Our litigators have a broad range of expertise consistent with that found in large, national firms, while retaining the responsiveness and sensitivity to client goals and needs associated with smaller firms. We understand that clients generally see litigation as a last resort, and that litigation is often interwoven with collateral business issues. But when the course of litigation is chosen, our approach is to represent our clients’ interests aggressively to bring a successful resolution, whether through settlement or at trial. We prepare cases to try them.

The clients that we represent in litigation range from Fortune 500 corporations with international operations to small local businesses and individuals. Our attorneys are experienced in trying cases to judgment in both jury and non-jury trials. We have obtained judgments for several clients valued at millions of dollars. The firm has successfully represented clients in complex state and federal litigation involving business torts, copyright and trademark infringement, commercial and contract disputes, employment practices, first- and third-party insurance, products liability, real estate, construction, antitrust and trade regulation, securities, mechanic's liens and Uniform Commercial Code/creditors rights. We have successfully defended numerous actions seeking millions of dollars in damages, as well as class action cases involving thousands of class members and millions of dollars of exposure on behalf of several very large corporations. The firm's litigation practice also includes disputes of more narrow scope and more modest claims. With this blend of litigation matters, the firm's litigators are expert in weighing the costs, risks, and potential benefits in each litigation matter.

Illustrations of the larger scale litigation handled by the firm include successfully representing retail clients in cases of alleged antitrust violations and price fixing of goods and related claims where damages sought in each case were in excess of $100 million. In employment litigation, we have successfully represented employers accused of company-wide employment discrimination where damages sought were in the millions of dollars. The firm's litigation practice in the area of intellectual property includes representation of some of the country's largest software and computer games companies in actions for copyright and trademark infringement in courts throughout the United States. Remedies obtained for our clients in intellectual property cases frequently include court orders allowing federal marshals to seize infringing or counterfeit products from defendants. The firm's intellectual property litigators also pursue actions against software pirates selling across the internet and have undertaken the nationwide enforcement of the intellectual property rights of musical groups during performance tours.

Our real estate litigators complement the firm’s real estate transaction group by enforcing and defending our clients' real estate interests. Among such cases are successful defenses of landlords’ claims for breaches of lease, including alleged subtenant defaults and alleged violations of continuous operation and use clauses. Our real estate litigators have also successfully brought suits against defaulting tenants in commercial buildings and shopping centers; against design engineers for improper soils testing; against contractors and manufacturers for defective warehouse roofs; and against landlords and third parties for unapproved construction in common areas.

We share the business perspective of our clients that, fundamentally, the favored approach to litigation is prevention. Accordingly, the firm's litigation and transactional attorneys regularly work together on matters such as property transfers, employment agreements, intellectual property, general business deals, and mergers and acquisitions, all with the aim to ensure that the implications of recent court decisions and risks of potential litigation are anticipated and addressed.

Over the past decade, alternative dispute resolutions ("ADR") techniques, such as arbitration and mediation, often have been pursued to secure satisfactory results more quickly and efficiently than trials. Our attorneys include frequently sought ADR practitioners. With this background, our litigators advise clients of appropriate techniques to resolve their disputes, and are experienced in representing them throughout the ADR process.

If you have any questions regarding the firm's litigation practice, please contact or at 510.451.0544.

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