Laurie Mims has extensive experience litigating complex civil and white collar criminal matters. She has tried a variety of cases, including several as first chair. Ms. Mims has represented institutional and individual clients in a wide range of industries, including health care, biotechnology, financial services, software development, venture capital and telecommunications. She has successfully defended these clients from claims involving the False Claims Act, the Anti-Kickback Act, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, theft of trade secrets, employment discrimination, copyright and trademark. She has also represented individuals in matters with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Justice, as well as numerous national law firms in professional negligence cases.
Ms. Mims also has an active pro bono practice, through which she has represented indigent clients in criminal trials and habeas proceedings. In 2006, she won a habeas petition on behalf of a Three-Strikes defendant who had served ten years of a twenty five years-to-life sentence. After the client was granted a new trial, she and partner Elliot Peters convinced a Kern County judge to dismiss one of the strikes and release the client the same day with a time-served sentence.
Cases of Note
Insurer v. Former CEO: On the eve of trial in Delaware federal court, we obtained a favorable settlement for the former CEO of a major healthcare company in a breach of fiduciary duty case. We also represented him in related insurance coverage action in Colorado federal court.
Plaintiff v. Law Firm: We successfully defended at trial an Am Law 50 law firm and one of its former partners against a $100 million claim. The plaintiff alleged malpractice and breach of fiduciary duty related to estate planning. After an eight-week trial in California state court, we won a complete victory.
Plaintiff v. Telecommunications Company: We represented a communications provider in its appeal of an adverse judgment in a sexual harassment case. We won in part and lost in part on appeal.
United States v. Executive: 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.
Phenomix v. Pharmaceutical Company: We represented a start-up drug discovery company in a collaboration agreement dispute regarding the development of a diabetes drug. We obtained a favorable settlement before arbitration was filed.
Venture-Backed Biotechnology Company v. Pharmaceutical Company: We represented a biotechnology company developing a drug for a rare genetic disease in arbitration proceedings over its rights to develop its sole product under a collaboration agreement with a large pharmaceutical company. With our assistance, on the first day of the arbitration the parties reached a favorable settlement, which provided for our client’s acquisition of the life-saving drug it is developing. The FDA has now approved the drug and our client successfully conducted an IPO.
Revance Therapeutics, Inc. v. Medicis Pharmaceutical Corporation: We represented Revance, a biotechnology company which develops next-generation dermatology products and therapeutic medicines, in a Delaware Chancery Court bench trial. The trial determined Revance’s worldwide rights to its injectable botulinum toxin product, as well as its ground-breaking topical botox product. Days after the trial, we finalized a settlement which returned all global rights to develop and commercialize both products across all indications to Revance, and resolved all outstanding litigation between the companies.
Awards and Honors
- Listed in The Best Lawyers in America for Commercial Litigation, 2015 - present
- Co-chair, Tenant Advocacy Project, Harvard Law School
- Primary editor, Women’s Law Journal, Harvard Law School
- Phi Beta Kappa, Duke University
- President, Scales of Justice, Harvard Law School’s a capella group
Professional Affiliations
- Executive Committee, San Francisco Bar Association Litigation Section
- Vice-chair, American Bar Association Young Lawyers’ Division Litigation Committee
- Member, Association of Business Trial Lawyers' Leadership Development Committee
Publications and Speaking Engagements
- Co-author, “Best Practices For Successful Collaboration,” Life Science Leader, 2012
- Panelist, "How to Practice in Federal Court," 7th Annual Federal Court Boot Camp Conference, 2011
- Panelist, "Understanding Professional Liability Risks and Exposure," American Bar Association's New Partner and In-House Counsel Conference, 2011
- Panelist, “The Top 5 Issues Affecting New/Young Litigators,” American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, 2010
- "More 'Ps,' Please: Parental Leave Left Me a Better Practitioner," Women Advocate Newsletter, Summer 2010