Laura Watson's practice encompasses a broad range of complex civil litigation in both state and federal court. She also maintains an active pro bono practice.
Ms. Watson graduated in the Top 10% of her class at USC Gould School of Law. While in law school, she externed with the Honorable Sandra Ikuta on the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. She also served as a Senior Submissions Editor for the Southern California Law Review. Her student note received the Southern California Law Review's Scribes Award for the best student submission in 2016.
In addition, Ms. Watson participated in the USC Gould School of Law Mediation Clinic and received training in alternative dispute resolution. She has provided pro bono mediation services in more than 50 cases for the Los Angeles Superior Court, Los Angeles Fire Department, and the Department of Fair Employment and Housing.
Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Watson served as a member of a team advising multinational social media and telecommunications companies in international litigation and regulatory investigations.
Experience
- BP in 19 novel climate change lawsuits filed by state and local governments in California, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Washington, and by a fishermen's trade association, alleging that greenhouse gas-driven sea level rise is currently damaging their coastal communities and civil infrastructures.
- Multinational pharmaceutical company in a disability discrimination and wrongful termination case. Company filed a cross-claim against the plaintiff seeking return of bonuses due to fraudulent conduct of the plaintiff and successfully defeated a demurrer filed by plaintiff to the cross-claim and subsequent writ petition to the California Court of Appeal. The case was favorably settled after the plaintiff's deposition.
Credentials
Education
- J.D., University of Southern California Gould School of Law, 2017, Order of the Coif
- B.A., Political Science, University of California, Los Angeles, 2012, cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa
Admissions
- California
- U.S. District Court, Central District of California
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of California