Orange County lawyers this past year have been involved in a slew of high-profile cases that led to multi-million dollar awards, including a case involving a fake real estate bidder.
Here’s a look at four notable cases at local law firms.
— Parimal M. Rohit
Irvine Law Firm Secures Landmark $292.5M False Advertising Verdict
Palo Alto-based Guardant Health won a staggering $292.5 million jury verdict against rival Natera Inc., marking one of the largest false advertising awards under the Lanham Act.
The November 2024 verdict stemmed from allegations that Natera made misleading claims about its colorectal cancer blood test screening.
The jury awarded Guardant Health $75 million for corrective advertising, $42 million in disgorged profits, and $175.5 million in punitive damages – a clear message against deceptive marketing practices.
Irvine-based law firm Keller Anderle Scolnick LLP, ranked No. 76 in this year’s law list (see page 30), represented Guardant Health in the jury trial, with attorneys Jennifer Keller, Chase Scolnick, Craig Harbaugh and Greg Sergi securing the win.
The law firm hailed the $292.5 million jury award as “one of the largest Lanham Act false advertising verdicts in history.”
Lanham Act, or the Trademark Act of 1946, is a federal statute governing trademarks conflict.
The firm was joined by attorneys from A&O Shearman, including Saul Perloff, Christopher LaVigne, Trey Herbert, Andre Hanson and Kathy Grant.
The case played out in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, where Natera, represented by Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, fought to defend its advertising claims.
With this landmark verdict, Keller Anderle Scolnick cements its reputation as a dominant force in high-stakes commercial litigation.
Austin, Texas-based Natera was represented by Los Angeles-based law firm Quinn Emanuel Uruquart & Sullivan.
The trial was held in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
— Parimal M. Rohit
Defense Wins in City of Orange Firefighters Wrongful Death Case
Trial attorneys Seymour Everett and Kevin Hernandez of Irvine-based law firm Everett Dorey LLP successfully defended firefighters with the city of Orange in a wrongful death lawsuit.
An eight-week jury trial ended in November 2024 with a verdict favoring three firefighters accused of covering up a fatal collision involving a fire truck and motorcycle.
The family of a 25-year-old motorcyclist brought a wrongful death case against the firefighters and accused them of being responsible for his death.
The motorcyclist, according to the facts of the case, crashed into the side of a fire engine. The crash resulted in the death of the motorcyclist.
The plaintiff’s counsel, according to a news report about the trial, accused the firefighters of lying about the crash and failing to observe safety procedures to prevent a collision. The firefighters argued they were making a safe left turn at the time of the collision between the fire engine and motorcycle and the motorcyclist was driving at an excessive speed prior to the crash.
— Parimal M. Rohit
Morgan Lewis Guides $1.1B Yak Access Sale
Attorneys from Morgan Lewis’ Costa Mesa office played a pivotal role in Platinum Equity’s $1.1 billion sale of Yak Access LLC and its affiliates to United Rentals Inc.
The blockbuster deal, announced in March 2024, handed United Rentals—an equipment rental giant based in Stamford, Connecticut—one of the nation’s largest suppliers of ground and temporary roadway solutions.
Beyond Yak Access LLC, the definitive agreement included the sale Yak Mat LLC and New South Access & Environmental Solutions LLC.
Yak Access, headquartered in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, specializes in providing powerline, pipeline and renewable energy projects with essential access solutions, including a fleet of 600,000 hardwood, softwood and composite mats used for surface protection.
Morgan Lewis partners Gregory Hartker and Todd Hentges from the firm’s Costa Mesa office were part of the legal counsel team that advised Platinum Equity on the deal. Morgan Lewis is ranked No. 15 in the Business Journal’s annual law list (see list, page 30). Also advising Platinum Equity were Houlihan Lokey and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC.
Platinum Equity bought the controlling stake in the Yak companies in 2018.
— Parimal M. Rohit
