Farella’s Business Litigation Group, a leading trial team for over 50 years, is committed to helping clients anticipate and resolve legal threats to their business activities and projects. Our Group’s long-standing success hinges on these essential qualities: appropriate staffing for size and scope of matter; judgment—informed by experience—to accurately assess opponents, outcomes, and costs; and the strategic use of the law and procedural rules in negotiations, mediations, and trials.

Large corporations, including well-known brands such as Google, Nestle, Chevron, Visa, Dell, Novartis, Bausch and Lomb, L'Oreal, and Ghirardelli, to name a few, trust us to handle their litigation matters, particularly in Northern California but also throughout the United States. They value our technical knowledge and ability to explain complex facts to judges and juries.

While much of our work is adversarial, we also look for bottom-line solutions to disputes and strive to avoid costly bare-fisted litigation and preserve our clients’ resources and reputations.

Approach to Staffing

Unlike many litigation practices that routinely staff teams of 10, 15, or 20 lawyers to every case, we find strategic advantage in leaner staffing. Our matters are frequently staffed with smaller, highly qualified teams of a partner and two experienced associates, in which each team member has direct responsibility for the outcome. With fewer internal layers to navigate and manage, our teams become fully engaged in “solving the client’s problem” while avoiding the duplicate efforts commonly experienced in complex hierarchies. Our lawyers see how they need to split up the work and get it done cost effectively, winning all-around positive outcomes for clients. When needed for larger, more complex matters, we will add team members, but always with the goal of solving the client’s problem in the most cost-effective manner possible.

Our partners, who have seen a variety of casework spanning industries as diverse as telecommunications, banking, media, consumer products, food and beverage, wine, retail, semiconductor manufacturing, and computer software, ensure that our associates have “early and often” exposure to making judgment calls about case strategy or, in some instances, participating at trial. A recent example is a successful trade secret case tried in federal court in San Jose, California, where our most important witness, our client’s CEO, was examined on the stand by an associate team member. The associate’s work resulted in a significant victory for our client, in which the jury awarded it over 30-million-dollars in damages.

Generalist to Specialist

Farella’s Business Litigation Group possesses multi-faceted experience in matters that range from antitrust, unfair competition, and appeals to consumer class action defense, real estate litigation and contractual arbitrations, and private wealth disputes, among others.

As a team, we place a high priority on authenticity in our work and our relationships with colleagues and clients. Our attorneys and staff all know each other—we’re in one city, one office—and in many cases, they get to know our clients, too. Our attorneys are also well-known to the local state and federal benches, which we believe gives us a strategic advantage in litigation.

To the extent that there is in-house knowledge that can help solve a client’s problem, our ability to collaborate is essential. When our litigators need advice about unique facts surrounding specific business deals or unusual concepts, we have seamless access to corporate transaction lawyers—just down the hall. Routinely, we consult with our insurance coverage lawyers on policy questions related to paying for litigation defense or a company’s liability. We also work closely with colleagues in our real estate, white collar crime, and private client practices when disputes in those areas arise.

In all cases, our clients report that they appreciate our responsiveness, the careful attention of our partners, and the value they receive from the relationship and our work. To us, our clients are not just a book of business. They are real people with complex legal problems to resolve.

Reputation Beyond Mid-Size

Our practice maintains high standards and, as such, enjoys a stellar reputation in Northern California courts—among the bar and the bench—and litigates cases in many other U.S. jurisdictions. Our lawyers routinely handle significant and newsworthy cases. We genuinely enjoy practicing law and appreciate the craftsmanship and collegiality the profession affords.

Active in the legal community, our group members include former presidents of the San Francisco Bar Association and the Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Fellows of the American College of Trial Lawyers, and three previous California Lawyers of the Year.

Firm Highlights

News

Brian Donnelly Named a Distinguished Leader Award Finalist by The Recorder

Brian Donnelly Headshot
Read More
Event

CalCPA Wine Industry Conference 2023

Holly Sutton and Rebecca Stephens are speakers at the CalCPA Wine Industry Conference 2023 for the session "Labor Law Update." Session Overview: Explore the critical distinctions between employees and contractors, delve into wage and hour regulations, gain...

Read More
Event

19th Annual Renewable Energy Law Conference

Dirk Mueller is speaking at the 19 th Annual Renewable Energy Law Conference on "Mineral Issues’ Impact on Real Estate Documents, Siting and Planning: Texas vs. California."

Read More
Event

All the Legalese: What You Need to Know About the New Pay Transparency Law and Other Legal Updates

Holly Sutton is a Winejobs.com 2023 HR Summit speaker for the session "All the Legalese: What You Need to Know About the New Pay Transparency Law and Other Legal Updates." Session Overview: It can be...

Read More
News

Farella Braun + Martel Ranked in Chambers High Net Worth 2023

Farella Braun + Martel is pleased to announce that our Private Client Industry Group and Family Wealth Partner Mark Weaver were recognized in Chambers High Net Worth (HNW) Guide 2023 in the Private Wealth...

Read More
Publication

Nonprofit Tenants and Lease Agreements: Best Practices and Pitfalls to Avoid

Welcome to  EO Radio Show – Your Nonprofit Legal Resource . I'm Cynthia Rowland, and today, we are again lucky to have Farella real estate partner Quinn Arntsen with us to talk about leasing...

Read More
Publication

Life Is Too Short for Bad Wine Distribution Agreements: 10 Key Considerations

If you are like most wine brands, DTC through your tasting room, club, and website can only take you so far. Success usually means accessing the general on- and off-premise markets, and accessing those...

Read More
News

Who’s Who Legal 2023 Recognizes Farella Lawyers

Six Farella Braun + Martel lawyers have been recommended by Who’s Who Legal 2023 as leading practitioners in their fields. Who’s Who Legal – Environment 2023 James Colopy Robert Hines David Lazerwitz Chris Locke...

Read More
Publication

Real Estate Leasing Tips for Nonprofits

Welcome to  EO Radio Show – Your Nonprofit Legal Resource . I'm Cynthia Rowland, and today, we are lucky to have Farella real estate partner Quinn Arntsen with us to talk about leasing issues for...

Read More
Publication

IRS Moves to Target Wealthy Taxpayers in Historic Compliance Drive

This month, the IRS announced that it is using the long-term funding approved by Congress through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 to shift its attention to wealthy taxpayers in an effort to “identify sophisticated...

Read More