Complex Commercial Disputes
- Representing a nonprofit organization in a high-stakes state court dispute with a municipality that served as the client’s prior joint venture partner. The municipality is attempting to take away the client’s eight-figure endowment developed by the client over decades.
- Obtained, as lead trial counsel, an arbitration award in favor of a law firm partner in a partnership dispute involving partner distributions and accounting issues and defeated the opposing party’s counterclaim in its entirety.
- Obtained, as lead trial counsel, an arbitration award in favor of a medical supply company in a commercial dispute involving alleged delays in the supply of goods during the COVID-19 pandemic and defeated the opposing party’s counterclaim in its entirety.
- Defended, as co-lead trial counsel, a law firm and partner in a complex partnership dispute. The matter settled after an approximately month-long jury trial in Sacramento Superior Court that included testimony from experts on issues involving legal ethics, corporate governance, probate law, medical capacity, and forensic accounting.
- Obtained, as lead trial counsel, the dismissal of a wrongful death action filed against a financial services company related to the company’s alleged failure to cancel a stolen debit card before the victim could use the debit card to buy illicit drugs that tragically resulted in a drug overdose. In dismissing the case, the court accepted the company’s argument that it was not liable to the victim’s family for negligent infliction of emotional distress under a bystander theory or under a direct victim theory.
- Obtained, as lead trial counsel, a complete defense victory on behalf of a corporate client in an arbitration matter brought by a well-known Hollywood producer. The matter involved numerous investments in an alternative investment portfolio and allegations of fraud and churning, claiming damages exceeding $6 million. The matter concluded after 12 hearing days, including several days during which Devin cross-examined the lead plaintiff.
- Lead trial counsel on behalf of various corporate clients in the defense of several temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction hearings, and follow-on monetary damages actions, including securing a favorable settlement in an eight-figure matter on behalf of a large corporate client being sued by one of its competitors.
- Secured a favorable settlement while a motion for summary judgment on forum non conveniens grounds was pending for an Asian shipping company facing a multimillion-dollar property loss claim in the Northern District of California.
Securities, Investment Products & Investment Firm Litigation
- Secured, as lead trial counsel, a favorable arbitration award on behalf of one of the largest banks in the world against a Caribbean bank that alleged securities fraud related to a $30 million derivative investment claim after two weeks of hearings involving witnesses who spoke four different languages.
- Secured, as lead trial counsel, the largest FINRA industry arbitration award at the time on behalf of a brokerage firm against two financial advisers who owed $6.6 million on promissory note obligations. The award included decisions in the client’s favor on numerous counterclaims asserted by the advisers, claiming damages exceeding $10 million related to alleged contractual and compliance issues. The advisers paid the full $6.6 million award plus interest within months of the award’s issuance.
- Obtained, as lead trial counsel, a seven-figure arbitration award on behalf of a large corporate client. The arbitrators also denied the respondent’s multimillion-dollar securities and employment (whistleblower) counterclaims. The 11-page, publicly available award detailed the panel’s findings based on key evidence presented at the hearing and the cross-examination of the respondent, which revealed numerous inconsistencies between his testimony and the documentary evidence.
- Lead trial counsel in a securities matter on behalf of a financial institution client against the wife of a Forbes 400 billionaire litigated across multiple tribunals, including Los Angeles Superior Court, the Southern District of New York, and the Central District of California. Secured a favorable decision by the Ninth Circuit on various securities class action issues.