Robert A. Lewis

Bob's complex commercial litigation practice is wide ranging and includes a defense verdict in a jury trial seeking damages under the earn-out provision of an acquired high-tech company and a defense judgment in a jury trial seeking damages from the denial of stock options.

In the area of financial institutions litigation, Bob represents clients in an array of matters. Examples include the successful arbitration of claims for undisclosed fees and obtaining summary judgment on a claim arising from improper pension plan disbursements.

In software litigation, Bob represents clients in disputes over software implementation and integration, including claims relating to huge enterprise resource planning (ERP) installations. He has successfully defended claims of improper implementations by both businesses and government entities.

In the area of professional liability defense, Bob represents software integrators, lawyers, insurance and reinsurance brokers, actuaries, and other professionals in malpractice actions, including a defense jury verdict on a reinsurance intermediary malpractice claim and a defense verdict on a malpractice claim against ERISA actuaries.

Regarding unfair competition and trade secrets, Bob's accomplishments include a defense verdict in an eight-week jury trial on claims of alleged secret rebates, the successful arbitration of a claim for alleged misappropriation of software trade secrets, and the coordination of multistate litigation to prevent the theft of trade secrets by competitive hirings from a client.

Bob has also litigated and provided counseling in virtually every facet of insurance law. Chambers USA noted that clients respect Bob's “superior knowledge of how the [insurance] industry works.”

Bob is also an experienced appellate lawyer, having briefed numerous appellate matters and argued more than a dozen times in the Ninth and Tenth Circuits and the California Supreme Court and Court of Appeal.

• Obtained a defense verdict in a two-week arbitration on claims against a financial institution that it improperly retained more than $25 million in undisclosed fees
• Obtained a defense verdict in a three-week jury trial on claims against a reinsurance intermediary for professional negligence seeking more than $33 million
• Obtained a defense verdict in a two-month arbitration on claims of trade secret violations relating to ERP software and seeking $400 million
• Obtained judgment for defendants in a two-week jury trial seeking millions in damages for denial of stock options
• Obtained a defense verdict in a three-week jury trial on claims of fraud and breach of contract and seeking more than $25 million stemming from an earn-out provision in the acquisition of a high-tech company
• Obtained a multimillion-dollar verdict in a jury trial on behalf of a bankruptcy trustee seeking insurance benefits for a debtor
• Obtained a defense verdict in a bench trial on claims of professional negligence against ERISA actuaries seeking more than $10 million stemming from alleged under-reserving of a pension plan
• Obtained a plaintiff verdict in a bench trial on behalf of a corporation against a former employee who had engaged in kickback schemes with vendors
• Represented a software integrator in the successful defense of claims of malpractice in an ERP implementation seeking more than $100 million
• Represented a corporation in litigation brought in numerous states to curtail the concerted effort of a competitor to obtain trade secrets by hiring the corporation’s employees
• Obtained a defense verdict in an eight-week jury trial on antitrust claims alleging secret discounts and seeking more than $40 million