Tera M. Heintz

Associate

Tera M. Heintz is an associate in Morgan Lewis's Litigation Practice. Ms. Heintz focuses her practice on complex commercial disputes, including cases alleging trade secret misappropriation, antitrust violations, unfair competition, breach of contract, and securities fraud. 

The Recorder recently named Ms. Heintz among its 50 "Fast Track" lawyers whose "early accomplishments indicate they will be tomorrow's top lawyers and leaders." Ms. Heintz's civil litigation experience includes examining and preparing witnesses at trial, taking and defending depositions, managing discovery, and successfully prosecuting and opposing significant dispositive motions.

Recently, Ms. Heintz:

• Examined the lead witness and served as a key trial team member in a three-month jury trial resulting in the second largest U.S. jury verdict of 2011 for client Asahi Kasei Pharma Corporation on claims of interference of contract and breach of confidentiality in San Mateo Superior Court.
• Examined the lead witness and expert witnesses in an International Chamber of Commerce arbitration resulting in a $91 million verdict for client Asahi Kasei Pharma Corporation in a breach of contract action.
• Served on a trial team obtaining a zero-damages defense verdict in the retrial of a trade secret misappropriation case where liability had previously been found by a Santa Clara County jury.
• Obtained dismissal of lawsuits in Ohio and California alleging housing code violations and nuisance claims against a trustee of residential mortgage backed security trusts.
• Obtained summary judgment in favor of a leading technology company in the Southern District of Florida involving a $2 billion claim for breach of contract.
• Obtained dismissal of a worldwide class action suit alleging violation of the Alien Tort Claims Act and unfair competition against an international retail discount store.
• Obtained dismissal of a suit against a leading pharmaceutical benefits provider alleging violations of the Oklahoma Third Party Prescription Act.
• Obtained dismissal of suit alleging negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, identity theft, and fraudulent concealment against a nationwide title company.

Ms. Heintz also has a significant pro bono practice. In 2011, she successfully co-authored a habeas petition to the California Supreme Court on behalf of a death row inmate, arguing that he is "mentally retarded" and therefore constitutionally ineligible for the death penalty under Atkins v. Virginia. 

Ms. Heintz earned her J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School, where she worked as a student attorney in the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau. Following graduation, she clerked for Judge Jan E. DuBois of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. She earned her B.A., magna cum laude, in philosophy from Willamette University in 1996.

Ms. Heintz is admitted to practice in California and before the U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Central Districts of California.