California Appellate
Arnold & Porter has broad experience in the California appellate courts and the federal appellate courts, with particular focus on the Ninth Circuit. Our deep bench has been repeatedly recognized for its excellence and our appellate lawyers are active leaders in state and national appellate associations. Our team includes appellate specialists certified by the State Bar of California, members of the selective California Academy of Appellate Lawyers, members of the invitation-only American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, former clerks at the Ninth Circuit, and the former chair of the State Bar of California. We bring thorough, careful and objective analysis, systematically identifying not only winning arguments but also challenges that must be overcome. Through lively writing and compelling storytelling, we understand that a sympathetic factual presentation can be just as important to success as a powerful legal argument.
Experience Highlights
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Defamation: Successfully defended trial court order dismissing libel suit brought by Stephen Wynn and his company. Wynn v. Chanos, 685 F. App’x 578 (2017)
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Energy Law: Represented major energy company in an appeal concerning wholesale gas pricing.
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Products Liability: Represented major franchisor regarding products liability issues arising from point-of-sale system each franchisee was required to purchase.
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Business Dispute: Represented Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss at the Ninth Circuit concerning their dispute with Facebook and its founder, Mark Zuckerberg. The Facebook Inc. v. ConnectU Inc., 640 F.3d 1034 (9th Cir. 2011)
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Jurisdiction/Mass Actions: Persuaded California Supreme Court to grant review twice in matter regarding personal jurisdiction over claims brought by out-of-state plaintiffs in mass tort action. Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. v. Superior Court, 1 Cal. 5th 783 (2016), rev'd, 137 S. Ct. 1773 (2017)
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High-Asset Marital Disputes: Appeals related to marital property and spousal support for clients that have included baseball player Barry Bonds and the principal owner of a supermarket chain, currently retained regarding a $23 million marital property judgment on appeal.
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Constitutional Law: Successfully represented California Governor Jerry Brown in an action challenging the constitutionality of Proposition 209 as applied to California’s public universities. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action v. Brown, 674 F.3d 1128 (9th Cir. 2012)
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Real Estate: Obtained 82 percent reduction in judgment in a prominent dispute regarding co-tenancy clauses. Grand Prospect Partners LP v. Ross Dress for Less Inc., 232 Cal. App. 4th 1332 (2015)
