Category: Announcements

Lewis & Llewellyn is pleased to announce that seven of its attorneys were recently selected for inclusion in the 2019 edition of Super Lawyers.  Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers who have attained the highest degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.  The selection process includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations.  Ryan Erickson, Evangeline Burbidge, Nick Saenz, Becca Furman and Nathalie Fayad were all selected as Rising Stars, limited to just 2.5% of California attorneys.  And Marc Lewis and Paul Llewellyn were named as California Super Lawyers, a recognition limited to just 5% of the profession.

Additionally, Benchmark Litigation, the definitive guide to America’s leading litigation firms and attorneys, recently selected partners Ryan Erickson and Evangeline Burbidge to be part of its 40 & Under Hot List.  Based on extensive peer and client review, and case evaluation, the list seeks to identify the country’s most talented litigators under the age of 40.

In a recent arbitration, a Lewis & Llewellyn team led by partners Nick Saenz and Paul Llewellyn defended one of the world’s largest computer manufacturers facing a multi-million-dollar damages claim for alleged fraud, trade secret misappropriation, and interference with contractual relations, among other causes of action.  After successfully obtaining the dismissal of the Claimant’s interference claim, the case proceeded to a multi-day evidentiary hearing.  Following the hearing, Lewis & Llewellyn secured a complete defense victory, with the arbitrator ordering the Claimant to cover a substantial portion of our client’s costs. 

At Lewis & Llewellyn, we understand what is required to prevail against a powerful and well-funded institution or corporation.  As a firm, we have also chosen to put our litigation expertise toward a cause that we feel passionately about: the epidemic of sexual abuse and assault.  Through our agile and aggressive litigation tactics, we have recovered millions of dollars on behalf of our sexual abuse clients and, in the process, driven changes at institutions and corporations throughout the country that will help protect others from sexual abuse.  As part of those efforts, we recently obtained a settlement of $2.75 million in connection with an alleged sexual assault.  Lewis & Llewellyn will continue to advocate vigorously on behalf of survivors of sexual abuse.

Any working parent knows the struggle of balancing family time and work responsibilities. In an article reflecting on what this balance means for lawyers, Law360 featured the story of Lewis & Llewellyn partner and father-of-three, Ryan Erickson.  At Lewis & Llewellyn, we recognize the importance of both work and family, and we are committed to supporting our attorneys in their effort to be great parents while still providing the highest possible quality of work to our clients.

Lewis & Llewellyn is pleased to announce that partners Marc Lewis, Evangeline Burbidge, and Ryan Erickson have all been named to Benchmark Litigation’s 40 & Under Hot List, which honors partners age 40 or younger who have been deemed the most promising emerging talent in their litigation communities by peers and clients.  Benchmark selected only 38 attorneys in California for this award, and the firm is honored that three of their partners were recognized this year.

In March, the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals released its decision in Oracle America, Inc. v. Google LLC, reversing a jury verdict and holding that Google’s unauthorized use of certain aspects of Oracle’s Java software did not qualify as “fair use” under copyright law.  Lewis & Llewellyn filed and amicus brief on behalf of Ralph Oman, the former Register of Copyrights of the United States, analyzing the definition of “fair use” in support of Oracle’s appeal.  The Federal Circuit’s decision will have a far-reaching impact and Lewis & Llewellyn is proud to have been involved in this case.

A Lewis & Llewellyn team led by Nick Saenz, and co-counsel at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, recently represented a group of defendants at trial in a hotly contested dispute over the composition of a board of directors.  After the plaintiffs rested their case, we moved for nonsuit, arguing the plaintiffs had failed to present sufficient evidence to sustain their burden of proof.  The Judge granted our motion and dismissed the plaintiffs’ case without our clients having to present any evidence.

Benchmark Litigation recently released its 2018 rankings, and it ranked Lewis & Llewellyn one of the few “recommended” law firms in California.  In order to compile the list, Benchmark undertakes an exhaustive process which includes client, peer and partner interviews.  As Benchmark notes, every firm that achieved the “recommended” status was deemed a leader in its respective market.  It further commented that since its opening six years ago, the firm “has generated a significant level of buzz.”  You can read Benchmark’s full analysis of the firm here.

At Lewis & Llewellyn, we routinely engage in all forms of alternative dispute resolution, including arbitration.  Paul Llewellyn and Nick Saenz recently secured an arbitration victory on behalf of the firm’s client, one of Silicon Valley’s leading technology companies.  The claimant, a logistics supply company, alleged that the firm’s client was contractually obligated to use its services for a certain amount of time.  Following discovery, we moved for summary disposition, arguing the claimant’s allegations failed as a matter of law.  The arbitrator agreed, dismissing the claim entirely.