Allison Lane Cooper is a partner with more than 17 years of experience representing clients in professional liability and commercial disputes. She has wide-ranging experience in all aspects of litigation, from its inception through trial. She has tried numerous cases, and briefed and argued appeals before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the California Appellate Courts. She has extensive experience in federal and state court practice, as well as arbitration and other alternative dispute resolution procedures. She is admitted in California and Florida, and has been admitted pro hac vice in federal courts throughout the country.

Notable Engagements

Following are examples of cases Allison has handled. Confidentiality precludes disclosing names of parties here, but references are available on request.

• Successfully moved to dismiss claims against international law firm in $550 million case alleging professional malpractice and fraud from the failure of a publicly traded corporation; affirmed on appeal; petition for review by United States Supreme Court denied.


• Successfully defended national law firm against $60 million claim involving breach of fiduciary duty, malpractice, and spoliation of evidence; resolved by motion for summary judgment and dismissed on appeal.


• Obtained summary judgment for law firm whose former client claimed it had erred in negotiating the settlement of underlying multi-party multi-million dollar construction defect litigation.


• Defended New York law firm in litigation against claims of fraud, tortious interference with contractual relationships, and bad faith in connection with underlying malpractice and insurance coverage disputes. Nonsuit granted in favor of clients one week into trial.


• Defended national law firm against claims arising from employment advice allegedly resulting in underlying class action suits.


• Obtained summary judgment, affirmed on appeal, for prominent Bay Area professional liability defense firm in malpractice and breach of fiduciary duty claim.


• Successfully defended local construction defect firm in breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, and malpractice case; summary judgment obtained on causation grounds.


• Obtained dismissal at pleadings stage, affirmed on appeal, for national private security firm against multi-million dollar claims of tortious interference with contractual and business relations.


• Defended international health food retailer and dietary supplement manufacturer in 5 coordinated wrongful death cases alleging that an herbal tea was a defective product. Obtained defense verdict following 6 week jury trial which was affirmed on appeal, and favorably settled remaining cases afterward.


• Obtained summary judgment in multi-million dollar case in favor of estate planning attorney. Prevailed when plaintiff appealed the judgment, on subsequent motion for reconsideration, and ultimately following appeal to California Supreme Court.


• Obtained summary judgment in legal malpractice cases brought by husband and wife against attorney arising out of preparation of prenuptial agreement.


• Obtained summary judgment finding no product defect in catastrophic injury case involving electronic control panel of 110 hydraulic press.

Teaching and Speaking Engagements

• "Coverage for Sexual Harassment and Wrongful Termination Claims," Mock Trial, presented to the CPCU Society Annual Meeting (November 1996)
• "Insurance Coverage for Sexual Harassment," presented to Excess/Surplus Lines Claims Association (April 1996)
• Instructor, Appellate Advocacy, University of Florida, (1990)
• Instructor, Legal Research and Writing, University of Florida, (1989)
• "Focus on Disaster: An Analysis of the Space Shuttle Challenger Crash as a Function of Flawed Group Decision Making Processes," presented at the Southern Communication Association Conference (April 1989)

Education

• University of Florida, J.D. (1990)
• Moot Court Team and Board
• University of Florida Journal of Law and Public Policy, Associate Editor
• Legal Research and Writing and Appellate Advocacy Instructor
• University of Florida, BA, Speech Communication, with high honors (1987)

Admitted to Practice

• California (1991)
• Florida (1992)
• United State Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
• United States District Court, Northern, Eastern and Central Districts of California

Professional Affiliations and Activities

• American Bar Association
• State Bar of California
• State Bar of Florida