California

Firm overview

Described by Chambers USA as a “relentless and creative high-stakes trial litigation firm,” Hueston Hennigan LLP is “enjoying meteoric success.”

Since Hueston Hennigan opened its doors in 2015, it has established itself as “a maximum trial threat” (Legal 500) known for finding a way to win in the highest-stakes litigation, trials, and white-collar defense cases.

Our lawyers approach cases differently than most litigation firms do. From day one, we treat each matter as though it will go to trial. This emphasis on trial readiness inspires us to bring creative strategies to each matter. By developing a deep understanding of the facts, the context, and the law relevant to each case, we can aggressively litigate without relying on a rulebook. Our focused preparation and forceful posture in the first 90 days help us achieve the most successful and cost-effective outcomes for our clients.

This approach works because we don’t function like a traditional hierarchal law firm. Instead, we train our teams to think like “outside GCs.” Since each client is a firm client, not a client of any individual partner, every lawyer is focused on comprehensively, creatively, and collaboratively solving their clients’ unique problems.

Representative Reviews and Recognitions:

• “A maximum trial threat.”—Legal 500
• “Hard-driving, insightful, and aggressive.”—Chambers
• “A reputation for a creative and often disruptive approach to litigation.”—Los Angeles Business Journal
• “Phenomenal track record in trials.”—Legal 500
• “Sharpest legal minds in the business. Early instinct for the jugular. Always comfortable in the courtroom.”—Legal 500
• “It is the perfect litigation boutique—very bright and very committed.”—Chambers
• “A National Powerhouse.”— Daily Journal
• “A force to be reckoned with.”—Chambers
• “The firm to beat … dynamic and engaged … reshaped the landscape.” —Benchmark Litigation

Our Edge: Remarkable Results Through Disruptive Strategies

We have a history of obtaining remarkable results in our clients’ most important cases. Our creative and disruptive approach has earned us a national reputation as the “go-to firm for bet-the-farm litigation.” With ever-increasing frequency, we are adding new clients—including Broadcom, ThermoFisher, the Houston Astros, Momofuko, Sonder, and Coronal—to our growing list of clients that are technology innovators, Fortune 500 companies, municipalities, universities, individuals, and entrepreneurs. They include PwC, Caltech, SpaceX, the University of California, Electronic Arts, Western Digital, T-Mobile, Tesla, PIMCO, Allergan Inc., Endo Pharmaceuticals, Showtime Networks, Edison International, The Boy Scouts of America, Palantir, Monster Energy, Taco Bell, Bausch Health, Amgen, and Walt Disney, among others.

Our Team: Unmatched Talent at Every Level

Based in California and practicing nationwide, our more than 70 lawyers hail from the most selective law schools and clerkships and are veterans of prominent national law firms. Some joined us after distinguished national careers in public service. Our attorneys have collectively participated in over 200 trials, and our partners are recognized as among the country’s top trial lawyers. At trial, our diverse teams reflect the profiles of our juries.

Nearly 80 percent of our associates have clerked for judges at federal district courts, courts of appeals, or the highest courts of several states. Former judicial clerks bring real-world experience and superior research skills to their work, seamlessly stepping into positions of significant responsibility. We offer competitive bonuses and credit for time spent clerking, and we encourage current or prospective clerks to apply.

What Our Clients Say

“The lawyers at Hueston Hennigan have distinguished themselves with their wise counsel and outstanding advocacy from the boardroom to the courtroom. Their ability to balance legal and business considerations practically and efficiently is truly exceptional. They are among our go-to trial counsel, and they deliver results.”
—Jake Schatz, Electronic Arts, SVP, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary

“In one of Western Digital’s most important legal matters in recent years, Hueston Hennigan partnered with us to craft and implement a creative, multistage litigation strategy that delivered repeated victories in both court and international arbitration. Hueston Hennigan has a very deep bench of legal talent and are our trusted counselors for our most important cases.”
—Michael Ray, Western Digital, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary

“Hueston Hennigan is an ideal choice for the toughest cases; the combined, concentrated trial talent of Hueston Hennigan makes this firm a top-shelf litigation choice for virtually any high-risk, complex matter.”
—Melissa Scanlan, T-Mobile, Vice President, Intellectual Property and Antitrust

“Hueston Hennigan lawyers distinguished themselves as dynamically creative and unsurpassed in courtroom advocacy. Their care extends beyond the individual case: they work closely with our in-house counsel, and their post-mortem review of matters is a value-add that fits squarely with our continuous improvement culture. They are a go-to firm for the most complex and challenging cases.”
—Barry H. Caldwell, Waste Management, former Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs & Chief Legal Office

“I turn to Hueston Hennigan for our most significant legal matters. In each engagement, they have provided extraordinarily effective lawyering, counsel, and strategic business advice. They are unrivaled as go-to trial counsel for complex, high-risk litigation.”
—Julie Davis, Taco Bell, Global Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary

“I hired Hueston Hennigan because of their extensive experience litigating and winning high-profile fraud cases. It was a fantastic decision. In short order, they filed a compelling complaint, defeated the other side’s efforts to dismiss the case, strategically obtained devastating discovery, and secured a phenomenal settlement for me. Their commitment to my case, insights, and advocacy resulted in a total and unmitigated victory.”

—Alec Baldwin, Actor and Philanthropist

“John Hueston and Brian Hennigan have created a world-class law firm for the 21st century, capable of serving the litigation needs of clients ranging from individuals to global companies. Its talented team of professionals is dedicated to working closely with clients and has the creativity and flexibility to bring the simplest solutions to the most complex problems.”

—Arnold Pinkston, Edwards Lifesciences LLC, Corporate Vice President, General Counsel

Updated Sep 2021

Firm overview

Headquartered in Los Angeles, Stris & Maher LLP is an award-winning litigation boutique that specializes in high-stakes business disputes. The firm represents plaintiffs and defendants throughout the country, at trial and on appeal. The firm intentionally limits its docket to a select number of matters where its involvement can be transformational. In 2019, The American Lawyer recognized the firm as one of seven finalists for Boutique Litigation Firm of the Year.

Named to The National Law Journal’s Appellate Hot List in 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2021, the firm’s Supreme Court and appellate practice is widely recognized as among the nation’s most successful. The firm’s appellate team is led by Peter Stris. An elected fellow of both the American and California Academies of Appellate Lawyers, Mr. Stris has represented parties in dozens of high-stakes and high-profile business appeals. Chambers USA calls him “a tactical genius and a great leveler,” ranking him among top appellate specialists both nationally and in California. The National Law Journal has highlighted his ability “to win even when conventional wisdom held that he barely had a shot.” And Reuters has identified him as one of the most influential advocates before the U.S. Supreme Court, where he has argued ten cases.

The firm is also a trial powerhouse. It regularly litigates bet-the-farm business cases to verdict or judgment before state and federal courts nationwide. And it wins. Recently, the firm successfully tried a $61 million Lanham Act case on behalf of defense clients, and preserved that result on appeal and remand. In recognition, Benchmark Litigation shortlisted Mr. Stris for 2022 Los Angeles Litigator of the Year and The Daily Journal included the result in its list of California’s 20 Top Defense Verdicts of 2021. In another must-win case, the firm successfully defended a treatment facility in license revocation proceedings that culminated in a four-week bench trial. Benchmark Litigation named Partner Dana Berkowitz to its 40 & Under Hot List of 2021 for the victory.

Stris & Maher is a certified Women’s Business Enterprise by the Women’s Business Enterprise Council – West, and well more than half of the firm’s lawyers identify as women, people of color, and/or LGBTQ. Led by Managing Partner Elizabeth Brannen, the firm is a leader in its support for diversity, equity, and inclusion within the legal community. Ms. Brannen is a member of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, an organization of approximately 400 corporate chief legal officers and law firm managing partners committed to creating a truly diverse U.S. legal profession. She is a Leader at the Front and has made a public pledge to take specific and meaningful action to support diversity.

Updated March 2022

Firm overview

Hausfeld is a leading antitrust and litigation law firm with 12 offices in the US (Boston, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington, DC), the UK (London), and continental Europe (Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Düsseldorf, Paris and Stockholm). Our global reach means we can litigate in jurisdictions that suit our clients best. We are also experienced in mediation and arbitration.

Hausfeld brings a visionary approach to resolving claims, whether that is for a single client or a group working collectively. As a leader in pioneering legal actions for damages, Hausfeld innovates by pushing further - the firm tenaciously focuses on results, and achieves pragmatic conclusions. Hausfeld lawyers have achieved some of the largest landmark settlements and judgments in our areas of practice, often after hard-fought litigation against the biggest names in the legal market. Socially minded and a champion for the best corporate governance, our lawyers are at the forefront of the legal profession in improving access to justice for both individuals and businesses. That makes for a profoundly different law firm.

The Hausfeld team comprises highly experienced litigators with a proven track record in claimant litigation in the areas of:

• Antitrust/Competition
• Commercial & Financial Disputes
• Environmental Law
• Human Rights
• Product Liability & Consumer Protection
• Technology & Data Breach

Hausfeld’s clients include some of the world’s largest corporations in myriad industries, including current clients listed on the Fortune Global 500 and Forbes Global 2000. Hausfeld is reputed for its claimant-friendly, dynamic, entrepreneurial, and pioneering approach to dispute resolution. For more information about the firm, including recent trial victories and landmark settlements, please visit www.hausfeld.com.

Updated Sep 2021

Firm overview

Waymaker LLP, based in Los Angeles, is one of the nation’s leading trial and appellate boutiques representing both plaintiffs and defendants in their highest-stake matters. The firm is distinctive for its success in handling litigation matters involving innovative technology where complex legal issues are at play, its record of achievement at both trial and appeal, and its dynamic culture. Waymaker’s success for its clients has been heralded by Chambers, Benchmark Litigation, Variety, the Hollywood Reporter, Daily Journal, Law360, and the National Law Journal.  Its lawyers have been influential in changing the paths of a number of clients’ businesses, setting precedent through case results, and regularly taking on cases that other law firms have turned down.  

Waymaker helps clients accomplish their goals through fierce advocacy in and out of the courtroom and its clients include Fortune 500 companies, fast-growing startups, entertainment companies, entrepreneurs and high net-worth individuals. The firm was founded in 2006 as Baker Marquart LLP by Harvard Law School graduates Ryan G. Baker and Jaime W. Marquart to provide the very best representation to clients engaged in high-stakes litigation. The founders had been attorneys at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP.  

Early in 2021, the firm changed its name to Waymaker in recognition of the growing diversity of its partnership.  Baker said, “Our new name reflects the growth and evolution of the firm.  At Waymaker, we succeed as a collective, often through innovative strategies and argument formed through active collaboration.”

Presenting arguments in a clear, elegant, and persuasive manner, Waymaker handles complex civil litigation in courtrooms across the nation. Its litigation practice spans antitrust, commercial disputes, corporate governance, criminal defense, cybersecurity, employment, entertainment, financial technology, intellectual property, patent litigation, and securities, and the firm counts among its attorneys several former federal prosecutors. Regularly quoted by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, Law360, Law.com, and other leading outlets, Waymaker attorneys are recognized as industry leaders in fintech, intellectual property, and litigation.

The firm’s lawyers have argued and won appellate cases involving issues ranging from First Amendment free speech to the interpretation of Copyright statutes in state and federal courts of appeal. Two years ago, the Waymaker appellate team won a unanimous decision by the California Supreme Court that the state’s anti-SLAPP statute requires that courts consider the commercial context of speech in determining whether a defendant’s speech is protected.  

Our trial and appellate practice includes:

Antitrust and Unfair Competition: A keen understanding of emerging technologies – such as internet-based media and blockchain – positions Waymaker as one of the leading antitrust litigation firms in traditional and emerging markets. 

Appeals: Waymaker has extensive experience in federal and state appellate courts across the country, where we have scored major victories. We meticulously prepare appellate briefs that focus on critical, dispositive issues. 

Commercial and Business Disputes: Waymaker handles a wide range of commercial disputes, including breach of contract, fraud, negligence, interference, breach of fiduciary duty, legal malpractice, and real property claims in federal courts, state courts, and arbitral tribunals across the country. The firm has represented Fortune 500 companies, closely held companies, and individuals in various commercial disputes. 

Corporate Governance: Waymaker is well-versed in corporate governance disputes whether the dispute involves a large, publicly traded company, a deadlocked closely held startup, or a corporate divorce in a family partnership.  

Criminal and Regulatory Defense: Waymaker defends clients nationwide in law enforcement and regulatory investigations, trials, and appeals. A number of our attorneys are former federal prosecutors with substantial criminal trial experience and subject matter expertise. 

Cybersecurity and Data Privacy: Waymaker advises companies and individuals facing cybersecurity and data privacy issues, criminal and regulatory actions, and related civil litigation. 

Employment – Executive Compensation: Waymaker represents employers and highly compensated employees in a broad array of employment disputes, including trade-secret misappropriation and breach of non-competition agreements. 

Entertainment Litigation: Waymaker lawyers have vigorously defending Oscar-winning producers, writers and directors and taken major motion picture studios and television networks to court to ensure that an artist was fairly compensated. Our team has defended internet-based media companies against copyright infringement claims brought by television networks and brought antitrust claims against major motion picture studios. 

Fintech: Led by partner Brian Klein, a Law360 MVP in Fintech and named by Chambers as one of the top financial technology attorneys in the United States, Waymaker is at the forefront of cases in this burgeoning industry. 

Insurance: Waymaker represents policyholders in insurance disputes in pre-litigation matters, trials, and appeals. 

Intellectual Property: Waymaker lawyers have extensive trial and appellate experience litigating trademark, copyright, trade dress and trade secret disputes.  We win high-profile IP battles across industries, including technology, medical device, entertainment, retail, food, fashion, and others. 

Patent Litigation: Waymaker represents plaintiffs and defendants in patent infringement actions and staffs patent cases efficiently.  Our IP lawyers have the technical and practical experience that is of particular importance in the patent litigation context. 

Securities: Waymaker lawyers have experience representing banks, investment professionals, corporate investors, and individuals.  We handle securities cases involving allegations of fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, failure to comply with federal or state registration requirements, and breach of contract claims in a variety of forums. 

Updated Sep 2021