Elizabeth Heckmann represents clients in all facets of commercial litigation. Prior to joining Keker, Van Nest & Peters, Elizabeth served as a law clerk to Judge James V. Selna of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
Elizabeth earned her J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law and her B.A. in International Relations and Middle Eastern Studies with a minor in Arabic from the University of Arkansas. Before law school, Elizabeth worked as a consumer insights researcher in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
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 Vividion Therapeutics’ founding chemist in knocking out claims alleging that he conspired to divert valuable intellectual property from the company’s $2 billion sale to Bayer. A Vividion investor sued for breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, aiding and abetting, and unjust enrichment after one of the scientist’s patents was licensed to a subsequent life sciences startup. The Delaware Chancery Court dismissed the case with prejudice after concluding that the claims were derivative, not direct, and that plaintiffs’ allegations were insufficient to take advantage of an exception to the ordinary rules for derivative claims.
The Daily Journal’s new Capital & Counsel newsletter highlighted Keker, Van Nest & Peters’ lead role in convincing a Delaware Chancery Court to dismiss a complaint by venture capital firm Cardinal Partners accusing a scientist and others of conspiring to divert valuable intellectual property from the $2 billion sale of Vividion Therapeutics to Bayer AG. Read more
AmLaw’s Litigator of the Week column included a shout-out for Keker, Van Nest & Peters and Bailey Heaps for defending Vividion Therapeutics’ founding chemist against claims he improperly diverted intellectual property in connection with the company’s $2 billion sale to Bayer Corp. Read more
Keker, Van Nest & Peters won a significant victory today in Delaware Chancery Court, which dismissed with prejudice Cardinal Partners’ claims against Vividion Therapeutics’ founding chemist stemming from the company’s $2 billion sale to Bayer. Read more
Keker, Van Nest & Peters filed a proposed amicus brief on behalf of a group of distinguished former federal judges, urging U.S. District Judge Dale E. Ho to consider whether an improper quid pro quo arrangement exists before dismissing the indictment against New York Mayor Eric Adams. Read more
The Daily Journal has named Keker, Van Nest & Peters's trial win for Real Intent among the 2024 Top Verdicts in California. Read more
Keker, Van Nest & Peters partners Bob Van Nest, Sharif Jacob, Sophie Hood and Ryan Wong reflect on the firm’s biggest trial wins which earned its place among Law360’s 2024 Trials Groups of the Year. Read more
A Keker trial team, led by Bob Van Nest, successfully defended Real Intent, Inc. in a San Jose federal court, achieving a favorable outcome in a complex breach of contract case. After securing a decisive copyright fair use ruling in August 2024, they convinced the jury to award only nominal damages, far less than the claimant’s demands. Read more