Howard Holderness

Partner

Howard Holderness is a partner in Morgan Lewis's Litigation Practice, chair of the San Francisco Hiring Committee, and a member of the firmwide Legal Personnel Committee. His practice focuses on complex commercial litigation, where he has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in cases involving fraud, breach of contract, antitrust claims, product liability, false advertising, unfair business practices, and class action issues. His clients have included some of Silicon Valley's largest technology companies, as well as individuals and smaller companies. He has an extensive background with prelitigation counseling, civil litigation before trial, including complex electronic discovery issues, and trial representation on behalf of his clients.

Mr. Holderness is a member of the firm's Fixed Fee Billing Initiative, which includes more than $20 million in fixed-fee litigation. He is also co-manager of the firm's largest fixed-fee client arrangement.

Recent significant representations include:

• Ongoing representation of a leading supplier of Internet networking equipment in a case involving trade secrets and breach of fiduciary duty.
• Representation of a global leader in wireless and ethernet networking in consumer class action. Case was settled with use of novel remedy mechanism.
• Obtained summary judgment in a case claiming conversion of computer equipment for worldwide networking solutions company.
• Obtained no cost dismissal in an antitrust action involving top Internet solutions company.
• Obtained summary judgment in face of claims of spidering, trespass, and improper use of publicly available information for a prominent ticketing company.

Mr. Holderness is admitted to practice in California and before the U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Central, and Eastern Districts of California, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He also has been admitted pro hac vice for various matters in Arizona, Mississippi, Utah, Nevada, and other states.