Joan M. Haratani Partner

Joan M. Haratani is a partner in Morgan Lewis's Litigation Practice. Ms. Haratani has an extensive trial and pretrial practice, with a particular emphasis on products liability and complex commercial disputes. In her 24 years of practice, Ms. Haratani has handled all phases of pretrial and trial proceedings. She has worked on complex licensing agreements and indemnity issues and is currently co-lead counsel on one of the largest pending class actions in the nation. Her recent cases involve contract and preemption analysis and in-depth knowledge of the Alien Tort Statute, one of the oldest statutes in the nation.

Ms. Haratani has developed a subpractice in law concerning medicines and devices, and, for more than two decades, she has represented either pharmaceutical or medical device companies. Her career began with representing a major pharmaceutical company in litigation that concerned an artificial hormone given to pregnant women. She was involved in two trials on behalf of the manufacturer. Ms. Haratani also has worked on cases involving the possible contamination of blood products with Hepatitis C, severe allergic reactions to natural rubber latex, and a variety of medical devices ranging from surgical equipment to implantable intraocular lenses. Damages alleged ranged from cerebral palsy to severe hypoxnia.

Recently, Ms. Haratani successfully resolved a complex trade secrets dispute on behalf of a medical device company, and, for the last few years, she was the lead lawyer in a high-exposure products liability case involving a food product. She was also a member of a national litigation strategy team for a Fortune 100 company and was selected to be lead trial lawyer for a products company. Ms. Haratani has obtained a complete defense verdict after a lengthy trial for a medical device manufacturer. She currently serves as co-national counsel for an international healthcare company.

Ms. Haratani is recognized as one of the "Top 100 Lawyers in California" and as a "Top 75 Women Litigator" by the Daily Journal. In its ranking of the firm's Products Liability Practice, the 2007 edition of Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business described the group as being "[f]ull of intelligent attorneys who really deliver" and noted that Ms. Haratani "draws praise from clients for her tenacity and ability to look at a case from a business perspective." She is a Northern California Super Lawyer (2004-2008) and was selected by the corporate members of the Minority Corporate Counsel Association as a "Female Litigator on the Rise" in Diversity and the Bar.

Ms. Haratani is the Recent Past President of the Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF), the first female of color president of BASF in its 134-year history. She is also a past president of the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area, past regional governor of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, past co-chair of the Committee in the ABA Science and Technology Section, and the past chair of The Asian Pacific Fund. In 2006, Ms. Haratani served as chair of the bar association/law firm section of the State Bar of California's inaugural Pipeline Task Force.

Ms. Haratani is a former Advisory Committee member of the ABA Conference on Minority Law Firm Partners and Majority-Corporate Law Firms and has been recognized as one of the 500 most influential Asian Americans in America by Avenue Asia Magazine. She also has been listed in California Law Business as one of "California's Top Rainmakers" in 1996, 1997, 1999, and 2001.

Ms. Haratani has received numerous awards for both her practice accomplishments and service on behalf of minority practitioners. She is the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area's 2001 award recipient for "Exceptional Legal Advocacy." She also has received a rating from Martindale-Hubbell signifying the height of professional excellence and has been recognized for the highest levels of skill and integrity.

Ms. Haratani is a frequent lecturer on topics of diversity, and she is a board member of several philanthropic organizations, including the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Northern California. She is also currently a member of the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (by nomination only), the Defense Research Institute, California Women Lawyers, and the board of directors for the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights, as well as Morgan Lewis's Advisory Board and Compensation Committee.

Ms. Haratani is admitted to practice in California and before the state and federal courts of California.

Representative trials available on request.