Brook Dooley

We represented the County of San Mateo in California’s first-ever contested removal proceedings against an elected Sheriff. Following a 10-day evidentiary hearing, during which we presented testimony and evidence concerning conflicts of interest, retaliation, and mismanagement, a retired judge issued a 42-page advisory opinion finding multiple causes for removal. Relying on that opinion (and a prior voter-approved measure authorizing removal proceedings), the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to remove the Sheriff from office. We are currently defending the removal on appeal.

We represented a Bay Area union-side labor law firm in an arbitration related to the division of attorneys’ fees awarded in a wage-and-hour class action. After a four-day hearing, the Arbitrator awarded our client a substantial increase in its fee recovery.

We represented the PGA TOUR in an antitrust lawsuit filed by 11 professional golfers who left the PGA TOUR and joined LIV Golf. We defeated plaintiffs’ motion for a temporary restraining order seeking to force the PGA TOUR to allow them to play in the FedExCup Playoffs. We also won a motion to compel subpoena compliance from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, overcoming their assertion of sovereign immunity—a groundbreaking victory with far-reaching implications for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In response, LIV dismissed the case to pursue a merger.

We represented a software provider in an earnout dispute with the senior executives of a company it acquired, filed counterclaims, and ultimately obtained a favorable pre-trial settlement.

We defended the ILWU in a two-week jury trial in Portland, Oregon, against allegations by International Container Terminal Services, Inc. that the union and one of its locals engaged in unlawful labor practices in violation of Section 303 of the Labor Management Relations Act. After an adverse jury verdict, we prevailed on a motion for a new trial as to damages and the case subsequently settled.

During a nine-week trial, we defended the former chief financial officer of a British software company against federal criminal charges accusing our client of alleged accounting fraud, relating to an $11 billion acquisition by a U.S. company.

We defended the former CEO of Fannie Mae in an SEC action filed in the Southern District of New York related to Fannie Mae’s disclosures regarding its exposure to “subprime” and “Alt-A” residential mortgages. We secured a favorable settlement for our client shortly before trial.

We achieved a favorable resolution of an FDIC investigation of the former President and Chief of Operating Officer of a southern California bank in connection with the bank’s Option ARM and reduced documentation lending practices.

We defended a former Citigroup executive in one of the rare financial crisis cases to go to trial. Our client worked on the structuring desk at Citigroup and was charged with securities fraud in connection with Citigroup’s 2007 marketing of a $1 billion collateralized debt obligation (CDO) backed by assets tied to the housing market. After a two week trial in the Southern District of New York, a jury rejected the SEC’s case and found our client not liable on any of the SEC’s claims.

We defended a leading enterprise and mobile software company against breach of contract and related claims. The foreign plaintiff alleged he had entered into a joint venture with a company subsequently acquired by our client. We quickly mastered the facts and documents in the case, pushed for early depositions of the key witnesses and an expedited resolution through arbitration, and thus were able to secure a favorable settlement.

We represented Intel in an antitrust suit brought by the New York Attorney General, accusing the company of using unlawful means to secure exclusive agreements for sales of its computer chips. We significantly narrowed the case through pre-trial motions that resulted in the dismissal of several of plaintiff’s claims. Shortly before trial, we settled the case for just $6.5 million.

We defended a leading Internet search engine in a high-stakes binding arbitration. The founders of a company acquired by our client alleged our client breached the merger agreement, and sought hundreds of millions in earn-out compensation. A three-judge panel found in favor of our client on all counts.

Special prosecutors appointed by the United States District Judge charged our client, a nationally-known Mississippi trial attorney, with federal criminal contempt. We persuaded the court to dismiss the charges following an order to show cause.

We represented a nationally-known Mississippi trial attorney in multiple federal criminal cases alleging judicial bribery and honest services fraud. Our client received favorable plea agreements.

We represented an investment fund executive charged with criminal tax fraud related to a tax-shelter transaction that the fund designed and implemented. We resolved the matter by negotiating a plea to reduced charges.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office investigated our client, a prominent plaintiff’s lawyer, in connection with the federal criminal investigation of his firm's historical payment of referral fees in class action litigation. We negotiated a very favorable plea deal before charges were filed.

We successfully handled a series of state and federal class actions, and related derivative actions for our client concerning its alleged failure to disclose discord among its management. In the federal cases, we prevailed on a motion to dismiss and the subsequent appeal before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. In the state cases we also secured dismissals.

We represented three immigrant families intentionally separated by the Trump Administration in 2018. Asserting novel claims under the Federal Tort Claims Act, we vigorously pursued the case until the eve of trial, when the government agreed to the largest settlement out of any of the 50 similar cases filed nationwide.

In conjunction with the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, California Attorney General’s Office, and Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence we obtained a settlement in a 17200 case where Blackhawk Manufacturing, GS Performance LLC, and MDX Corporation will be permanently prohibited from manufacturing or selling unserialized ghost gun kits in California. The companies will also pay more than $600,000 in civil penalties for violating California and federal law in their manufacturing, advertising, and sale of ghost gun kits and firearm precursor parts.