Susan K. Leader’s practice includes commercial litigation with a primary focus on disputes alleging breach of contract and business torts, as well as intellectual property claims in copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets and IP claims under the California Uniform Trade Secrets Act. She has also litigated cases involving franchise law, antitrust, and trusts and estates. Ms. Leader has substantial experience in litigating and trying complex commercial matters in federal and state courts and arbitration, from pre-filing through trial and post-trial law and motion. Her litigation and counseling experience includes work for companies in the aerospace, retail and automotive industries, as well as representation of large trusts and estates.
Her representative experience includes—
- representing the trustees of a half billion dollar trust as defendants in a four week jury trial focused on whether the trust had breached its promissory note and security agreement with plaintiff (a private third-party company), in which a complete defense verdict was rendered. Plaintiff was seeking $400 million in damages.
- serving as lead trial counsel on behalf of the defendant in a multimillion-dollar bet-the-company case concerning misappropriation of trade secrets, trademark infringement and unfair competition, in which she obtained a complete defense verdict after a two-week trial
- representing a Korean client in federal dispute against a large retail manufacturer regarding breach of franchise agreement, in which she successfully defeated numerous motions to dismiss and add counterclaims and obtained a multimillion-dollar settlement for the client
- representing a large, out-of-state packaging company in a one-week breach of contract arbitration initiated by a local business represented by a large Los Angeles-based international law firm, in which she recovered attorneys’ fees and costs
- serving as co-trial counsel on behalf of the defendant in a seven-week trial concerning alleged Cartwright Act violations and intentional interference with prospective business advantage.
An active member of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Ms. Leader is also a contributing author of California Business Litigation, a two-volume attorney’s handbook published by California Continuing Education of the Bar.
Ms. Leader received her J.D. in 2001 from the University of Virginia School of Law. In 1997, she received her B.A. magna cum laude from Vanderbilt University, where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.