TRENTON J. HILL

Partner

Mr. Hill represents companies engaged in a wide array of commerce. A staple of Mr. Hill's litigation and transactional practice is providing legal services to financial companies, including banks, commercial real estate, and insurance brokerages. Other long-time clients are engaged in manufacturing, distribution, sales and a variety of service industries, from restaurants to produce distributors to cost consultants to "new media". This varied practice has led to Mr. Hill serving as outside General Counsel to several companies.

In addition to acting as counsel for companies with traditional business disputes, Mr. Hill frequently represents companies and their employees in "business tort" actions, including unfair competition, trade secret, and wage and hour litigation. Among the many companies that he has successfully represented are Ascent Media, Black & Decker, D2V, Dodge, Warren & Peters, First Security Lending, Marsh USA, MISi3D, Morgan Stanley, MyInternetServices.com, Profit Recovery Partners, Risk Strategies, Wells Fargo Bank and Worldwide Produce.

Mr. Hill is a panel arbitrator for the National Futures Association and has been a mediator for the Los Angeles County Superior Court. He is a regular speaker to sales staffs interested in lawsuit avoidance.

Recent Cases:

Loftus v. Ferguson Enterprises: Prevailed in multi-million dollar wage and hour class action.

Confidential Client: Successfully defended M&A firm against claims for multi-million dollar earnout.

Wells Fargo Bank v. Washington Mutual Bank: Obtained judgment for specific performance in action involving pooled mortgage loans.

Brittain v. Profit Recovery Partners: Successfully defended consulting firm in employment dispute.

Lee v. AT&T Wireless: Prevailed in multi-million dollar consumer class action.

Representative transactions and advisory work:

Asset Purchase (2011) - produce company

Stock Sale (2011) - industrial electronics company

Asset Purchase (2011) - graphics company

Stock Purchase (2011) - graphics company

Retail Lease (2010) - developer

Outside General Counsel (2009-present) - internet infrastructure company

Outside General Counsel (1994-present) - national consulting firm

Office Lease (2009) - consulting company

Commercial Lease (2009) - restaurant

Merger (2004) - represented acquiree in $36M acquisition of insurance broker

Outside General Counsel (1998-2004) - regional insurance broker

Published Cases:

Marler v. E.M. Johansing, LLC, __ Cal. App. 4th __ (2011); 2011 DJDAR 15432 (Oct. 19, 2011) (reversing and remanding trial court determination on class certification).

Dodge, Warren & Peters Insurance Services, Inc. v. Riley,, 105 Cal. App. 4th 1414 (2003) (affirming preliminary injunction requiring the preservation of electronic evidence against former employee alleged to have misappropriated trade secrets).