In 2018, Chip and Joann won an $18.6M jury verdict in a single-plaintiff wrongful termination/defamation case. The case was heavily litigated against Allstate Insurance Company. At trial, Allstate brought in a team of 7 attorneys from 4 different firms. The jury found in our client’s favor, voting unanimously for our client on nearly every question. The jury awarded $2.6M in compensatory damages and $16M in punitive damages. The trial court upheld the judgment on post-trial motions.

Obtained $100+ million payment for client shares, and $10+ million payment for wrongful termination damages, representing a founder of a high-tech company.

Won a jury verdict in favor of a salesperson formerly employed by Carrier Corporation, part of a Fortune 500 company. Opposing trial counsel from an earlier case (where we won a jury trial with a punitive damage finding) asked us to join in the representation and handle the trial. A jury agreed Carrier breached its contract, committed fraud, and awarded $8 million in punitive damages. We fought against a team from a well-known national law firm.

Represented a toll-road systems contractor against its insurance company in a case involving wrongful denial of insurance coverage. Secured victory via summary judgment motion, establishing liability against the insurer as a matter of law. The case settled confidentially on the eve of trial.

We won a jury verdict in favor of a San Diego contractor against Hess Microgen, a subsidiary of a huge oil company. The jury rejected claims made against our client and agreed with us that Hess Microgen breached its contract and interfered with contractual relationships. The jury awarded $6 million in punitive damages. During the case we battled against two large national law firms.

Joann obtained a full defense verdict for Southwest Airlines when defending the company in a personal injury lawsuit, then handled and won the appeal.

We obtained a settlement of approximately $3,000,000 soon after filing a lawsuit on behalf of a fired executive against a Japanese-owned automotive company for race and national origin discrimination against our client who was a white American man.

We won a $2 million arbitration award in a complicated shareholder dispute against EOS.  We fought two large national law firms and a third local firm, their expert witnesses including a nationally known trial attorney from another large law firm as well as multiple accounting firms.

We obtained a settlement of over $5,000,000 shortly before trial for a whistleblower employee fired for speaking out against sexual favoritism and other illegal conduct. We battled against a high-profile defense attorney with a law firm in Los Angeles.

We successfully defended a local pension fund manager against his former employer, PCG, on claims for an unpaid Note.  We turned the defense into a significant jury award in favor of our client for unpaid compensation. 

We won a jury verdict of over $600,000 including punitive damages representing the founder of Xterra Wetsuits in breach of fiduciary duty action against former business partners.  The case settled confidentially prior to any award for costs or attorney’s fees.

We represented a former Gibson Dunn & Crutcher law partner in a federal lawsuit against the law firm’s insurance company for failure to pay disability benefits.  Prevailed at trial in federal court and entered into confidential settlement.

We took over representation of Anacomp, Inc. from Gibson, Dunn, & Crutcher in a plaintiff’s case.  Switched from former counsel’s hourly fee arrangement to a contingency fee in a contract dispute against Brocade Communications defended by a large national law firm in San Jose Superior Court.  Case involved a contract claim of over $5 million and a cross-claim of $1.7 million, and settled on confidential terms during trial after rulings on 21 motions in limine.

We won a jury verdict of over $1 million representing the former president of a dissolved golf club manufacturing company, La Jolla Club, pursuing severance payments from the majority shareholder, and also represented the former chairman of the company pursuing payment for his family’s stock that was also sold to the majority shareholder.  The jury awarded all damages requested and rejected the shareholder’s cross claims for fraud and breach of contract.  The appellate court affirmed in all respects.

We represented six top sales people seeking unpaid commissions of over $5 million from HNC Software after the company was purchased by Fair Isaac who then laid off the sales people and claimed they forfeited commission by their termination.  We won the commission claim in the first phase of a binding arbitration then reached a confidential settlement prior to the damages phase.

We represented a long term general manager of Wachovia Securities in a FINRA arbitration.  The firm fired the manager after he and they together lost another securities fraud arbitration brought against them and a broker they managed.  The firm had assured the manager that he need not have separate attorneys for the arbitration and that his job was secure because he had done nothing wrong.  The arbitration panel found in favor of the manager and awarded $1.5 million.  The parties reached a confidential settlement following further post-arbitration procedures in federal court.

We represented a former mortgage broker of CTX Mortgage in a claim for reverse sex discrimination, wrongful termination, and defamation.  The jury found in favor of the broker on all claims and awarded $750,000 for loss of income and $750,000 for defamation.  The case settled on a confidential basis prior to a second punitive damage phase of trial.

We represented the former Mayor of San Diego and former President of San Diego State University in probate proceeding involving local CPA/trustee’s failure to make life insurance premium payments resulting in loss of over $700,000 in life insurance proceeds.  Obtained full insurance coverage settlement on eve of trial.

We were retained by the Mayor of San Diego to defend the City in a discrimination, wrongful termination lawsuit.  Obtained full dismissal of action at pleading stage.

Joann represented Southwest Airlines in a personal injury lawsuit entitled Singh v. Southwest Airlines.  Obtained complete defense verdict after 2-week trial.  Preserved verdict on appeal before Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal.

Joann defended Southwest Airlines in multiple federal court lawsuits arising from runway overrun incident.  Obtained jury verdict far below plaintiff’s best settlement demand.

Chip won a jury award of over $1.1 million representing a salesman seeking unpaid commissions for his company, ESC, against Stewart & Stevenson, based on oral contract.  Case settled confidentially after appeal.

We won a jury verdict of $400,000 in federal court for former retirement community maintenance worker in race-based harassment/discrimination lawsuit against former employer and supervisor.

We won a jury verdict of over $2.5 million and a confidential settlement prior to further punitive damages award.  In Cade v. Heller Seasonings and Harris Bank, we represented the CEO who sold his business then was fired and not paid earn out money.  The jury also found against Harris Bank for wrongful interference with contract, as well as against the buying company for wrongful termination, defamation, and breach of contract, and against the parent company for alter ego liability.  

Chip won a jury verdict in San Francisco federal court for insurance bad faith claim on disability insurance policy with benefits at issue of over $4 million.  The case settled confidentially prior to further proceedings on damages.

We served as defense liaison counsel for four major generic drug manufacturers in a case involving alleged antitrust conduct in pharmaceutical industry.

We defended a large security guard company in multiple disability and race-based employment discrimination matters.

Joann represented television, radio, and newspapers in First Amendment court access proceedings, including litigation involving media access to criminal trial in State of California v. Westerfield.