Litigation

A sample of the firm’s recent litigation and trial work includes representing:

• Bank of America in obtaining dismissal of securities litigation brought by the State of New Mexico on behalf of state pension funds for losses suffered in the mortgage crisis.
• Granite Construction and its Board in four significant shareholder actions and an SEC investigation/action.
• Bruce, Willa and Charles, who lost their Manhattan Beach business and property through a racially discriminatory condemnation action nearly 100 years ago. MTO represented the Bruce family, who successfully intervened in defending against a taxpayer action that sought to prevent Los Angeles County from returning the condemned beachfront property to the family. Read more about this historic transfer.
• Etsuko Toguri Estate, in a complete win of over $30 million in full compensatory damages, interest, and punitive damages, for the estate of a physician and businesswoman who was the victim of a massive real estate fraud involving the sale of a 32-acre parcel in the heart of downtown Rancho Cucamonga, a city east of Los Angeles. Read more about this victory.
• Intel and its officers and directors in obtaining dismissal of securities and derivative litigation arising from the Spectre and Meltdown security vulnerabilities affecting most computer processors made in the last 20 years.
• Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP in a settlement against lender CashCall asserting the law firm approved a controversial business model under which CashCall partnered with a Native American tribe to avoid state lending laws that prohibit excessive rates of interest when making loans.
• The LA Clippers in overcoming numerous legal obstacles in developing their new arena, which ended with a settlement that became final on May 1, 2020, when Steve Ballmer bought The Forum.
• Lyft, Inc. in a first-of-its-kind proposed class action filed by Lyft and Uber drivers against both firms alleging the companies have been price-fixing ride shares with the effect of overcharging riders and reducing driver incomes. 
• MGM in litigation arising from the deadliest mass shooting in recent history.
• Pacific Gas & Electric in numerous matters related to wildfires in California, including a multibillion dollar case that settled two weeks before trial.
• Plains All American Pipeline in criminal and civil litigation after the 2015 oil spill into the Pacific Ocean near Refugio Beach. More than thirty counts were dismissed before trial on the criminal side, and we negotiated a $230 million settlement on the civil side.
• Rent-A-Center in obtaining judgment after expedited trial in Delaware Court of Chancery in February 2019 holding a merger termination valid and resulting in payment to our client of a $92.5 million termination fee.
• See’s Candies in a precedent-setting appellate victory for See’s Candies before the California Court of Appeal in a case alleging See’s denied workers a second meal break during long shifts.
• Snap in winning a motion to dismiss trade secret litigation brought in federal court in Delaware by rival social mapping application YouMap.
• Square Inc. (now Block Inc.) in obtaining dismissal of a federal complaint claiming that Square’s terms of service discriminate on the basis of occupation and thus violate the Unruh Civil Rights Act. Read more about this dismissal.
• Wells Fargo in a lawsuit brought by Ronald Hilton alleging that the bank breached duties as co-trustee on his parents’ inheritance of millions of shares of Hilton Hotels Corporation stock from deceased hotel magnate Conrad Hilton.