Los Angeles boutique Willenken is a litigation-specific shop that is noted for its “trial acumen with California-centric cases.” A peer testifies, “I used to be at this firm! They do great work, really can try a handful of cases, and it’s been great to watch them grow and develop.”
Historically, Paul Loh has been acknowledged as the firm’s premier trial lawyer, with more than 110 cases under his belt. He notched another win last year, leading a team that secured a significant trial victory on behalf of AbbVie Endocrine in the first phase of a high-stakes breach-of-contract case in Delaware Chancery Court against Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, accusing Takeda of failing to supply AbbVie’s requirements for Lupron, an androgen deprivation therapy entity. After a Food and Drug Administration inspection found serious quality deficiencies at one of Takeda’s Japanese Lupron manufacturing facilities, production disruptions caused a worldwide Lupron supply shortage. The phase-two trial was held in January 2023 to determine the amount of damages to be awarded to AbbVie for Takeda’s breaches of the parties’ Lupron supply agreement. Closing arguments were heard in Delaware Chancery Court in May.
The Delaware Court of Chancery sided with AbbVie in September 2023, granting the drugmaker nearly all of the $480.6 million it was seeking in damages.
Other members of the team include Jason Wilson and Amelia Sargent, both of whom have been increasingly stepping to the fore and burnishing their battle-ready credentials. “Jason has a history of taking on really difficult cases for California-centric clients,” confirms a peer. Wilson is defending SoCalGas and Sempra Energy in a lawsuit alleging claims of negligence and inverse condemnation. The plaintiffs allege that the other defendants in this case constructed a back house on the plaintiffs’ property, in close proximity to the clients’ gas service line, which caused stress on the pipe that resulted in the pipe bending and cracking and leaking natural gas. This natural gas eventually seeped into the plaintiffs’ property’s foundation and structure and was ignited by an unknown source. Wilson also represents long-time client McDonald’s in a lawsuit against a car wash, alleging causes of action for nuisance, trespass, declaratory relief, and permanent injunction. This case involves run-off water from the car wash located next to a McDonald’s franchise restaurant. The water has caused significant damage to the parking lot and access road, and continuously interferes with the operation of the restaurant.
