He handles complex litigation for clients in the technology, financial services, and higher education industries and has successfully tried multiple cases to verdict as lead counsel.
In the higher education space, his recent notable cases include obtaining a $67 million settlement for the UC Regents as lead counsel in a dispute with Under Armour related to Under Armour’s attempt to cancel its sponsorship agreement with UCLA, serving as lead counsel for UC in a range of First Amendment cases involving campus speech issues, winning a significant Public Records Act decision for UC as lead counsel in a novel lawsuit brought by Professor Richard Sander, and winning summary judgment for CSU in two cases involving First Amendment issues and alleged retaliation at San Francisco State.
In 2021, Mr. Heckenlively was recognized in Bloomberg Law's “They've Got Next: The 40 Under 40,” and in 2018, Mr. Heckenlively was named to the American Bar Association’s list of Top 40 Young Lawyers for exemplifying “a broad range of high achievement, innovation, vision, leadership, and legal and community service.” He has been recognized as a Rising Star by Northern California Super Lawyers every year since 2016.
Mr. Heckenlively is committed to pro bono work and community organizations. He currently represents Native American students in a highly publicized case against the federal government seeking to obtain access to education. He has also represented public health organizations opposing a Florida law preventing physicians from discussing firearm safety with their patients. Mr. Heckenlively has served on the boards of a number of bar associations and legal services organizations. He is involved with the trial advocacy program at Berkeley Law and has taught as a lecturer there.