O’Melveny Worldwide

Madhu Pocha, Managing Partner of O’Melveny’s Century City office, tackles litigation across a broad range of industries and legal disciplines as a member of the firm’s renowned trial practice. During his career, Madhu has defended companies and individuals facing novel and complex problems. Recent matters include a constellation of class actions concerning the cleanup of nuclear waste at the former Hunters Point Naval Base in San Francisco to restructuring litigation on behalf of the Government of Puerto Rico—the first time a US territory has gone through bankruptcy.

Madhu has led teams at all stages of litigation, including evidentiary hearings and trials. Recent wins include a jury verdict for American Airlines in a monopolization antitrust case in the Southern District of New York, and the successful restructuring of the majority of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico’s debt, including tens of billions in pension obligations held by the island’s main public employee retirement system.

  • Representing the elected government of Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rico Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico’s bankruptcy proceedings, which included working with the actuaries of the island’s retirement system to defend and explain their work to creditors and the court in assessing pension obligations for different classes of beneficiaries
  • Representing Lennar, the nation’s largest homebuilder, in class action and environmental litigation concerning the redevelopment of the former Hunters Point Naval Base in San Francisco
  • Represented US Airways (now American Airlines) in antitrust lawsuit seeking to halt anticompetitive conduct in the airline ticket distribution market
  • Defended Sirius XM in class action lawsuits over common-law copyright ownership in music recorded before 1972
  • Represented creators of the Call of Duty and Modern Warfare videogames in dispute over creative rights and unpaid nine-figure compensation
  • Represented Agrium (now Nutrien), one of the world's leading agricultural companies, in dispute over organic fertilizer 
  • Defended AMC Theatres in nine-figure dispute over online movie ticketing 
  • Defended Skechers against claims of false advertising and personal injuries 
  • Defended Universal in arbitration over profit participation in multi-billion dollar film franchise 
  • Defended Australian company against claims brought under the Alien Tort Statute by citizens of Papua New Guinea 
  • Represented TMZ in dispute over confidentiality of sources under California and federal law 
  • Defended Sports Illustrated and Pulitzer Prize winning sports journalist against defamation claims 
  • Represented chip maker AMD in global antitrust lawsuit that resulted in a US$1.25 billion settlement 
  • Argued two cases before the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit 
  • Contributed research for the National War Powers Commission Report under the supervision of former Secretary of State Warren Christopher 

Admissions

Bar Admissions

  • California

Court Admissions

  • US District Court, Central District of California
  • US Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit

Education

  • Columbia University, J.D.: James Kent Scholar; Executive Editor, Columbia Human Rights Law Review
  • Yale University, B.A., Literature: magna cum laude; Calabresi Writing Prize; DeForest Oratory Prize

Honors & Awards

  • Named to the Los Angeles Business Journal’s list of “Minority Leaders of Influence: Attorneys” (2021)
  • Leadership Council on Legal Diversity Fellow (2020)
  • Recognized as a Southern California “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers as published in Los Angeles magazine (2018)

Professional Activities

Member

  • Association of Business Trial Lawyers
  • KCRW, Board Member
  • Western Center on Law and Poverty, Advisory Board Member (2018-present)
  • Feast, Board Member
  • Minds Matter of Los Angeles, Board Member (2019-present)