O’Melveny’s reputation as a litigation powerhouse is built on a long record of delivering exceptional results for clients when they need us most. From Silicon Valley to Seoul, Hollywood to the Hill, Wall Street to the Web, we guide clients through cases that seek billions of dollars in damages, that challenge the business practices of entire industries, or that attempt to criminalize broad swaths of corporate conduct.

The American Lawyer has likened our litigation team to a “relentless Land Rover”—forging ahead no matter how daunting the obstacles to our clients’ goals. As a perennial honoree in the magazine’s “Litigation Department of the Year” competition, we have been recognized for our courtroom skills and versatility, “geographic and industry breadth befitting a first-tier national litigation shop,” and string of “stunning wins.”

We help our clients prevail at every stage: on the pleadings, at trial, in settlements, and on appeal. Most years their victories span all US jurisdictions, including courts in nearly every state, every federal circuit, and frequently the US Supreme Court. To serve multinational clients, we have seasoned litigators on the ground in Asia and Europe who work in tandem with colleagues in our US offices.

While our willingness to go to the mat for our clients is what keeps companies wanting to work with us again and again, we never lose sight of our clients’ business interests. Our efficient and effective advocacy skills often resolve cases before they ever reach trial. And some of our biggest litigation successes have been cases where we helped our client avoid litigation altogether. 

What Sets Us Apart

    • Although most large firms can litigate a case, few can shape a dispute for trial—managing discovery, excluding testimony, limiting claims—as comprehensively as we do. With our reputation for results, many companies have chosen us to replace their original counsel in complex disputes.
    • Our creative strategies and vigorous advocacy have spared clients billions of dollars in exposure. 
    • O’Melveny is always working to deliver the greatest value possible, including crafting creative fee structures tailored to each client and situation.  The American Lawyer referred to our innovation—“especially when it comes to alternative fee arrangements”—as one of the traits that set us apart from other large law firms.

AT&T and Time Warner

As lead trial counsel for both AT&T and Time Warner, O’Melveny defended the companies’ landmark US$85.4 billion merger against claims by the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division that the transaction would harm competition and should be blocked. Read

Case Study: Chevron

In a suit brought in the Northern District of California on behalf of more than 40,000 401(k) plan participants, O'Melveny overcame many of the arguments typically asserted in fiduciary breach cases.

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Case Study: China Agritech

In a rare accomplishment in securities litigation, we successfully defended China Agritech, a Chinese fertilizer manufacturer, and certain of its officers and directors in three successive class actions, twice defeating motions for class certification and securing dismissal of the third case on statute of limitations grounds. Read

Case Study: Exportadora de Sal, S.A. de C.V.

O’Melveny secured a major victory on behalf of Mexican salt mining company, Exportadora de Sal, S.A. de C.V. (ESSA), in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Read

Fidelity Management Trust Company and Fidelity Management Research Co.

O’Melveny achieved a victory in the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals on behalf of clients Fidelity Management Trust Company and Fidelity Management Research Co. in an ERISA class action brought by the participants in ABB’s employee retirement plans. Read

Giant Interactive

O’Melveny successfully defended Giant Interactive, one of China’s leading online game developers and operators, in a shareholder class action seeking to enjoin Giant’s proposed going-private transaction, which O’Melveny also successfully handled.   Read

Lennar

O’Melveny achieved a US$1 billion jury verdict for Lennar, a Fortune 500 homebuilder and land developer. Read

Madison Square Garden

In 2015, O’Melveny secured Madison Square Garden’s dismissal from a lawsuit brought against the venue and other defendants by the family of a boxer who sustained serious injuries during a heavyweight match. Read

Marriott

O’Melveny secured a major victory for Marriott when Judge Jane Boyle of the Northern District of Texas dismissed antitrust and consumer protection claims against Marriott, other hotel defendants, and a group of online travel company websites, including Expedia and Travelocity. Read

Molina Healthcare, Inc

O’Melveny secured dismissal of a False Claims Act (FCA) complaint alleging Medicare fraud against Molina. Read

MullinTBG

O’Melveny represented MullinTBG, a leading provider of executive benefit solutions and financing strategies, in addressing employee benefits issues in its sale to Prudential Financial, Inc. Read

Ready-Mixed Concrete Suppliers

An O’Melveny team secured a preliminary injunction barring the State of California from enforcing the recent expansion of its prevailing wage law against a client group of ready-mixed concrete suppliers and other similarly situated companies. Read

Suntech Power Holdings

O’Melveny represented Suntech Power Holdings in its insolvency proceedings in New York and the Cayman Islands. Read

United Airlines, Inc.

O’Melveny secured two major summary judgment wins for United Airlines, confirming that California labor and employment law does not apply to individuals who work primarily outside the state’s borders. Read

UnitedHealth Group

O’Melveny helped secure dismissal with prejudice of a California-wide class complaint against UnitedHealth arising out of the Medicare Supplement insurance program UnitedHealth offers to members of AARP. Read

US Airways/American Airlines

When DOJ sued to enjoin US Airways’ multibillion dollar merger with American Airlines in August 2013, US Airways hired Rich Parker and O’Melveny to act as lead trial counsel. Read

Walt Disney Company

O’Melveny successfully defended Disney against claims brought by Wind Dancer, which represents former writers and producers of the show “Home Improvement,” challenging Disney’s accounting of net profits from the show. The court granted Disney’s summary adjudication motion on the grounds that Wind Dancer’s claims were time-barred. Read

Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

O’Melveny helped Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and its subsidiary DC Comics resolve a long running dispute over copyrights to the Superman character. Read
    • Actavis
    • American Airlines Group
    • China Agritech
    • Chubb
    • eBay Inc.
    • Fidelity Management Trust Company
    • Lennar Corp.
    • Marriott
    • Quiksilver, Inc.
    • Samsung
    • Suntech Power Holdings
    • TD Bank
    • United Airlines
    • Warner Bros.