over to their principal opponent?”
The Hueston Hennigan team included Doug Dixon, Joseph Reiter, and William Larsen.
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]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Selected for Bet-the-Company Litigation and White Collar Defense appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The following Hueston Hennigan partners are recognized:
Marshall A. Camp
Criminal Defense: White Collar
Vicki Chou
Criminal Defense: White Collar
Douglas J. Dixon
Commercial Litigation
John C. Hueston
Bet-the-Company Litigation
Commercial Litigation
Criminal Defense: White Collar
Trade Secrets Law
Brian J. Hennigan
Commercial Litigation
Criminal Defense: White Collar
Litigation – Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy)
Litigation – Securities
Moez M. Kaba
Commercial Litigation
Robert N. Klieger
Litigation – Intellectual Property
Alison L. Plessman
Criminal Defense: White Collar
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. The methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services.
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]]>The post Talented Rising Stars Named Ones to Watch appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Michael Acquah
Brittani Jackson
Lauren McGrory Johnson
Sourabh Mishra
Rajan Trehan
Ms. Jackson and Mr. Mishra are included on the list for the second year in a row.
Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch awards recognize extraordinary lawyers who have been in private practice for less than 10 years in the United States. Like traditional Best Lawyers awards, a Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch recognition is based entirely on peer review.
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]]>The post Declination Secured for Southern California Edison in Criminal Investigation into the Woolsey Fire appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>According to the Department of Justice and Cal Fire, the Woolsey Fire burned 96,949 acres of land, destroyed 1,643 structures, damaged 341 structures, prompted the evacuation of more than 295,000 people, and resulted in three fatalities. The Department of Justice’s decision not to charge follows their prior decision not to bring criminal charges in connection with the 2017 Thomas Fire that burned in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. We also worked closely with Southern California Edison in cooperation with the California Department of Justice to achieve that declination.
Read more here.
The Hueston Hennigan team includes John Hueston, Doug Dixon, Andrew Walsh, Vicki Chou, Mike Behrens, Derek Flores, Ellen Kenney, Samantha Schnier, David Sarfati, Dan Vinson, Joseph Crusham, and Winston Shi.
Media Coverage
Los Angeles Times
U.S. News & World Report
NY Daily News
CNN
Daily Journal
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]]>The post Malwarebytes Prevails in Closely Watched Lanham Act Case appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The action has a lengthy history. Enigma first sued Malwarebytes in New York, alleging that Malwarebytes identification of certain Enigma programs as “potentially unwanted” and “threats” violated various laws, including the Lanham Act. In 2017, the action was transferred to the Northern District of California and the Court dismissed Enigma’s claims under section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. The Ninth Circuit reversed and the Supreme Court denied cert. Hueston Hennigan took over the action on remand to the District Court, where it successfully moved to dismiss all the claims.
The Hueston Hennigan team includes Moez Kaba, John Hueston, Michael Acquah, and Spencer Schmider.
Media Coverage
Law360
Daily Journal
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]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Repeatedly Named Top 10 Litigation Boutique appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>#7 Best Litigation Boutique Law Firms
#6 Best Midsize Law Firms for Compensation
#13 Most Selective Midsize Law Firms
Associates commended Hueston Hennigan for “challenging work and early responsibility” and “top-of-market compensation.”
Vault’s 2022 Rankings are derived from Vault’s Annual Associate Survey conducted from March 2021 through May 2021.
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]]>The post Rising IP Trial Star Christine Woodin Joins as Of Counsel appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Ms. Woodin was previously a principal at McKool Smith, where she focused primarily on intellectual property litigation, including cases involving standard essential patents subject to FRAND or RAND obligations.
Ms. Woodin earned her J.D. in 2013 from The University of Chicago Law School and her undergraduate degree in Applied & Computational Mathematics from the California Institute of Technology in 2010. At Caltech, she carried out research in computational applied mathematics.
“Hueston Hennigan has an unparalleled trial and complex litigation reputation,” Ms. Woodin said. “I look forward to working with such a talented and dynamic group of trial lawyers. I am honored to join Hueston Hennigan.”
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]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Wins Closely Watched Accounting Industry and Whistleblower Trial for PwC appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Botta sued PwC and seven partners, claiming that he had been terminated and retaliated against for filing a whistleblower complaint with the SEC that accused PwC of engaging in serious misconduct when conducting external audits for public companies. Botta’s complaint asserted claims for whistleblower retaliation under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and California law, wrongful termination, defamation, and breach of contract.
Hueston Hennigan aggressively responded to Botta’s complaint, obtaining dismissal with prejudice of all claims against the seven PwC partners and Botta’s defamation claim against PwC. The case proceeded on Botta’s remaining claims, culminating in a two-week federal bench trial in February 2021 in the Northern District of California.
At trial, the Hueston Hennigan team presented a compelling narrative that Mr. Botta’s allegations are false and PwC demonstrated the upmost integrity during its audits and dealings with Mr. Botta. Far from retaliation, the evidence showed that PwC did everything it could to help Mr. Botta succeed and correct his unprofessional behavior. But Mr. Botta refused to take responsibility for his shortcomings and instead retaliated against those who sought to help him.
Mr. Hueston’s cross-examination of Mr. Botta was prominently featured in Law360. Mr. Hueston “painted a picture of Botta as a foul-mouthed man unsatisfied with his career, bogged down in conspiracy theories and, at times, out of touch with reality.” Mr. Hueston “presented screen after screen of text and email evidence to the judge in which Botta expressed in writing his feelings of frustration with PwC partners and with not being promoted.” That testimony “suggested Botta’s unhappiness at the firm had prompted him to declare war on PwC” and file a whistleblower complaint with the SEC making false allegations.
PwC ultimately terminated Mr. Botta because he claimed—during an internal investigation—to have created a non-existent accounting control in violation of his professional duties. Although Mr. Botta disputed PwC’s reasons for terminating him, Hueston Hennigan presented overwhelming proof supporting PwC’s non-retaliatory decision, including Mr. Botta’s own written statements and the testimony of PwC’s then counsel, Walter Brown, who had interviewed Mr. Botta.
In reaching his decision, the Honorable Alex Tse, found that PwC’s witnesses and explanations for its actions were “more credible than Botta’s.” As Judge Tse concluded, “Botta didn’t prove that PwC retaliated against him, wrongfully terminated him, or breached his employment agreement. Consistent with the findings made in the order, judgment on all claims will be entered for PwC.”
The Hueston Hennigan Team included John Hueston, Moez Kaba, Joseph Reiter, Shannon Coit, Yegor Fursevich, Michael Todisco, and Winston Shi.
Media Coverage
Law360
Bloomberg Law
Accounting Today
Reuters
GoingConcern
Daily Journal
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]]>The post Federal Circuit Victory for ClearOne in Ongoing Patent Litigation Fight appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>ClearOne has filed a motion for its attorney fees associated with responding to Shure’s appeal. That motion remains pending. In the District Court, proceedings are ongoing as to the scope of Shure’s violation of the Contempt Order, as well as the appropriate relief arising from the violation.
The oral argument before the Federal Circuit was conducted during the first in-person session after an almost 15-month pause. The recording is available here.
ClearOne is a global company that designs and develops conferencing, collaboration, and networked streaming devices. Its customers have included Boeing, Toyota, Netflix, Exxon, and Kaiser Permanente.
The Hueston Hennigan team includes Christy Rayburn, Doug Dixon, Sourabh Mishra, Karen Younkins and Joseph Aronsohn.
Media Coverage
Law360
BusinessWire
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]]>The post Four Partners Named to Benchmark’s 40 and Under Hot List appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Attorneys named to the 2021 publication were chosen through several phases of research: namely, the review of their recent case work, peer review in which we consider how attorneys at peer legal institutions might rank them, and a consideration of client feedback on their performances. These attorneys, though young, have established themselves in their respective fields and are set to enjoy bright futures.
The post Four Partners Named to Benchmark’s 40 and Under Hot List appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post LABJ Names Hueston and Kaba Top Litigators & Trial Lawyers appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Similarly, editors noted Mr. Kaba’s “trial record in trying six cases to verdict or judgment making him a trusted advisor to his clients.”
The Los Angeles Business Journal recognizes the region’s most outstanding litigators as “Leaders of Influence: Litigators & Trial Lawyers in Los Angeles.” These are the lawyers you want in your corner in court.
Click here to view full profile.
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]]>The post Settlement Reached in Fight to Protect National Immigrant Hotline appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Under the settlement, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agreed to provide uninterrupted access to FFI’s National Immigration Detention Hotline for people in the immigration detention system across more than 150 detention centers and jails across the country.
In 2019, FFI partnered with the popular Netflix show Orange is the New Black (“OITNB”) to help portray the plight of persons detained in ICE facilities and increase public knowledge of the work that organizations like FFI do. Season 7 of OITNB prominently featured the Hotline, and press surrounding the July 2019 season premiere focused on the immigrant-centric storylines and FFI’s work. After first restricting the national Hotline to only certain facilities in Florida, ICE completely shut down the Hotline within two weeks of the premiere of OITNB Season 7.
Hueston Hennigan filed a lawsuit on behalf of FFI in December 2019 seeking to reinstate the national hotline. In February 2021, we won a preliminary injunction affirming FFI’s First Amendment and Constitutional rights and ordering the government to immediately reinstate the Hotline.
The Hueston Hennigan team includes Moez Kaba, Rajan Trehan, and Ashley Artmann.
Media Coverage
The Washington Post
NBC News
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]]>The post Rayburn and Foran Elevated to Partner appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Christina Von der Ahe Rayburn
Ms. Rayburn litigates high-profile, high-stakes technology disputes for companies of all sizes, including Monster Energy, Amazon.com, BlackBerry, ClearOne, and Acorn Technologies. Described by clients as “a fierce advocate” and “intensely brilliant at understanding the detail and complexity of the subject matter, while retaining a clear view of the big issues and its impact on strategy,” she has a depth of experience in patent, copyright, and trade secret litigation at every stage. As a member of the patent bar and as a Stanford-trained mechanical engineer, Ms. Rayburn is quick to understand the technology at issue in her clients’ matters.
Ms. Rayburn is a force in the courtroom, as evidenced by her recent performance at a patent trial that resulted in a $25 million verdict for Acorn Technologies against Samsung. In addition, as co-lead counsel for ClearOne, she won a finding of contempt against a large multinational competitor’s marketing of a competing product against the terms of a preliminary injunction and defended that contempt finding in the Federal Circuit’s first live argument after the pandemic. Also on behalf of ClearOne, and against the same large competitor, she has defeated requests for a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction based on alleged patent infringement.
Ms. Rayburn is a founding member of the Howard T. Markey Intellectual Property Inn of Court in Orange County, and has served that organization as its secretary, membership chair, and programs chair and as a member of the board. Ms. Rayburn serves as a member of the Steering Committee for the ABA Death Penalty Representation Project.
Ms. Rayburn clerked for the Honorable Andrew J. Guilford for the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. She earned her J.D. from Harvard Law School, cum laude. She earned her undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering and political science from Stanford University with distinction.
Ms. Rayburn has been recognized as a rising star on the “40 & Under Hot List” by Benchmark Litigation and has repeatedly been named to the Southern California Rising Stars list.
Padraic Foran
Mr. Foran is a creative and forceful litigator focusing on complex civil litigation and trials—primarily fraud, trade secret, and professional liability matters—in California and across the country.
Mr. Foran has guided a wide variety of clients—from Qualcomm to SpaceX, Tesla, Willis Towers Watson, and GlaxoSmithKline—through sensitive, high-stakes litigation. He also advises corporate officers and directors in a broad range of industries, such as telecommunications, real estate, and financial services, on their most important and urgent matters.
With experience managing the litigation process from pleadings to verdict to appeal, Mr. Foran brings an abundance of courtroom experience and insight to every case. Working closely with clients, he develops innovative approaches and case strategies designed to achieve clearly articulated goals. He streamlines complex fact and expert discovery, avoids unnecessary disputes, and focuses on what matters: favorable resolution.
Mr. Foran is currently in trial representing Endo Pharmaceuticals in the most significant litigation in its history: lawsuits brought by various California jurisdictions related to the sale of opioid pharmaceutical products. Four plaintiff jurisdictions (Orange County, Los Angeles County, Santa Clara County, and Oakland City) brought claims on behalf of the people of the state of California for public nuisance, unfair competition, and false advertising.
Mr. Foran served as a law clerk to the Honorable Jerome Farris, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He earned his J.D. from USC Gould School of Law, Order of the Coif, and his undergraduate degree in English from the University of Southern California, magna cum laude.
Mr. Foran has been repeatedly named to the Southern California Rising Stars list and most recently to the Southern California Super Lawyers list.
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]]>The post Hueston Hennigan’s “Phenomenal Track Record in Trials” Noted by Legal 500 appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>“A phenomenal track record in trials”
“They pack an astounding punch”
“Exceptionally effective in commercial disputes – both on offense and defense”
A summary of the client testimonials includes:
‘The team at Hueston Hennigan is unique in that they bring such passion and focus to every engagement. They approach litigation with creativity and innovation rather than simply running the traditional playbook. Although the firm is relatively small, they pack an astounding punch and that’s due to the high quality of the people they recruit and retain. I have truly enjoyed my association with Hueston Hennigan and plan for it to continue as long as I’m in a position to engage counsel.’
‘Hueston Hennigan’s partners and associates are exceptionally effective in commercial disputes – both on offense and defense.’
‘John Hueston and Moez Kaba are two of the best oral advocates and trial lawyers I’ve seen in my nearly thirty year long career. They can be as cerebral as any federal judge while being able to explain matters plainly and clearly to juries.’
‘Hueston Hennigan LLP’s lawyers are smart, creative, hard-working, experienced, and ethical and determined.’
‘Hueston Hennigan have built their firm on the ethos of founding partners John Hueston and Brian Hennigan, who seek to deliver excellence in service and value to the client’.
‘They are all excellent lawyers but their service is what sets them apart’.
‘You always get their attention when you need it’.
‘They are a focused team with experience in handling high-profile matters that are often only handled by firms of a much larger size’.
Brian Hennigan was selected to the Legal 500 “Hall of Fame” for Investigations and White Collar Defense.
‘Brian Hennigan is an extraordinarily good lawyer’.
John Hueston was recognized as a Leading Lawyer for both Commercial Litigation and White Collar Defense.
‘John Hueston has a sterling reputation that is well earned, it’s a rare combination of confidence and humility that allows him to connect with people as he does’.
‘John Hueston has amazing experience and is masterful in a courtroom or other settings.’
Marshall Camp, Vicki Chou, Brittani Jackson, Moez Kaba, Rob Klieger, Alison Libeu, Mike Purpura, Christy Von der Ahe Rayburn, Joe Reiter, and Andrew Walsh were also included as key lawyers.
The Legal 500 Series, now in its 34th year, is widely acknowledged as the world’s largest legal referral guide. More than 300,000 buyers of legal services are surveyed and interviewed globally each year.
The Legal 500 is an independent guide, and firms and individuals are recommended purely on merit. It is the only guide to truly reflect the needs of corporate counsel by focusing on the strength in depth of the teams (practice and associates) rather than simply list individual partners.
The post Hueston Hennigan’s “Phenomenal Track Record in Trials” Noted by Legal 500 appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Lawyers Named 2021 Southern California Rising Stars appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Michael Acquah
Michael Behrens
Jennifer Hayden
Brittani Jackson
Lauren Johnson
Sourabh Mishra
Christy Rayburn
Joe Reiter
Michael Todisco
Rajan Trehan
We are incredibly proud of new entrants to the list – Mr. Todisco and
Mr. Trehan – who are indicative of the great group of young lawyers who are working on cutting-edge litigation for the world’s leading companies.
To be eligible, a candidate must be either 40 years old or younger, or in practice for 10 years or less. While up to 5% of the lawyers in the state are named to Super Lawyers, no more than 2.5% are named to the Rising Stars list.
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]]>The post Hueston Makes List of LA’s Most Influential People in Business appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The Business Journal’s sixth annual LA500 celebrates the most influential leaders and impactful executives in Los Angeles.
Read the full profile here.
The post Hueston Makes List of LA’s Most Influential People in Business appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Wins $25 million IP Trial Verdict Against Samsung appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Hueston Hennigan represented Acorn Technologies, an incubator company that has been providing ground-breaking innovations for the semiconductor and telecommunications markets since 1998. Acorn patented inventions that cover methods to reduce contact resistance between metals and semiconductors. The invention, which increases device efficiency, has become more important as semiconductor devices and transistors in particular have become smaller.
The Hueston Hennigan Team included Doug Dixon, John Hueston, Christy Von der Ahe Rayburn, Joe Reiter, Dan Vinson, Neil Anderson, Justin Sorensen, and Julia Haines.
Media Coverage:
Law360
Bloomberg Law
Reuters
The post Hueston Hennigan Wins $25 million IP Trial Verdict Against Samsung appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Praised as a “Relentless and Creative High-Stakes Trial Litigation Firm” By Chambers appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>John Hueston’s national and California recognitions include “Star” and Band 1 rankings. “John Hueston is consistently recognized as one of the top trial attorneys in the country, with clients regularly turning to him for their most sophisticated commercial disputes in issues ranging across environmental claims, intellectual property disputes and labor and employment law.” He is described as “an exceptional trial lawyer” and “the best of his generation.” He “is a great strategist, communicator and trial lawyer.” “To watch John Hueston in action in court is inspiring. He is respectful, and always persuasive.” “He is out to win every single thing, and as a client, you love that.”
Brian Hennigan’s Band 1 rating recognizes his well-established standing amongst the top White Collar & Government Investigations lawyers. Celebrated as “talented, smart, savvy and good in front of judges and prosecutors,” he is “well versed in a variety of white collar matters.” (White Collar & Government Investigations).
Moez Kaba is lauded as “really brilliant” with “a great combination of practicality and strategic thinking.” A “powerhouse,” he is “highly regarded” for his commercial litigation skills and his ability to “see complex litigation and create a clear path forward.” (Commercial Litigation).
Rob Klieger “is fantastic,” and “an excellent litigator who provides an exceptional service.” He “has a highly respected litigation practice, which sees him handle high-stakes” and “high profile” disputes. (Commercial Litigation; Entertainment and Media Litigation)
Chambers and Partners is an independent research company operating across 200 jurisdictions delivering detailed rankings and insight into the world’s leading lawyers. Hueston Hennigan’s rankings are available, here.
The post Hueston Hennigan Praised as a “Relentless and Creative High-Stakes Trial Litigation Firm” By Chambers appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Daily Journal Names Plessman and Libeu Top Women Lawyers appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Editors noted Allison Libeu’s complete defense victory, in a virtual arbitration trial amid the pandemic, for Amazon.com in two lawsuits alleging the online retailer poached sellers from eBay Inc. Next up for Ms. Libeu is representing Monster Energy in litigation against Vital Pharmaceuticals alleging unfair competition, false advertising and misappropriation of trade secrets, among other claims. With trial set for September, “[I’ve] been working on translating the scientific lingo into digestible bits for the jury,” noted Ms. Libeu. This marks Ms. Libeu’s second consecutive year on the list of California’s most accomplished female lawyers.
Alison Plessman Profile
Allison Libeu Profile
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]]>The post Summary Judgment Granted for Caltech in False Claims Act Litigation appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The case arises out of the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis (JCAP)—the nation’s largest research program dedicated to the development of artificial solar fuels—which Caltech has led for over ten years. The qui tam relator, Nathan Lewis, is a current Caltech professor and served as JCAP’s first Director. After Caltech removed Lewis as JCAP Director, he alleged that defendants had billed the DOE for nonconforming and unauthorized work, failed to disclose purported conflicts of interest, and made false certifications of compliance with contractual and legal requirements. Lewis asserted causes of action under the False Claims Act and separately claimed that Caltech had retaliated against him.
Hueston Hennigan obtained an early victory in October 2019 when the court granted our motion to dismiss. After Lewis amended his complaint, the case proceeded to discovery and substantial deposition practice, including a Rule 30(b)(6) deposition of the DOE.
On April 23, 2021, U.S. District Court Judge Christina A. Snyder granted Hueston Hennigan’s motions for summary judgment on all claims, representing a complete victory for all defendants.
As one of the most prestigious research institutions in the United States, this case is important to Caltech’s reputation and its relationship with the DOE and other federal agencies that it depends on for funding.
The Hueston Hennigan team included John Hueston, Moez Kaba, Joseph Reiter, Karen Ding, and Montae Langston London.
Click here to read Daily Journal article. (subscription required)
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]]>The post Plessman and Chou Once Again Named Among Women Of Influence appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Ms. Chou, a recognized rising star, is a partner and a key member of the White Collar and Investigations team. She is a seasoned trial and appellate attorney and recently served as a Deputy Chief in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Central District of California. Since joining Hueston Hennigan, Ms. Chou has been involved with developing strategies related to many of the firm’s complex and high-profile cases. She has been recognized as a rising star by multiple publications: 40 & Under Hot List by Benchmark Litigation (2020), Top Women Attorneys and Top Minority Attorneys List by the Los Angeles Business Journal (2020), and one of only 20 recipients of National Asian Pacific American Bar Association’s (NAPABA) 2020 Best Under 40, a significant accomplishment as the field includes those in all areas of the law, including the judiciary, academia, and politics.
The Los Angeles Business Journal recognized LA’s most influential attorneys. These women have been singled out for being particularly impactful on the legal scene while serving as trusted advisors in the LA region, along with maintaining the highest professional and ethical standards, and for contributions to the Los Angeles business and legal community at large.
Click here to view full profile.
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]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Repeats as “California Trial Firm of the Year” and “Los Angeles Law Firm of the Year” appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>“Trial luminary” John Hueston was also honored with the following awards:
California Trial Lawyer of the Year (second consecutive year)
Los Angeles Litigator of the Year (third consecutive year)
In the virtual awards ceremony held on March 31, 2021, Benchmark Litigation Managing Editor, Michael Rafalowich said of Hueston Hennigan and lead trial lawyer & founder, John Hueston:
“The Los Angeles boutique with a trial-focused ethos and a stable of trial practitioners within the generational “sweet spot” and a book of brand-name businesses as clients is Hueston Hennigan. Since its genesis in 2015, this Los Angeles litigation boutique has seen an ascent that can only be described as astonishing. Formed by a group of commercial litigators who peeled off another California institution to launch this venture, Hueston Hennigan has forged itself a coveted position as a local litigation shop that has achieved state-wide and even national prominence. The firm is noted for its mission of putting a premium on trial work, a mission that has been fulfilled with rapid momentum on several high-level appointments. “They have just been massively successful,” sums up one East Coast litigator, stating a consensus shared by many peers. The firm’s client base is remarkably diverse, ranging from individuals to a variety of entities encompassing tech giants, Native American tribes, the Boy Scouts and the California State Bar (to name but a few), with very little repeat business and virtually no “routine” cases. “Hueston Hennigan doesn’t do the ‘cookie-cutter.’ They do really cool, cutting-edge work,” declares a peer, who goes on to confide, “I admit it makes me jealous, and I’m sure I’m not alone!” The firm’s figurehead is John Hueston, a trial trailblazer who has carved himself an enviable position among others in the elite trial lawyer circuit. “I’ve seen trial lawyers rise and fade, but John is young and vibrant enough to be in this for the long haul,” opines one peer. Hueston’s proven activity as lead counsel on a number of high-level appointments more than supports this near-unanimous acclaim.”
The winners were selected based upon extensive research conducted between February and October 2020.
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]]>The post Suit Against Astros Strikes Out appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>John Hueston noted to Law360, “We are grateful for the court’s thoughtful decision terminating a frivolous case that should never have been brought in California in the first place.”
The Hueston Hennigan team includes John Hueston, Harry Mittleman, Brittani Jackson, Craig Fligor, and Abigail Majane.
The post Suit Against Astros Strikes Out appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Shortlisted for Commercial Litigation Law Firm of the Year appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Winners will be notified at a virtual ceremony on May 27, 2021.
The post Hueston Hennigan Shortlisted for Commercial Litigation Law Firm of the Year appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Law360 Features Hueston Cross Examination appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Read full article here:
PwC Paints Whistleblower As Disgruntled Worker At Trial
The post Law360 Features Hueston Cross Examination appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Chou to Moderate Panel “Bridgegate and Beyond: Appellate Update for the White Collar Practitioner” appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>*** 1.0 hour of MCLE Credit ***
Steptoe is CLE accredited in CA, IL, and NY. If you are seeking credit in these or other jurisdictions for participation in the live webinar, please include the jurisdiction in which you are seeking credit along with your bar number in the registration form. If you have any questions related to CLE, please contact events@steptoe.com
Moderator:
Vicki Chou
Partner
Hueston Hennigan LLP
Panelists:
Ashley Aull
Chief, Appellate Section
United States Attorney’s Office, Central District of California
Koren Bell
Partner
Larson LLP
Ashwin Ram
Partner
Steptoe & Johnson LLP
The post Chou to Moderate Panel “Bridgegate and Beyond: Appellate Update for the White Collar Practitioner” appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Navajo Nation is Awarded $220 million Contract to Cleanup Mines appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>See “EPA Awards $220 Million For Abandoned Uranium Mine Cleanup On Navajo Nation,” NPR, February 12, 2021.
The post Navajo Nation is Awarded $220 million Contract to Cleanup Mines appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Shortlisted for 2021 Benchmark Litigation US Awards appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>These awards celebrate the leading litigators and most impactful disputes across the United States based upon research conducted between February and October 2020. These awards aim to recognize the firms and litigators who have performed exceptionally at both local and national levels. The shortlists are the culmination of months’ research, analyzing hundreds of submissions, surveying thousands of referees and interviewing hundreds of lawyers.
The post Hueston Hennigan Shortlisted for 2021 Benchmark Litigation US Awards appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Publishes Its 2020 Year in Review appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Click here to read the full 2020 Year in Review report.
The post Hueston Hennigan Publishes Its 2020 Year in Review appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Motion for Preliminary Injunction Denied in High-Stakes Patent Litigation appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The Honorable Christopher J. Burke in the District of Delaware issued a report and recommendation denying Shure’s motion and agreeing with many of ClearOne’s positions. For example, Judge Burke found that there were substantial questions regarding the validity of the patent that precluded a finding of likelihood of success on the merits And Judge Burke additionally held in favor of ClearOne on irreparable harm, noting that Shure could not establish the requisite nexus between its design patent and any lost sales to ClearOne.
“This is another win for our client ClearOne,” explained partner Douglas J. Dixon. “ClearOne is a leading innovator in conferencing products, and this dispute with its rival Shure is one of its most significant legal battles. ClearOne won a preliminary injunction against Shure in 2019 in the Northern District of Illinois, and in 2020 defeated Shure’s TRO in Delaware. Despite the denial of the TRO, Shure decided to continue with its preliminary injunction motion and we are pleased for our client that it, like the TRO, failed.”
This is just the latest in the string of many patent victories that Hueston Hennigan has achieved for ClearOne as both a patentee and defendant in its cases with Shure.
The Hueston Hennigan team included Douglas J. Dixon, Christy Rayburn, Sourabh Mishra, Karen Younkins, Neil Anderson, and Michael Acquah.
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]]>The post National Legal Foundation to Advance Social Justice Launches With $10M Pledge and Collaboration With 5 Leading Law Schools appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The Foundation – funded and created by the partners of Hueston Hennigan LLP – will collaborate with Columbia, Northwestern, Stanford, UCLA and Yale law schools to identify pressing legal issues and to mentor and develop a new generation of trial lawyers in the public sector. Representatives from the law schools will participate on the Board of Advisors and work with the Foundation to select an emerging leader from its graduates to serve a fully funded two-year fellowship with the Foundation. (See full list of Advisory Board Members below.)
Advisory Board Member Erica Smock, Dean for Social Justice Initiatives & Public Service Lawyering at Columbia Law School stated, “We are excited to collaborate on this first-in-the-nation initiative. We look forward to SJLF’s meaningful contributions to the broad network of public interest organizations who have been focused on the fight for social justice and equality.”
The Foundation will emphasize trial work and seek to collaborate with other social justice organizations and bar associations to take some of the most difficult and important cases to trial. The Foundation will begin with an executive director, two full-time staff attorneys, five Hueston Hennigan fellows, and substantial pro bono attorney support from trial lawyers at Hueston Hennigan.
“I look forward to working with our advisors, fellows, staff and pro bono attorneys to take to trial some of the most important cases affecting social justice,” said John Hueston, Chairman of the Foundation’s Board.
Crystal Crawford, Executive Director of the Western Center on Law & Poverty, stated, “We look forward to partnering with the Foundation on impactful work to advance economic dignity, housing, health, and basic needs for low-income Californians.”
To address evolving societal crises, the Foundation will rotate its primary areas of attention every two years from among the following initial areas: economic justice, housing/homeless discrimination, LGBTQ+ rights, immigrant justice, Native American discrimination, voting rights and criminal justice reform. The Foundation’s cases and focus areas will be informed by its executive leadership, academic partners, other social justice organizations and fellows.
The Foundation was born of an idea to form a collaboration between an elite private sector trial firm and leading law schools in order to leverage a unique blend of courtroom talent and academic thought leaders. As Hueston Hennigan attorneys reflected on the challenges that have faced the country in the recent past, the firm decided now was the time to launch this effort to achieve equity and equality. To fulfill that vision and to provide substantial mentorship opportunities to emerging social justice leaders in the law, Hueston Hennigan has made an initial pledge of $10 million to fully support the Foundation and to sponsor five Hueston Hennigan Fellows.
Board of Advisors
Hon. David O. Carter
United States District Court, Central District of California
Diane T. Chin
Associate Dean for Public Service and Public Interest Law
Stanford Law School
Crystal D. Crawford
Executive Director
Western Center on Law & Poverty
Bruce Duthu
Samson Occom Professor of Native American Studies
Dartmouth College
Hon. Alexander C. D. Giza
Los Angeles Superior Court
Laurie L. Levenson
Founding Faculty Director, Project for the Innocent
Professor of Law, David W. Burcham Chair in Ethical Advocacy
Loyola Law School
Doreen Nanibaa McPaul
Attorney General
Navajo Nation Department of Justice
Hon. Carlos Moreno (ret.)
Retired Justice of Supreme Court of California
Former United States Ambassador to Belize
Former Judge of United States District Court, Central District of California
Alan B. Morrison
Co-founder, Public Citizen Litigation Group
Lerner Family Associate
Dean for Public Interest and Public Service
George Washington University Law School
Song Richardson, J.D.
Dean and Chancellor’s Professor of Law
University of California, Irvine School of Law
President-Designate of Colorado College
Brad Sears
Associate Dean of Public Interest Programs
Interim Executive Director, The Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law and Policy
UCLA School of Law
Erica Smock
Dean for Social Justice Initiatives & Public Service Lawyering
Columbia Law School
Cynthia A. Wilson
Clinical Professor of Law
Director, Center for Externships
Director, Public Interest Center
Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law
Peter Zeughauser
Founder
The Zeughauser Group
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]]>The post Kaba and Chou Repeat as Minority Leaders of Influence appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Ms. Chou, “a recognized rising star and accomplished trial lawyer,” represents individuals and companies in high stakes business disputes and criminal matters, including complex commercial litigation, intellectual property matters, SEC enforcement actions, and white collar criminal defense. Ms. Chou served as an assistant United States attorney in the Central District of California in both the Criminal and National Security Divisions and was a deputy chief.
The Los Angeles Business Journal recognized lawyers considered to be particularly impactful on the legal scene while serving as trusted advisors in the LA region, along with maintaining the highest professional and ethical standards, and for contributions to the Los Angeles business and legal community at large.
The post Kaba and Chou Repeat as Minority Leaders of Influence appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Hueston Named “Lawyer of the Decade” and “Go-To Strategist for High-Stakes Trials and Complex Civil Litigation” appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Mr. Hueston is one of only 18 lawyers honored with this extraordinary achievement.
The post Hueston Named “Lawyer of the Decade” and “Go-To Strategist for High-Stakes Trials and Complex Civil Litigation” appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Navajo Nation Reaches $10 Million Settlement with Mining Companies appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>“The $10 million-dollar settlement is an important step towards obtaining full and fair compensation for the Navajo Nation,” said partner Andrew Walsh. “We remain committed to ensuring that the USEPA and its contractors—Environmental Restoration, LLC and Weston Solutions, Inc.—are held accountable for their reckless conduct in triggering the Gold King Mine disaster.”
The 2015 spill occurred when the USEPA and its contractors burrowed into the Gold King Mine and triggered a preventable blowout, causing millions of gallons of toxic acid mine waste laden with heavy metals to pour into the sacred waters of the Navajo Nation. Though the USEPA has repeatedly and publicly claimed to “take responsibility” for the spill, it has yet to compensate the Navajo Nation or its people for the harms it undisputedly caused, preferring instead to put up every possible legal roadblock to recovery.
Read more at “Navajo Nation, New Mexico Fights EPA’s Doc Bid In Mine MDL,” Law360, June 23, 2020.
The Hueston Hennigan team includes John Hueston, Moez Kaba, Andrew Walsh, Tanner Camp, Lauren McGrory-Johnson, Sara Haji, Joseph Crusham, and Spencer Schmider.
Media coverage includes Law360, NBC News, Associated Press, Daily Journal, and Washington Post to name a few.
The post Navajo Nation Reaches $10 Million Settlement with Mining Companies appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Camp and Walsh Named to the LABJ’s list of “Thriving in Their 40s” appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Mr. Walsh represents clients in complex civil business disputes, high-stakes environmental and entertainment litigation, and white collar criminal actions, in both state and federal courts. Mr. Walsh currently represents the Navajo Nation in federal multi-district litigation against the USEPA and its contractors for damages arising out of the August 2015 Gold King Mine spill, and Southern California Edison in complex litigation arising out of the 2018 Woolsey Fire.
The Los Angeles Business Journal recognized skilled business professionals – accountants, attorneys, bankers, real estate experts, health care providers, insurance professionals or some other form of trusted advisor – many of whom happen to be in their 40s.
Click here to view full profile.
The post Camp and Walsh Named to the LABJ’s list of “Thriving in Their 40s” appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Victory for BlackBerry In Civil Extortion and Unfair Competition Claims appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>MobileIron had alleged that BlackBerry was infringing four of its mobile security technology patents and that BlackBerry had violated California’s civil extortion laws when its lawyers sent MobileIron notices that the software company was, itself, allegedly infringing BlackBerry’s own patents.
The Hueston Hennigan team includes John Hueston, Moez Kaba, Doug Dixon, Christy Von der Ahe Rayburn, Joseph Reiter, Michael Todisco, Linda Xu and Neil Anderson.
Media coverage includes Law360, Daily Journal, Bloomberg, Yahoo! Finance and Rapid Mobile.
The post Victory for BlackBerry In Civil Extortion and Unfair Competition Claims appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Behrens Named Of Counsel appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Mr. Behrens has achieved significant results for clients in a wide array of complex commercial litigation cases. Recently, Mr. Behrens has been a key member of the wildfire defense practice and also conducted a high-profile fact-finding investigation for the Board of Regents of the University of California.
Mr. Behrens serves as the president of the board of directors for the Community Legal Aid SoCal. The son of a Japanese-American woman born in an internment camp, Mr. Behrens has dedicated his pro bono practice to issues focusing on rights of immigrants. Among his other achievements, he obtained a landmark constitutional holding from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, ensuring due process protections for immigrants. Brown v. Holder, 763 F.3d 1141 (9th Cir. 2014).
Mr. Behrens earned his JD from UCLA School of Law, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif. While in law school, Mr. Behrens served as articles editor for the UCLA Law Review and was named a Michael T. Masin Scholar. He earned his MFA from the University of California, Los Angeles and his BA from the University of California, Berkeley.
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]]>The post Complete Victory against eBay, Inc. appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The trial took place in September 2020.
The Hueston Hennigan team included John Hueston, Moez Kaba, Allison Libeu, Joe Reiter, Michael Acquah, Annie Banks and Ashley Artmann.
Media Coverage:
CNN
The Verge
GeekWire
Law360
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]]>The post Hueston Hennigan’s Diverse Rising Stars Promoted to Partnership and Counsel appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>“These nationally elite and diverse trial lawyers have already assumed key roles in the Firm’s handling of bet-the-company cases for our growing client base. We look forward to the continued contributions of our next generation of practice leaders.”
Vicki Chou
Ms. Chou, a recognized rising star and accomplished trial lawyer, is a key member of both the Trial Practice and the White Collar and Investigations teams. She is already a seasoned trial and appellate attorney and recently served as a deputy chief in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Central District of California, where she represented the United States in hundreds of criminal cases. As an AUSA, many of her matters involved high-level international coordination, including a case in which she successfully negotiated a first-of-its-kind joint investigative agreement with a European country. She successfully tried more than 10 cases as lead counsel and won every one of her appeals before the Ninth Circuit.
Since joining Hueston Hennigan, Ms. Chou has earned leadership roles in several of the nation’s most high-profile bet-the-company cases. She has also been involved with developing strategies related to the defense of some of the highest-profile defendants and in terminating high-stakes criminal investigations. She has earned praise from clients and colleagues for achieving her clients’ objectives. Ms. Chou served as a law clerk to the Honorable Robert E. Payne, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. She earned her J.D. from Harvard Law School, cum laude, and her undergraduate degree in social studies from Harvard University.
Ms. Chou serves as a board member for the Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association; is co-chair for the ABA Computer Crime, Intellectual Property and Trade Secrets Sub-Committee; and sits on the executive committee for the LACBA Litigation Section.
Ms. Chou has been recognized as a rising star by multiple publications: 40 & Under Hot List by Benchmark Litigation (2020); Top Women Attorneys and Top Minority Attorneys List by the Los Angeles Business Journal (2020); and as of only 20 recipients of National Asian Pacific American Bar Association’s (NAPABA) 2020 Best Under 40, a significant accomplishment as the field includes those in all areas of the law, including the judiciary, academia, and politics.
Brittani A. Jackson
Ms. Jackson represents clients in a broad range of litigation matters, including commercial contract litigation, high-profile shareholder and employee disputes, white collar criminal defense, and trade secret litigation. She also has experience representing clients in internal investigations and investigations being conducted by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the California and New York Attorneys General.
Ms. Jackson earned her J.D. from Harvard Law School and earned her MBA at Harvard Business School. Prior to law school, she was a business analyst at McKinsey & Company.
Ms. Jackson is on the Board of Directors for the Friends of the LA Law Library and the Board of Directors for the Inner City Law Center. She also serves on the Scholarship Committees for the John M. Langston Bar Association and the Black Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles.
In 2020, Ms. Jackson was named to the Southern California Rising Stars list, recognized by The National Black Lawyers as a “Top 100” and “Top 40 Under 40” and by Best Lawyers as “One to Watch.”
Lauren McGrory Johnson
Ms. Johnson represents a broad array of clients in high-stakes litigation, including complex commercial disputes, securities litigation, trade secrets misappropriation, breaches of contract and fiduciary duties, and criminal investigations. She consistently delivers successful outcomes for clients and has argued and won significant motions for clients in state and federal court.
Prior to joining Hueston Hennigan, Ms. Johnson served as a law clerk for the Honorable George H. Wu on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Ms. Johnson earned her J.D. from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law, where she was elected to the Order of the Coif. During law school, she served as a senior editor for the Southern California Law Review and her note was selected for publication.
Ms. Johnson currently serves on the Board of Councilors’ Judicial Clerkships Committee at USC Gould School of Law.
Ms. Johnson was named to the Southern California Rising Stars list in 2020.
Rajan Trehan
Mr. Trehan focuses his practice on high-stakes matters oriented toward trial. He has experience litigating contract, fraud, intellectual property, and class action disputes on behalf of a diverse array of corporate and individual clients. He is also a core member of the firm’s entertainment practice, in connection with which he has defended both a leading video game company and a prominent studio at trial.
Mr. Trehan recently won a landmark preliminary injunction ordering U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement to restore a toll-free immigration detention hotline operated by Freedom for Immigrants, a nonprofit dedicated to ending the isolation of those in immigration detention. ICE had shut down the hotline, which was used to report on conditions of detention and monitor abuse, following its feature in TV series Orange Is the New Black.
Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Trehan served as a law clerk to the Honorable Paul G. Gardephe of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Mr. Trehan earned his J.D. from Columbia Law School, where he was a notes editor for the Columbia Law Review and a James Kent Scholar.
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]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Receives National Rankings by U.S. News & World Report appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>In addition, a number of lawyers were also recognized by Best Lawyers in America in the rankings released earlier in the year.
Best Lawyers include:
Douglas J. Dixon
Brian J. Hennigan
John C. Hueston
Moez M. Kaba
Robert N. Klieger
Best Lawyers: One to Watch include:
Brittani Jackson
Sourabh Mishra
The U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process that includes the collection of client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys, and review of additional information provided by law firms as part of the formal submission process.
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]]>The post Plessman and Libeu Named to Daily Journal’s Top Women Lawyers List appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Allison Libeu focuses her practice on complex civil litigation with a niche specialty in the “corporate divorce” arena, which typically involves disputes between the founders or owners of a business. Editors noted her representation of Amazon.com in two suits alleging the big online retailer poached sellers from eBay Inc. and her representation of the online gay dating site Grindr. This marks Ms. Libeu’s first time on the list of California’s most accomplished female lawyers.
The post Plessman and Libeu Named to Daily Journal’s Top Women Lawyers List appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Welcomes 2020 Associate Class appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Alex Botoman
Columbia Law School (J.D., 2018)
Wake Forest University (B.A., 2010, History) magna cum laude
Clerkships: Hon. Kim McLane Wardlaw, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Hon. Philip S. Gutierrez, U.S. District Court for Central District of California
Karen Ding
Stanford Law School (J.D., 2018)
Harvard University (B.A., 2012, Economics) magna cum laude
Clerkships: Hon. Edward J. Davila, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
Hon. Beth L. Freeman, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
Hon. Lucy H. Koh, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
Hon. Douglas H. Ginsburg, U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit
Justin Greer
Georgetown University Law Center (J.D., 2017) Order of the Coif
Biola University (B.A., 2014, Political Science) summa cum laude
Clerkship: Hon. Jay S. Bybee, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Montae Langston London
Yale Law School (J.D., 2016)
University of California, Los Angeles (B.A., 2011, Political Science) Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude, college honors
Clerkship: Hon. Barrington D. Parker, Jr., U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
William Larsen
University of Chicago Law School (J.D., 2016)
University of Chicago (B.A., 2011, Fundamentals: Issues & Texts) General Honors, Dean’s List
Clerkship: Hon. Eric D. Miller, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Andreas Petasis
University of Chicago Law School (J.D., 2018) Honors
University of Southern California (B.A., 2013, History and International Relations) magna cum laude
Clerkship: Hon. Kenneth K. Lee, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Jennifer Popp
University of Virginia School of Law (J.D., 2018), Order of the Coif
Brown University (B.A., 2012, Economics and Public Policy)
Clerkship: Hon. Carl E. Stewart, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Spencer Schmider
Stanford Law School (J.D., 2019)
Northwestern University (B.A., 2015, History) Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude
Clerkship: Hon. Ronald M. Gould, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Winston Shi
Harvard Law School (J.D., 2019)
Stanford University (M.A., History, 2016)
Stanford University (B.A., History, 2016)
Clerkship: Hon. Daniel P. Collins, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Grace Zhang
Yale Law School (J.D., 2016)
The University of Texas at Austin (B.A., 2013, Government, Arabic Language and Literature)
Clerkship: Hon. Kiyo A. Matsumoto, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
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]]>The post Hennigan and Hueston Repeat as Top 100 Trial Lawyers in America appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The firm also earned spots on the coveted list of “Top Boutiques” and “Top 20 Trial Firms” in the United States and also earned national – and State of California – tier 1 rankings in the General Commercial, White Collar, Securities and Entertainment practice areas.
Numerous Hueston Hennigan lawyers were also individually recognized, as noted below:
Marshall A. Camp, Litigation Star
Vicki Chou, 40 & Under Hot List
Douglas J. Dixon, Future Star
Brian Hennigan, National Practice Area Star, Local Litigation Star, Top 100 Trial Lawyer, Top 20 California Trial Lawyer
John C. Hueston, National Practice Area Star, Local Litigation Star, Top 100 Trial Lawyer, Top 20 California Trial Lawyer
Moez M. Kaba, 40 & Under Hot List, Local Litigation Star
Robert N. Klieger, Local Litigation Star
Allison Libeu, 40 & Under Hot List
Benchmark Litigation is the definitive guide to America’s leading litigation law firms and lawyers. Research is conducted through extensive interviews with litigators, dispute resolution specialists and their clients to identify the leading litigators and firms. During these interviews, we examine recent casework handled by law firms and ask individual litigators to provide their professional opinions on
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]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Repeatedly Named “Top Boutique” and “Top Trial Firm” in U.S. appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Hueston Hennigan also earned national – and State of California – tier 1 rankings in the General Commercial, White Collar, Securities and Entertainment practice areas.
The Benchmark analysis noted Hueston Hennigan “is massively successful” … “with a client base [that] is remarkably diverse … with very little repeat business and virtually no “routine” cases.” Editors noted “its mission of putting a premium on trial work, a mission that has been fulfilled with rapid momentum on several high-level appointments.”
“Hueston Hennigan doesn’t do the ‘cookie-cutter.’ They do really cool, cutting-edge work,” declared a peer, who goes on to confide, “I admit it makes me jealous, and I’m sure I’m not alone!”
Numerous Hueston Hennigan lawyers were also individually recognized, as noted below:
Marshall A. Camp, Litigation Star
Vicki Chou, 40 & Under Hot List
Douglas J. Dixon, Future Star
Brian Hennigan, National Practice Area Star, Local Litigation Star, Top 100 Trial Lawyer, Top 20 California Trial Lawyer
John C. Hueston, National Practice Area Star, Local Litigation Star, Top 100 Trial Lawyer, Top 20 California Trial Lawyer
Moez M. Kaba, 40 & Under Hot List, Local Litigation Star
Robert N. Klieger, Local Litigation Star
Allison Libeu, 40 & Under Hot List
A peer noted that John Hueston is a “young and vibrant [lawyer] … in this for the long haul.” While Moez Kaba is lauded for “enjoying a rapid rise in profile on the strength of his work.”
Benchmark Litigation is the definitive guide to America’s leading litigation law firms and lawyers. Research is conducted through extensive interviews with litigators, dispute resolution specialists and their clients to identify the leading litigators and firms. During these interviews, we examine recent casework handled by law firms and ask individual litigators to provide their professional opinions on peers and practitioners within their jurisdiction or practice area.
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]]>The post 9th Circuit Victory for Bausch Health appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Hueston Hennigan took over the case in early 2018 and aggressively moved to bring the case to an end, winning a motion for judgment on the pleadings in May 2019. On appeal, the Ninth Circuit again sided with Bausch and refused to revive the case. Adopting Bausch’s arguments, the Ninth Circuit held that the case could not proceed in the absence of Bausch’s foreign subsidiaries and, applying recent Supreme Court and Ninth Circuit law, that the court lacked jurisdiction over those subsidiaries.
The Hueston Hennigan team includes Moez M. Kaba, Sourabh Mishra, Michael Todisco, and Michael Acquah.
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]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Repeats as Top 10 Litigation Boutique appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>#8 Best Litigation Boutique Law Firms
#6 Best Midsize Law Firms for Compensation
#7 Best Midsize Law Firm for Career Outlook
Associates commended Hueston Hennigan for “substantive assignments,” “opportunity to work alongside winners” and “high compensation.”
More than 20,000 associates from over 180 law firms participated in Vault’s 2021 Law Firm Associate Survey. The survey asked associates to rate their own firms—on a scale of 1 to 10—in a variety of areas.
For more than 20 years, Vault’s influential rankings, ratings, and reviews of thousands of top employers and hundreds of internship programs have been a key source of information for applicants. Vault’s rankings and ratings are regularly featured and cited by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Businessweek, Forbes, Fortune, Money, and numerous other news outlets.
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]]>The post Hueston and Kaba Repeat on Daily Journal’s Top 100 List appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>In his fourth consecutive year on the list, Mr. Kaba describes his work for the widely publicized and closely-watched First Amendment case for Freedom for Immigrants, where he won a preliminary injunction forcing the immigration hotline to be restored. “As a son of immigrant parents, it was personal,” noted Mr. Kaba. “It is essential that people be treated with dignity and respect, and our client is engaged in validating immigrants’ humanity.” Mr. Kaba was also commended for winning a motion to dismiss in a novel False Claims Act suit against client Bausch Health Co. Inc.
The Daily Journal notes that Hueston Hennigan is poised to have a “very busy 2021” with multiple trials and a firm that remains “ready to take on new complicated issues for clients.”
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]]>The post Chou Named Among Best Under 40 by NAPABA appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Supporters noted Ms. Chou for her “unwavering dedication to her commitments” as a “formidable opponent” with an “upward trajectory.” They further noted that “she combines keen legal acumen with good instincts and a soft touch” and as a “nationally recognized expert for the Department of Justice.”
Ms. Chou was recognized for her successful career as a Deputy Chief in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Central District of California, where she represented the United States in hundreds of criminal cases, including computer and internet fraud, intellectual property, money laundering, bank fraud, tax fraud, and racketeering offenses. She successfully tried over 10 cases as lead counsel and won every one of her appeals before the Ninth Circuit.
Ms. Chou’s outstanding reputation for her public sector work has allowed her to quickly build a formidable private sector practice at Hueston Hennigan. Since joining, Vicki has been involved with developing strategies related to the defense of some of the firm’s highest-profile criminal defendants.
From college to law school, to currently serving on her third term as a member of the Board of Governors for the Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association, Ms. Chou’s involvement with the Asian community is long-standing.
This year, Ms. Chou has also been recognized by the Los Angeles Business Journal as one of the “Top Minority Attorneys” and one of the “Top Women Lawyers” and by Benchmark Litigation as one of the “40 & Under Hot List.”
NAPABA is the preeminent professional development organization and voice for 50,000 Asian Pacific American attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students. NAPABA represents the interests of nearly 90 national, state, and local Asian Pacific American bar associations.
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]]>The post Contempt of Preliminary Injunction Granted in High-Stakes Patent Litigation appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>ClearOne is a global company that designs and develops conferencing, collaboration, and networked streaming devices. Its customers include Boeing, Toyota, Netflix, Exxon, and Kaiser Permanente.
This is another significant victory in the string of patent victories that we have achieved for ClearOne.
The Hueston Hennigan team included Douglas J. Dixon, Christy Rayburn, Sourabh Mishra, Neil Anderson, Karen Younkins, Michael Acquah, and Maxwell Coll.
Media coverage includes Law360, Bloomberg Law, and TVTechnology.
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]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Selected for Bet-the-Company Litigation and White Collar Defense appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Douglas J. Dixon is recognized in the area of Commercial Litigation
John C. Hueston is recognized in the areas of Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Criminal Defense: White Collar, and Trade Secret Law. John Hueston was selected as a “Lawyer of the Year” for his work in Bet-the-Company Litigation.
Brian J. Hennigan is recognized in the areas of Commercial Litigation, Criminal Defense: White Collar, and Litigation – Securities.
Moez M. Kaba is recognized in the area of Commercial Litigation.
Robert N. Klieger is recognized in the area of Litigation – Intellectual Property.
To compile the list of distinguished lawyers, Best Lawyers conducts an extensive peer-review process during which tens of thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers. The latest edition includes 58,000 lawyers in 140 practice areas, covering all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and inclusion in this year’s publication is based on 7.4 million detailed evaluations of lawyers by other lawyers.
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]]>The post Three Named Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Varun Behl
Brittani Jackson
Sourabh Mishra
These awards are recognitions given to attorneys who are earlier in their careers for outstanding professional excellence in private practice in the United States. The “Ones to Watch” recipients typically have been in practice for 5-9 years.
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]]>The post Jackson to Speak on Promoting Allyship Between the South Asian and Black Communities appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Click here to register.
Speakers include:
Vidhya Ragunathan
Director of Pro Bono, Inner City Law Center
Komal Chokshi
Senior Counsel, University of California Office of the General Counsel
Jarvis Idowu
Director of Program, Prosecutor Impact
Brittani Jackson
Associate, Hueston Hennigan
Rekha Chiruvolu (Moderator)
Director of Diversity & Inclusion, Nixon Peabody
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]]>The post Three Named to Benchmark’s 40 and Under Hot List appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Three Named to Benchmark’s 40 and Under Hot List appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Chou Advises on Panel “Jury Selection in the Time of COVID-19” appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Speakers include:
Phil Anthony
DecisionQuest
Doris Cheng
Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger
Cuauhtemoc Ortega
Federal Public Defender
David Chao (Moderator)
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Click here to register.
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]]>The post Seven Partners Named 2020 Southern California Super Lawyers appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Super Lawyers selects attorneys using a patented multiphase selection process. Peer nominations and evaluations are combined with independent research. Each candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement. Selections are made on an annual, state-by-state basis. The objective is to create a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of outstanding attorneys that can be used as a resource for attorneys and consumers searching for legal counsel. Since Super Lawyers is intended to be used as an aid in selecting a lawyer, we limit the lawyer ratings to those who can be hired and retained by the public.
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]]>The post Hueston and Kaba Again Named Top Litigators & Trial Lawyers appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Similarly, the LABJ commended Mr. Kaba on his “many recent, high-profile successes in the last year alone.”
“In just over five years, Hueston Hennigan has gained a reputation for a creative and often disruptive approach to litigation,” noted the publication.
The Los Angeles Business Journal recognizes the region’s most outstanding litigators as “Leaders of Influence: Litigators & Trial Lawyers in Los Angeles.” These are the lawyers you want in your corner in and out of court.
Click here to view full profile.
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]]>The post Peloton Defeats Echelon’s Motion to Dismiss Patent Infringement Suit appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>“We are very pleased with Judge Andrews’s decision denying in full Echelon’s motion to dismiss Peloton’s patent claims, and appreciate that he adopted our reasoning as well,” said Hueston Hennigan lead counsel. “We look forward to proceeding toward trial.”
In October 2019, Peloton filed a lawsuit in Delaware federal court against competitor Echelon for patent infringement, trademark infringement, trade dress infringement and dilution, trade libel, false advertising and unfair business practices. The lawsuit alleges, among other things, that Echelon’s bike product, and its related app, infringes Peloton’s patented leaderboard technology, and that Echelon is intentionally misleading consumers with false comparisons between the Echelon and Peloton bikes.
Earlier this year, Peloton successfully settled its patent litigation with Flywheel Sports, Inc., with Flywheel publicly admitting that it had copied the Peloton bike in creating its at-home bike, and that Peloton had solely invented the leaderboard technology at issue.
Peloton is represented by Christy Von der Ahe Rayburn, Karen Younkins and Maxwell Coll.
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]]>The post Kaba to Moderate Panel “Our Paths to the Bench: A Conversation with LGBT+ Judges” appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The Honorable Patrick J. Bumatay
United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit
The Honorable Michael W. Fitzgerald
United States District Judge for the Central District of California
The Honorable Michael J. McShane
United States District Judge for the District of Oregon
The Honorable Maureen A. Tighe
Chief United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Central District of California
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]]>The post Acquah and Jackson Named “Top 40 Under 40” by National Black Lawyers appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Ms. Jackson represents clients in a broad range of matters, including commercial contract disputes, shareholder activism, issues of corporate governance, antitrust, and securities litigation.
The National Black Lawyers Top 100 was created to celebrate legal excellence by promoting attorneys as subject-matter experts, developing a strong national network of top African American attorneys, and facilitating the exchange of timely information to enable our members to maintain their status as leaders.
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]]>The post Hueston Shares His Perspectives on Hueston Hennigan with Law360 appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Read the full profile here.
The post Hueston Shares His Perspectives on Hueston Hennigan with Law360 appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post IMDb Prevails at Ninth Circuit in Unanimous Opinion appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>As noted in the opinion, while “age discrimination has no place in the entertainment industry,” “not all statutory means of ending such discrimination are constitutional.”
The Hueston Hennigan team included John C. Hueston, Moez M. Kaba and Michael Todisco.
Media coverage includes the Los Angeles Times, Law360, the Daily Journal, Deadline, The Recorder, Yahoo!, and The Hollywood Reporter, among others.
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]]>The post Chou to Moderate Panel “Hate Crimes: Then & Now” appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Speakers include:
Vicki Chou
Of Counsel, Hueston Hennigan
Former AUSA
Mack Jenkins
AUSA
Manjusha P. Kulkarni
AP3CON
Brian Sun
Partner, Jones Day
Former AUSA
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]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Described a “Maximum Trial Threat” by Legal 500 appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>“Sharpest legal minds in the business. Early instinct for the jugular. Always comfortable in the courtroom.”
“With their consistent win record at trial they pose the maximum trial threat, which enables then to resolve matters more favorably than nearly any other shop in the country.”
“Each of the team members is extraordinarily talented, and they are better than the “sum of the parts” because they listen carefully to the client, are dedicated to aligning to the client’s goals.”
“[B]ecause it is a smaller firm you have the benefit of working more closely with their team and you have a sense that they understand you as a client. Because of the nature of the firm and the strength of its attorneys it can be nimble yet challenge the biggest law firms in the industry.”
“Personal attention, thoughtful strategy, complete commitment to your case and an effort to learn how the client functions.”
“Hueston Hennigan hires the best young lawyers while the senior partners have the experience to guide the firm to a lasting and successful practice. Realizing the client is always first while at the same time aggressively advocating on their behalf sets the firm above most others.”
Brian Hennigan was selected to the Legal 500 “Hall of Fame” for Investigations and White Collar Defense.
John Hueston was recognized as a Leading Lawyer and clients noted:
“John Hueston is quick on the uptake and his feet, cuts to the chase, never misses the bullseye.”
“John Hueston is a brilliant lawyer and tactician. He is always thinking of ways to advance the client’s interests, communicates effectively with clients, and works tirelessly. He is an exceptional advocate in all settings, pre-trial, trial, and appeal, which is extraordinarily rare.”
Moez Kaba, Marshall Camp and Doug Dixon were also included as recommended lawyers.
For 33 years, The Legal 500 has been analyzing the capabilities of law firms across the world, with a comprehensive research program revised and updated every year to bring the most up-to-date vision of the global legal market. The Legal 500 assesses the strengths of law firms in over 150 jurisdictions. The rankings are based on a series of criteria, but simply put, highlight the practice area teams who are providing the most cutting edge and innovative advice to corporate counsel. Research is based on feedback from 300,000 clients worldwide, submissions from law firms and interviews with leading private practice lawyers, and a team of researchers who have unrivalled experience in the legal market.
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]]>The post Twelve Lawyers Named 2020 Southern California Rising Stars appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>
Michael Acquah*
Varun Behl*
Michael Behrens
Jennifer Hayden
Brittani Jackson*
Lauren Johnson*
Moez Kaba
Sourabh Mishra*
Christy Rayburn
Joe Reiter*
Andrew Walsh
Additional recognitions include:
“Up and Coming 100”
– Moez Kaba
We are incredibly proud that six of these lawyers are new entrants to the list indicative of the great group of young lawyers who are working on cutting-edge litigation for the world’s leading companies. (See * on the list above).
To be eligible, a candidate must be either 40 years old or younger, or in practice for 10 years or less. While up to 5% of the lawyers in the state are named to Super Lawyers, no more than 2.5% are named to the Rising Stars list.
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]]>The post Super Lawyers Recognizes Every Hueston Hennigan Partner appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Marshall A. Camp
Douglas J. Dixon
Brian J. Hennigan
John C. Hueston
Moez M. Kaba
Robert N. Klieger
Allison L. Libeu
Alison L. Plessman
Andrew K. Walsh
Additional recognitions include:
“Top 100 Lawyers”
– John Hueston
– Brian Hennigan
“Top 50 Orange County”
– John Hueston
“Up and Coming 100”
– Moez Kaba
Super Lawyers selects attorneys using a patented multiphase selection process. Peer nominations and evaluations are combined with independent research. Each candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement. Selections are made on an annual, state-by-state basis. The objective is to create a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of outstanding attorneys that can be used as a resource for attorneys and consumers searching for legal counsel. Since Super Lawyers is intended to be used as an aid in selecting a lawyer, we limit the lawyer ratings to those who can be hired and retained by the public.
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]]>The post Peloton Secures Voluntary Surrender of Echelon Trademark Registration appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Rather than fight for continued registration, Echelon filed a voluntary surrender of trademark registration.
This is just the latest in the string of many intellectual property victories that Hueston Hennigan has achieved for Peloton.
The Hueston Hennigan team includes Shannon Coit and Maxwell Coll.
The post Peloton Secures Voluntary Surrender of Echelon Trademark Registration appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Hueston, “in demand for high-profile cases and clients,” again named to LA’s Most Influential People in Business appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The LA500 is an annual list that highlights the people, companies and transactions that have an impact on the business community.
Read the full profile here.
Read the complete LA 500 here.
The post Hueston, “in demand for high-profile cases and clients,” again named to LA’s Most Influential People in Business appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Peloton Files IP Theft & False Advertising Lawsuit Against Maker of NordicTrack appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>As alleged in the complaint, Icon has “attempted to free ride off Peloton’s innovative technology” by, among other reasons, displaying archived exercise class content to remote users with a synchronized dynamically-updating leaderboard that compares every remote user’s performance. The Complaint further alleges that Peloton says Icon defrauds consumers by using what is known as “false reference pricing,” i.e. posting a price and then saying it’s a discount of the original price.
The Hueston Hennigan team includes Doug Dixon, Christy Rayburn, Karen Younkins and Haoxiaohan Cai.
The case is Peloton Interactive Inc. v. Icon Health & Fitness Inc., 20-00662, U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware (Wilmington).
Media coverage includes Bloomberg, Nasdaq.com, MotleyFool, and Reuters.
The post Peloton Files IP Theft & False Advertising Lawsuit Against Maker of NordicTrack appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Motion to Dismiss Granted in False Claims Act Suit Against Bausch Health appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The Hueston Hennigan team is led by Moez M. Kaba, and includes Padraic Foran and Dan Sheehan.
Media coverage includes Bloomberg Law, Law360, and Reuters.
The post Motion to Dismiss Granted in False Claims Act Suit Against Bausch Health appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Request for TRO Defeated in High-Stakes Patent Litigation appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>“This is a very significant win for our client ClearOne,” explained partner Douglas J. Dixon. “ClearOne is a leading innovator in conferencing products, and this dispute with its rival Shure is one of its most significant legal battles. ClearOne won a preliminary injunction against Shure last year in the Northern District of Illinois, and this request for a TRO was Shure’s effort to punch back in a new forum. It failed.”
The Honorable Christopher J. Burke in the District of Delaware agreed with ClearOne that Shure “ha[d] not met [its] burden to show that irreparable harm will result absent the entry of a TRO.” The Court also agreed that ClearOne’s “invalidity challenge based on at least indefiniteness raises a substantial question as to whether the [asserted patent] is valid.”
This is just the latest in the string of many patent victories that Hueston Hennigan has achieved for ClearOne.
The Hueston Hennigan team included Douglas J. Dixon, Christy Rayburn, Karen Younkins, Sourabh Mishra, Neil Anderson, Michael Acquah, and Maxwell Coll.
The post Request for TRO Defeated in High-Stakes Patent Litigation appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Plessman and Chou Named Among Top Women Attorneys appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Ms. Chou is a seasoned trial and appellate attorney and recently served as a Deputy Chief in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Central District of California. As an AUSA in the Central District of California, she represented the United States in hundreds of criminal cases, including computer and internet fraud, intellectual property, money laundering, bank fraud, tax fraud, and racketeering offenses. She has successfully tried over 10 cases as lead counsel and won every one of her appeals before the Ninth Circuit.
The Los Angeles Business Journal recognized LA’s most influential women attorneys. These women have been singled out for being particularly impactful on the legal scene while serving as trusted advisors in the LA region, along with maintaining the highest professional and ethical standards, and for contributions to the Los Angeles business and legal community at large.
Read the Top Women Attorneys supplement.
The post Plessman and Chou Named Among Top Women Attorneys appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Praised as a “Top-Notch Firm” By Chambers appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>John Hueston, ranked Band 1 and “Star Individual,” “is extraordinarily creative,” comments a source, adding: “When he walks in, judges take notice.” He is lauded as “one of the very best trial lawyers in the country.” “He is brilliant, incredibly hard-working, and a fantastic strategic thinker.”
Brian Hennigan, ranked Band 1, is well versed in a variety of white collar matters ranging from antitrust and False Claims actions to fraud. One commentator describes him as “a great lawyer” and highlights his trial skills, affirming: “Judges just love him. He has a spark in the courtroom.”
The “exceptional” Moez Kaba is recognized for his commercial litigation skills. He is commended for his “remarkable ability to hone in on the most salient issues immediately.”
Robert Klieger has a highly respected litigation practice, which sees him handle high-stakes profit participation, intellectual property and contract disputes. Interviewees describe him as “absolutely terrific” and “a really outstanding lawyer.”
Chambers USA ranks the top lawyers and law firms across the United States. Chambers guides are the culmination of thousands of interviews with lawyers and clients carried out by the largest research team of its kind assessing a firm’s client service, technical legal ability and achievements, professional conduct, value for money, and depth of team. Hueston Hennigan’s rankings are available, here.
The post Hueston Hennigan Praised as a “Top-Notch Firm” By Chambers appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Navigating Contractual Obligations During COVID-19 appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Click to read the guide “Navigating Your Contractual Obligations During COVID-19.”
The post Navigating Contractual Obligations During COVID-19 appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Makes Gift to UCI Law School appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The fund is intended to be a supplemental financial resource for UCI Law students who are unable to meet immediate and essential expenses because of hardships surrounding COVID-19. Those needs include housing, food insecurity, medical care, travel expenses, technology for remote learning, and other unforeseen emergency circumstances.
Click here to read the press release.
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]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Named “California Trial Firm of the Year” and “Los Angeles Firm of the Year” appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>John Hueston also received the Los Angeles Attorney of the Year award for the second year in a row. John was recognized for his outstanding trial advocacy and for a stellar year representing Elon Musk in defeating his SEC contempt motion; securing a complete defense verdict for Caltech in a $65 million+ tortious interference and whistleblower case; and for McGlashan’s vigorous fight in the Varsity Blues college scandal.
Hueston Hennigan also received an “Impact Case of the Year” award for obtaining a unanimous 9-0 opinion at the Supreme Court of the United States in favor of Nutraceutical Corporation in a case that has significant implications for class actions practice.
The winners were selected based upon extensive research conducted between March and November 2019.
The post Hueston Hennigan Named “California Trial Firm of the Year” and “Los Angeles Firm of the Year” appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Hennigan and Foran Provide Update on ‘The Granston Memo’ appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Click here to read full article.
The post Hennigan and Foran Provide Update on ‘The Granston Memo’ appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Houston Astros Hire Hueston Hennigan in Bolsinger Lawsuit appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Bolsinger is represented by Geragos & Geragos. Hueston Hennigan previously faced off against Geragos in the battle between the State Bar and its former executive director Joseph Dunn, with Hueston Hennigan coming away with the victory.
Read the full Daily Journal article here.
The post Houston Astros Hire Hueston Hennigan in Bolsinger Lawsuit appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Team Earns Spot on List of 2019 Top Verdicts appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>“At one point he was demanding more than nine figures, and he was trying to call into question Caltech’s integrity as a research institution and its relations with the Department of Energy,” said partner and co-lead counsel Moez Kaba to the Daily Journal. “But there was no misconduct on the school’s part and Caltech was determined to fight the claims.”
Following over a year of discovery, we moved for summary judgment and succeeded in narrowing the case substantially. The issue at trial – in May 2019 – was whether Caltech retaliated against Dr. Roumi for complaints he had made and wrongfully terminated him.
Through a spirited examination of many high-level officials at Caltech, co-lead counsel and partner John Hueston took “him on as lead witness and attempted to destroy his credibility.”
After four weeks of trial and just two hours of deliberation, we secured a full defense verdict for Caltech.
Read Top Verdicts story.
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]]>The post Immigrant Detention Hotline Featured in ‘OITNB’ Is Ordered Restored appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>In 2019, FFI partnered with the popular Netflix show Orange is the New Black (“OITNB”) to help portray the plight of persons detained in ICE facilities and increase public knowledge of the work that organizations like FFI do. Season 7 of OITNB prominently featured the Hotline, and press surrounding the July 2019 season premiere focused on the immigrant-centric storylines and FFI’s work. After first restricting the national Hotline to only certain facilities in Florida, ICE completely shut down the Hotline within two weeks of the premiere of OITNB Season 7.
Hueston Hennigan filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of FFI in December 2019 to reinstate FFI’s Hotline that ICE had shut down in retaliation for FFI’s exercise of First Amendment rights, advocating on behalf of persons in immigration detention.
In granting the preliminary injunction, Judge Birotte found that “FFI has shown that its speech was a substantial and motivating factor behind DHS’s shutdown of the Hotline,” and ordered that DHS stop “further interference with the operation of the free and confidential” Hotline and restore FFI’s Hotline at “all detention facilities operated , controlled, and/or overseen” by ICE.
As noted in the Hollywood Reporter, Mr. Kaba “praised the court for affirming the group’s ‘First Amendment and Constitutional rights to be free from retaliation.’”
FFI’s National Immigration Detention Hotline is the nation’s largest immigration detention hotline and staffed by a team of highly trained multilingual advocates across the country. Prior to the shutdown, FFI received over 10,000 calls per month from people in immigrant prisons and jails nationwide. FFI received calls from immigrants from 148 countries that spoke 80 different languages. Most calls came from people originally from Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Haiti, Ghana, Nigeria, Jamaica, India, and the Dominican Republic.
Freedom for Immigrants is represented pro bono by Moez M. Kaba, Rajan Trehan, and Ashley Artmann of Hueston Hennigan LLP.
Media coverage includes The Hollywood Reporter, Los Angeles Times, ABCNews, San Francisco Chronicle, Law360 and others.
The post Immigrant Detention Hotline Featured in ‘OITNB’ Is Ordered Restored appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Celebrates Its Five-Year Anniversary appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>
The post Hueston Hennigan Celebrates Its Five-Year Anniversary appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Peloton, Flywheel Settle Legal Disputes Over Fitness Bike Tech appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Peloton filed the original litigation in September 2018 alleging that Flywheel had willfully and intentionally created a copycat of the Peloton Bike called the “FLY Anywhere.”
The Hueston Hennigan team included Doug Dixon, Christy Von der Ahe Rayburn, Karen Younkins, Neil Anderson, Maxwell Coll, Joseph Crusham, Xiaohan Cai and Evan Shapiro
Read the Peloton press release here.
Media Coverage includes The Wall Street Journal, Law360, The Verge, The Fool and Fox Business.
The post Peloton, Flywheel Settle Legal Disputes Over Fitness Bike Tech appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Leading Professional Liability Trial Lawyer Harry Mittleman Joins Hueston Hennigan appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Mr. Mittleman was previously a partner at Irell & Manella and its General Counsel, where he focused on professional liability defense for major law firms, intellectual property litigation, and entertainment, commercial and securities litigation across a broad spectrum of industries.
In one frequently cited case that has attracted significant interest and achieved widespread influence, Mr. Mittleman secured a judgment dismissing claims for alleged professional negligence on behalf of a leading international law firm. That dismissal was then affirmed in a published decision that held, as a matter of first impression under California law, that a legal malpractice lawsuit must be dismissed where the law firm could not effectively defend the suit without revealing privileged client confidences. He also represented United Talent Agency in a high-profile, complex litigation in state and federal court against the Writers Guild of America concerning television packing fees, involving claims brought under federal and state antitrust laws, federal labor laws, federal anti-racketeering laws, and state laws.
“Harry is both a valued counselor and accomplished trial lawyer, trusted by clients and counsel alike to deliver exceptional results in the most challenging cases,” said managing partner Brian Hennigan.
For over a decade, Mr. Mittleman has been a professor at UCLA School of Law where he teaches an advanced course in business torts, focusing on commercial wrongs that cause economic harm.
“I am excited to join such a dynamic and elite national powerhouse.” Mittleman said. “In the five years since it was founded, Hueston Hennigan has become the firm to beat. I look forward to joining and expanding the firm’s already respected trial lawyers and professional liability practice.”
The post Leading Professional Liability Trial Lawyer Harry Mittleman Joins Hueston Hennigan appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Kaba and Chou Named Among Top Minority Attorneys appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Ms. Chou was recognized for her successful career as a Deputy Chief in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Central District of California, where she represented the United States in hundreds of criminal cases, including computer and internet fraud, intellectual property, money laundering, bank fraud, tax fraud, and racketeering offenses. She successfully tried over 10 cases as lead counsel and won every one of her appeals before the Ninth Circuit.
The Los Angeles Business Journal recognized lawyers considered to be particularly impactful on the legal scene while serving as trusted advisors in the LA region, along with maintaining the highest professional and ethical standards, and for contributions to the Los Angeles business and legal community at large.
Read the Top Minority Attorneys profile here.
The post Kaba and Chou Named Among Top Minority Attorneys appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Shortlisted for 2020 Benchmark Litigation West Coast Awards appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The nominees were chosen based upon research conducted between March and November 2019. The awards ceremony will be held on March 5th at The St. Regis in San Francisco.
For the fourth consecutive year, Hueston Hennigan earned a spot on the list of “Top Boutiques” in the United States, one of only 12 firms selected nationwide. In addition, we were selected as one of the “Top 20 Trial Firms” in the United States, for the second year in a row.
Hueston Hennigan also earned national – and California – tier 1 rankings in the General Commercial, White Collar, Securities and Entertainment practice areas.
A number of our partners were also individually recognized, as noted below:
Marshall A. Camp, Local Litigation Star
Douglas J. Dixon, Future Star
Brian Hennigan, Local Litigation Star, National Practice Area Star
John C. Hueston, Local Litigation Star, National Practice Area Star
Moez M. Kaba, 40 & Under Hot List, Local Litigation Star
Robert N. Klieger, Local Litigation Star
Allison Libeu, 40 & Under Hot List
The post Hueston Hennigan Shortlisted for 2020 Benchmark Litigation West Coast Awards appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Hueston Profiled for “Legal Firepower” on Behalf of Leading Businesses and Iconic Individuals appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Click here to read the full Business Insider article.
The post Hueston Profiled for “Legal Firepower” on Behalf of Leading Businesses and Iconic Individuals appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Reiter and Behl Promoted to Counsel appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Mr. Reiter is a trial and appellate lawyer with broad experience and success litigating high-stakes disputes. He has had a key role in a number of significant trials, including obtaining a complete defense verdict for the California Institute of Technology in a tortious interference and whistleblower retaliation case and a victory for the State Bar of California in a breach of contract and wrongful termination suit. Mr. Reiter was also part of the team that prevailed 9-0 before the United States Supreme Court in a class action appeal, and he recently secured the dismissal of all claims against Deloitte in a False Claims Act dispute.
Mr. Reiter clerked for the Honorable Andrew J. Kleinfeld of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He earned his J.D. from University of Michigan Law School.
Mr. Behl has extensive experience handling complex disputes. He has succeeded in jury and bench trials including on behalf of the California Institute of Technology after a month-long jury trial, and on behalf of the State Bar of California in a high-profile arbitration. He recently obtained a preliminary injunction on behalf of our client in a case impacting the pharmaceutical industry.
Mr. Behl clerked for the Honorable Jerry E. Smith of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He earned his J.D. from University of Michigan Law.
The post Reiter and Behl Promoted to Counsel appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Deloitte Consulting Dismissed From False Claims Act Dispute appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The case arose out of a project the City of San Diego began in 2014 to overhaul its enterprise asset management system. The City hired Deloitte Consulting to provide professional consulting services, including the implementation and integration of software designed by SAP America, Inc.
Plaintiff Thomas Rocco, a former SAP employee, brought this qui tam lawsuit in 2017, alleging that Deloitte Consulting and SAP had violated numerous conflicts of interest laws and conspired to defraud the City out of public funds. Rocco claimed, among other things, that Deloitte Consulting had billed the City for work it did not perform, exchanged illegal kickbacks with SAP, intentionally concealed conflicts of interest, and rigged the City’s bidding system. Rocco sought to invalidate the entire contract between Deloitte Consulting and the City and treble damages and fines in excess of $75 million.
Hueston Hennigan aggressively and strategically moved to obtain early dismissal of Rocco’s 118-page complaint. After several rounds of demurrers, an Orange County Superior Court judge granted Hueston Hennigan’s third demurrer with prejudice on all remaining claims against Deloitte Consulting.
Deloitte Consulting is represented by John Hueston and Joseph Reiter of Hueston Hennigan LLP.
The post Deloitte Consulting Dismissed From False Claims Act Dispute appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Freedom for Immigrants Seeks to Declare ICE’s Actions Unconstitutional and Reinstate Its National Immigration Detention Hotline appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Freedom for Immigrants is represented pro bono by Moez M. Kaba, Rajan Trehan, and Ashley Artmann of Hueston Hennigan LLP.
Media coverage includes the Houston Chronicle, Washington Post, The New York Times, US News, The Hollywood Reporter, The Recorder, and others.
Click here to read the full press release.
The post Freedom for Immigrants Seeks to Declare ICE’s Actions Unconstitutional and Reinstate Its National Immigration Detention Hotline appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Southern California Edison Settles Wildfire Lawsuits with Public Entities appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>“These settlements represent a significant result for our client,” said partner Doug Dixon.
The story was covered in the Wall Street Journal, CNN, Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles Business Journal, and Law360 to name a few.
The post Southern California Edison Settles Wildfire Lawsuits with Public Entities appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Welcomes 2019 Associate Class appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Sara Banco
UC Irvine School of Law (J.D., 2017)
California State University, Monterey Bay (B.A., 2013)
Clerkships: Hon. Carolyn McHugh, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
Haoxiaohan Cai
Harvard Law School (J.D., 2017)
Duke University (B.A., 2014)
Clerkships: Hon. Gonzalo Curiel, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California and Hon. Jerome Holmes, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
Shannon Coit
University of Pennsylvania Law School (J.D., 2014)
University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine (M.A., 2014)
University of Michigan (B.A., 2006)
Clerkships: Hon. M. Margaret McKeown, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and Hon. Cynthia Bashant, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
Maxwell Coll
UC Berkeley School of Law (J.D., 2016)
Tulane University (B.A., 2011)
Clerkship: Hon. David O. Carter, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
Joseph Crusham
UC Berkeley School of Law (J.D., 2018)
Ohio State University (B.A., 2015)
Clerkship: Hon. Josephine L. Staton, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
Sara Haji
UC Berkeley School of Law (J.D., 2014)
University of Texas at Austin (B.A., 2010)
Clerkships: Hon. Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar for the Supreme Court of California, Hon. Raymond C. Fisher, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and Hon. Margo K. Brodie, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
Abigail Majane
University of Chicago Law School (J.D., 2018)
University of Pittsburgh (B.S., 2015; B.A., 2015)
Clerkship: Hon. Michael Brennan, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
Amber Munoz
UCLA School of Law (J.D., 2019)
University of California, Santa Barbara (B.A., 2015)
The post Hueston Hennigan Welcomes 2019 Associate Class appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Recognized by U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” Rankings appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>In addition, five partners were listed in 26th edition of Best Lawyers in America ranking released earlier this year. They were recognized for excellence in Commercial Litigation, Criminal Defense: White Collar, Intellectual Property, Securities and Bet-the-Company litigation.
The U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process that includes the collection of client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys, and review of additional information provided by law firms as part of the formal submission process.
The post Hueston Hennigan Recognized by U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” Rankings appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Hueston Honored as Litigation Attorney of the Year appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>As “the best lawyer of his generation” with a “commanding reputation for his trial advocacy,” Mr. Hueston is selected as lead counsel for many of the nation’s most profile cases.
Brian Hennigan was also honored to be included as a finalist. The LABJ noted his successful representations of individuals facing allegations under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the Securities and Exchange Commission Act, the Internal Revenue Code, and the Sherman Act. He has also represented Fortune 500 corporations in a variety of civil disputes, including antitrust, trade secret, and unfair competition litigation.
Mr. Hueston was honored alongside a number of leading general counsel and firm-based attorneys in the Los Angeles area.
Click here to read the Los Angeles Business Journal Supplement.
The post Hueston Honored as Litigation Attorney of the Year appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Recognized by U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” Rankings appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>In addition, five partners were listed in 26th edition of Best Lawyers in America ranking released earlier this year. They were recognized for excellence in Commercial Litigation, Criminal Defense: White Collar, Intellectual Property, Securities and Bet-the-Company litigation.
The U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process that includes the collection of client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys, and review of additional information provided by law firms as part of the formal submission process.
The post Hueston Hennigan Recognized by U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” Rankings appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Judge Rejects Patrick Soon-Shiong’s Attempt to Avoid Sorrento Litigation appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>In his ruling, Judge Terry Green denied Soon-Shiong’s and NantPharma’s motion to stay or dismiss Sorrento’s arbitration against them, allowing that case to proceed in full. Judge Green also granted Sorrento’s motions to compel Soon-Shiong entity NantCell’s counterclaims to arbitration, rejecting NantCell’s attempts to avoid the arbitration agreement it had previously entered into with Sorrento.
The Hueston Hennigan team includes John Hueston, Padraic Foran, Karen Younkins, Annie Banks, Dan Sheehan, Marjorie Menza and Selena Galaviz.
The story was covered in the Daily Journal.
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]]>The post Peloton Sues Competitor Echelon for Infringement and False Advertising appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Similar claims are at issue in Peloton’s lawsuit against Flywheel; just last month, a federal judge rejected Flywheel’s attempt to dismiss that case. (Click here to read more).
“We filed this suit to protect Peloton’s rights and to stop Echelon’s misappropriation, false advertising and unfair competition,” said Peloton lead counsel.
The Hueston Hennigan team representing Peloton in this action includes Christina V. Rayburn, Karen Younkins, Kevin X. Wang and Maxwell K. Coll.
The story was covered in the Los Angeles Times, Bloomberg, Reuters and Law360.
The post Peloton Sues Competitor Echelon for Infringement and False Advertising appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Hennigan and Hueston Named “Top 100 Trial Lawyers” in America For Second Consecutive Year appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The firm was also recognized as a “Top Boutiques” in the United States, one of only 12 firms selected nationwide. In addition, we were selected as one of the “Top 20 Trial Firms” in the United States, for the second year in a row.
Benchmark Litigation is the definitive guide to America’s leading litigation law firms and lawyers. Research is conducted through extensive interviews with litigators, dispute resolution specialists and their clients to identify the leading litigators and firms. During these interviews, we examine recent casework handled by law firms and ask individual litigators to provide their professional opinions on peers and practitioners within their jurisdiction or practice area.
The post Hennigan and Hueston Named “Top 100 Trial Lawyers” in America For Second Consecutive Year appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Hueston Hennigan Named “Top 10 Boutique” in U.S. for Fourth Consecutive Year appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Hueston Hennigan also earned national – and California – tier 1 rankings in the General Commercial, White Collar, Securities and Entertainment practice areas.
The Benchmark analysis noted Hueston Hennigan’s “rise to a dominant position not only in the Southern California region but also through the state and indeed across the country.” The editors quoted an out-of-state peer citing, “their profile is going national at this point! They have just been massively successful.” With a trial-centric vision and an aggressive business model, “the firm is also [on] a first-call for crisis-based ‘event-driven litigation.’”
A number of our partners were also individually recognized, as noted below:
Marshall A. Camp, Local Litigation Star
Douglas J. Dixon, Future Star
Brian Hennigan, Local Litigation Star, National Practice Area Star
John C. Hueston, Local Litigation Star, National Practice Area Star
Moez M. Kaba, 40 & Under Hot List, Local Litigation Star
Robert N. Klieger, Local Litigation Star
Allison Libeu, 40 & Under Hot List
Benchmark Litigation is the definitive guide to America’s leading litigation law firms and lawyers. Research is conducted through extensive interviews with litigators, dispute resolution specialists and their clients to identify the leading litigators and firms. During these interviews, we examine recent casework handled by law firms and ask individual litigators to provide their professional opinions on peers and practitioners within their jurisdiction or practice area.
The post Hueston Hennigan Named “Top 10 Boutique” in U.S. for Fourth Consecutive Year appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Hueston and Kaba Named Top 100 Lawyers appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>For the third consecutive year, Mr. Kaba has been commended for his “significant victories for clients,” including Amgen in its battle to prevent state authorities from disclosing pricing information; for social networking app Grindr in a case over its potential liability for the acts of users; and Bausch Health Companies in separate trade secret and FCA actions. Responding to the Daily Journal’s recognition of his “extensive litigation work as a whole,” Mr. Kaba noted, “we like to take on important and difficult cases.”
Click here to read Mr. Hueston’s full profile.
Click here to read Mr. Kaba’s full profile.
The post Hueston and Kaba Named Top 100 Lawyers appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>The post Chou to Moderate Korean American Bar Association Panel appeared first on Hueston Hennigan.
]]>Speakers include:
Vicki Chou (Moderator)
Of Counsel, Hueston Hennigan
Former Assistant United States Attorney
Hon. Dorothy C. Kim
Associate Justice, California Court of Appeal
Second Appellate District, Division 5
Ann C. Kim
Partner, Hogan Lovells
Former SEC Enforcement Senior Counsel
Former Assistant United States Attorney
Naeun Rim
Partner, Bird Marella
Former Deputy Federal Public Defender
Former Public Counsel Fellow
This activity has been approved for Minimum Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) credit by the State Bar of California in the amount of 1.25 hours of participatory credit.
Click here for more information.
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]]>