Erin Meyer, partner with Keker, Van Nest & Peters, is among the recipients of the 2025 Women Leaders in Tech Law, Litigation award. Meyer will receive the honor during the annual California Legal Awards on June 25. Meyer's Q&A is reprinted below with permission:
What’s your proudest professional achievement of the past year and why?
I’ve been lucky to assist many amazing clients in the last year, so picking one case is difficult. I’m really proud of my work leading our team in the Alorica v. Fortinet case that was tried over a four-week period last September. This was a breach-of-warranty and fraud case in the secure networking space. We were asked to step in as trial counsel in February, so 2024 became a very busy year.
The team was a well-oiled machine. Every attorney handled witnesses or arguments in court, and each person brought an important perspective to our trial strategy. I enjoyed digging into the technical aspects of the case and translating them into something that each member of the jury could understand. At the end of our trial, we were grateful that the jury returned a complete defense verdict, rejecting all of the plaintiff’s claims.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to a woman starting out in tech law?
Don’t be afraid to dig in and teach yourself the technology, even if it’s outside your wheelhouse. Doing the work to learn your client’s product will put you in the best position to translate the technology to a lay jury.
What is a group, tool, or initiative that has helped you grow in your career or contributes to the development of pipelines for women leaders in tech law?
Throughout my career, I’ve found it essential to have mentors (both in my firm and outside my firm) who have believed in me, and who have been generous in partnering with me in our client relationships. Getting a first-chair trial opportunity is a big deal, and I got my first because one of my partners told the client that I was the best person to run the case and win it. In doing so, he gave up his business opportunity to clear a path for me. I endeavor to be the same type of mentor for talented junior colleagues—going to bat for them to put on witnesses at trial or take the big arguments.
Reprinted with permission from the June 11, 2025, edition of The Recorder © 2025 ALM Global Properties, LLC. All rights reserved. Further duplication without permission is prohibited. Contact 877-256-2472 or asset-and-logo-licensing@alm.com. # REC-6132025-64984
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