Ann Marie advises clients in high stakes litigation, acting as lead counsel in cases involving exceptional complexity and multiple jurisdictions. As a strategic problem solver, focusing on achieving business results in complex cases, Ann Marie has successfully resolved the most difficult cases facing her clients. She has an established track record in class action consumer claims litigation, focusing on data security, false advertising and unfair competition class actions. Her cross-disciplinary practice encompasses complex commercial transactions, litigation of distribution agreements, and toxic tort/environmental claims. In connection with counseling clients to manage downstream litigation risk, Ann Marie has conducted internal investigations and provided related counseling to the law departments of technology companies, financial institutions and consumer product manufacturers focused on compliance, best practices and enhanced integration with the stakeholder business units.

Ann Marie is head of the firm’s commercial litigation practice and founder and the managing partner of the Los Angeles office. Ann Marie’s practice is cross-disciplinary and includes significant business and class action consumer claims litigation experience in relation to data breach, consumer related labeling claims, as well as environmental, CERCLA and toxic tort multi-party litigation. In a highly-publicized and currently ongoing matter, Ann Marie served as the lead attorney defending an internet service provider in more than 40 related consumer class action lawsuits across several districts in state and federal court regarding a significant data breach. The breach has been deemed the largest data breach in history.

In connection with her litigation practice, Ann Marie routinely counsels clients on matters involving internal investigations and monitoring compliance of corporate legal departments, limiting litigation risk by auditing compliance to ensure a robust and transparent program. As part of her aggregate claims practice, Ann Marie has successfully decertified a nationwide products class action, and defeated class certification in multiple products, toxic tort, unfair competition and unfair trade practice cases. Ann Marie has tried toxic tort, commercial and products cases in state and federal courts throughout California. Ann Marie is admitted to practice before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Northern, Eastern, Central and Southern Districts of California.

Bar Admissions

Education
JD, University of California School of Law (Boalt Hall), Editor, California Law Review, 1992

MSc, London School of Economics, 1989

AB, Smith College, cum laude, 1988

• Obtained dismissal of wrongful email filtering, privacy, wire-tapping, computer fraud and deceptive trade practice claims on behalf of Internet service provider.
• Represented Internet service in action involving electronic stalking, wiretapping, invasion of privacy, defamation and related tort claims.
• Represented financial institution in investigating and advising on source and scope of cyber-intrusion of client’s network and resulting large-scale theft.
• Represent retailers and manufacturers in internal investigations and litigation related to product advertising, unfair competition and related consumer claims.
• Represented multiple Fortune 500 companies in defense of alleged violations of California's Unfair Competition Law, Consumers Legal Remedies Act, including class actions regarding advertising claims.
• Represented automobile manufacturers, energy drink manufacturer, financial institutions and nationwide retail outlets in contract disputes, consumer claims and class actions.
• Represented major pharmaceutical company in defense of hundreds of failure to warn, unfair competition and product liability claims.
• Served as nationwide counsel for medical device manufacturer in decertifying nationwide class and obtaining dismissal of product liability, unfair competition and CLRA claims.
• Participated in successful defense of thousands of claims related to allegedly harmful health exposures, property damage and fear of cancer based upon alleged exposures to chemicals including PCE, TCE and CR-6.
• Led offensive and defensive litigation related to intellectual property and trade secret theft.

• Member, Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles
• Member, DRI (Defense Research Institute)

• Recognized as a Litigation Trailblazer, National Law Journal, 2017
• Named among the Top Women Lawyers in California, Daily Journal, 2017
• Named among the Women Leaders in Tech Law, The Recorder, 2017
• Named among the Women Worth Watching, Profiles in Diversity Journal, 2017
• Finalist, Leaders in Law, Environmental Attorney, Los Angeles Business Journal, 2017

• 7 Deadly Sins of “Green” Marketing, Inside Counsel Magazine
• The California Consumer Privacy Act is HERE: Are You Litigation Ready?, Cybersecurity Law & Strategy
• Practical Tips for Green Marketing and Advertising Claims, Inside Counsel Magazine
• The Danger of “Greenwashed” Ads, Inside Counsel Magazine
• The Green Evolution - Sustainability’s Corporate Challenge, Los Angeles Daily Journal
• Emerging Mass Arbitrations May Be Ideal Proving Ground for AI, Bloomberg Law