Linda Coberly is the managing partner of Winston & Strawn LLP’s oldest and largest office. She chairs Winston’s Appellate and Critical Motions Practice and also serves on the firm’s Executive Committee.
Linda focuses her practice on appeals and on critical motions that resolve complex commercial lawsuits before trial. She is known for her strong business sense, excellent briefs, and clear and compelling oral advocacy. She counsels clients on appellate and strategic issues at all stages of litigation, from before trial through and including proceedings before the U.S. Supreme Court. She has briefed and argued appeals in six different federal courts of appeals and a variety of state appellate and supreme courts.
Linda has extensive experience in corporate fraud and securities litigation—including defending issuers, auditors, and others in tort and securities fraud actions following allegations of fraud. These cases frequently implicate complex issues of pleading, class certification, agency law, damages, standing, and loss causation—as well as the doctrine of in pari delicto, which arises whenever a corporation or trustee attempts to sue a third party for a fraud committed by the corporation’s own management. Linda has been at the forefront of some of the most high-profile cases in these areas.
A significant portion of Linda’s practice centers on advising and representing clients with regard to proceedings in the U.S. Supreme Court, drawing upon her experience as a law clerk to Justice Stephen G. Breyer on the Supreme Court and to Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg on the D.C. Circuit. She also frequently represents amici in important business cases before the Court.
Selected Appellate Victories:
- Ninth Circuit, 2017 (argued): Obtained a reversal on a critical issue in a bankruptcy-related appeal relating to collateral estoppel, standing, and mootness, as well as to whether certain changes to a confirmed plan were permitted under the Bankruptcy Code.
- California Court of Appeals, 2013 and 2018 (argued): Won two decisive victories in protracted litigation between a lender and the trustee of a large family trust, defeating the lender’s attempt to accelerate a $325 million promissory note.
- Wisconsin Court of Appeals and Supreme Court, 2018 (argued): Won reversal of a decision precluding insurance coverage for claims for copyright infringement and unfair trade practices, defeating application of a “knowing violation” exception, and obtained affirmance in the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
Last updated August 2019
