Founded in San Francisco in 1972, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein celebrates its 50th year in action as a plaintiffs-only law firm. Throughout its years of being in service, the firm has garnered such a well-respected reputation as one of the most formidable forces that it has established a place on the Top Plaintiffs list since its debut. Lieff Cabraser has represented plaintiffs in a myriad of cases, ranging from consumer protection to fraud, labor and employment to securities, and everything in between. They have cornered niche areas of the market, such as litigation concerning the automotive and auto parts industries. One peer reflects, “[They] used to be known as a mass tort firm back in the old days, but they have become more active in the shareholder space.” The firm is well-known for itsstrategy and preparation, only bringing the most significant and impactful cases to defense counsel doors, regardless of the practice area.
One of the leading authorities in the plaintiffs' bar nationally, Elizabeth Cabraser is also the cornerstone of the firm’s top-tier ranking. With her exceptional skill in trial work, she garners the respect of plaintiff and defense counsel alike. While previous opponents have described her as “aggressive” in litigation and known to challenge her opponents, Cabraser is also “unquestionably ethical,” and her knowledge and creativity ensure defense counsel come prepared. She is frequently appointed as lead counsel for plaintiffs in class actions. In June of this year, as lead counsel, Cabraser obtained a preliminary approval of an $80 million settlement in the high-profile Volkswagen-Porsche emissions fraud case. She is also currently on Plaintiffs’ Steering Committees for antitrust price-fixing matters, including a case against generic drug manufacturers.
Richard Heimann is at the helm of the securities and financial fraud practice, especially for his work representing plaintiffs in shareholder derivative litigation. He leads the firm’s representation of Houston Municipal Employees Pension System in a securities fraud class action against Bofl Holding. The proposed settlement of $14.1 million was preliminarily approved by the Southern District of California. Outside of shareholder litigation, Heimann, as co-lead counsel for the City of San Francisco, received a favorable ruling against Walgreens that found the company liable for its contributions to the opioid epidemic. Kelly Dermody is a leading plaintiffs’ lawyer in the labor and employment arena. She is co-lead counsel with another prominent labor and employment plaintiff firm representing current and previous associates and vice-presidents of three divisions at Goldman Sachs in their gender discrimination lawsuit against the major financial institution. Dermody recently prevailed against the defendant’s motion to decertify the class and against the defendant’s motion for summary judgment on the plaintiffs’ disparate treatment claims. Robert Nelson has been the lead counsel in lawsuits against Plains AllAmerican Pipeline following the 2015 rupture that spewed oil into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Santa Barbara. The pipeline’s rupture caused soiled beaches and negatively impacted local fisheries. Nelson has represented subclasses includinghomeowners who lost the use of the beachfront amenity that they pay a premium for, local oil platform workers who were laid off as a result of the spill and subsequent closure of the pipeline, and fishers whose catch was impacted by the oil spill. Nelson recently obtained preliminary approval of a settlement totaling $240 million for two of the subclasses in the case. The fisher class will receive $184 million, and the property class will receive $46 million, pending final approval by the court. Lexi Hazam was recently court-appointed to be the co-lead counsel for individual plaintiffs in the Woolsey Fire cases against Southern California Edison. The cases have been sent into a settlement protocol and numerous cases have since been settled.
The firm also maintains a New York office that upholds the firm’s reputation on the East Coast. Wendy Fleishman is a New York partner whose practice is focused on representing plaintiffs in personal injury disputes and mass torts. A majority of her cases relate to prescription drug recalls due to injuries from undisclosed and dangerous side effects and defective medical devices.
