Lauded as one of the “brightest litigators across the U.S.” by Benchmark Litigation, Allison Libeu provides creative, practical, and strategic counsel to help her clients resolve complex commercial disputes and protect their business interests. The general counsel of a famous global quick-service restaurant chain sums up her many talents, noting that “she provides extraordinarily effective lawyering, counsel, and strategic business advice.”
In the seven years since becoming a partner, Ms. Libeu has been instrumental as lead counsel or co-lead counsel in securing victories in high-profile arbitrations and at trial, including a recent “record-breaking” $293 million verdict in a false advertising, tortious interference, and trade secret case. In late September 2022, after a five-week trial, a jury in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California found in favor of Ms. Libeu’s client, Monster Beverage Company, and against defendants Vital Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (VPX) and its CEO for falsely advertising the “Super Creatine” ingredient in their billion-dollar Bang energy drink. The verdict — believed to be the largest Lanham Act award ever — came after Ms. Libeu examined Monster’s damages expert and cross-examined VPX’s damages expert. The jury awarded Monster 100% of the damages it sought on its false advertising claims. (“Monster Energy wins $293 mln false-advertising verdict against rival Bang,” Reuters; “Monster Wins $293M Verdict Against VPX In False Ad Trial,” Law360; “Monster Energy Wins $293 Million False Ad Award Over Bang,” Bloomberg Law.)
Earlier in the year, Ms. Libeu also obtained “the largest-ever U.S. trademark award” for Monster Beverage Company in an arbitration against VPX for breach of contract and trademark infringement relating to VPX’s misuse of the “Bang” trademarks. The award came after Ms. Libeu had cross-examined VPX’s damages expert and obtained critical admissions about his methodology that undercut his opinions, which, in turn, resulted in the arbitrator rejecting his disgorgement and royalty theories as a “post-litigation contrivance.” (“Monster Asks Court to Enforce $175 mln Award Against Bang Energy maker,” Reuters).
Ms. Libeu is currently representing Amazon in a case arising from the tragic May 2022 shooting at a grocery store in Buffalo, NY. The case involves, among other things, issues relating to the First Amendment and the scope of Section 230 immunity under the Communications Decency Act of 1996.
Ms. Libeu litigates high-stakes business disputes across a variety of areas, including business torts, contracts, trademarks, and trade secrets. She also has successfully prosecuted and defended matters involving the termination of C-suite executives and claims that frequently arise in such cases, including breach of fiduciary duty, unfair competition, theft of trade secrets, and violation of nondisclosure, noncompete, and nonsolicitation agreements. Her national practice includes litigation at the trial and appellate levels in both federal and state courts, in addition to U.S.-based and international arbitration.
Ms. Libeu has been named to the Daily Journal’s lists of “Top 40 and Under” and “Top Women Lawyers,” included on the nationwide lists of “Top 250 Women in Litigation” and “40 & Under” and recognized as a “Future Star” by Benchmark Litigation, and named among “Leaders of Influence: Litigators & Trial Attorneys” by the Los Angeles Business Journal.
Updated July 2023
