Hueston Hennigan

Key practice areas

Dispute resolution

Firm overview

Hueston Hennigan is a leading litigation boutique that has made a name for itself as one of the go-to trial firms in the country, regularly securing accolades such as a “Trials Group of the Year,” “U.S. Boutique Firm of the Year,” “U.S. Trial Firm of the Year” and “Commercial Litigation Firm of the Year” from publications including Law360, Chambers, Benchmark Litigation, and more.

With offices in Los Angeles and Newport Beach, California, and New York City, the firm handles a range of high-stakes matters for a client roster that includes Amazon, Epic Games, Disney, Boeing, Chevron, Walmart, Caltech, Deloitte, Edison International, Qualcomm, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Monster Energy, the Navajo Nation, and many others. Hueston Hennigan achieves precedent-setting results in trials and appeals across a broad spectrum of issues and industries.

Recent highlights include securing a complete defense verdict for Disney in a high-profile suit brought by an animator who alleged Disney infringed his copyrights to develop the blockbuster film, “Moana,” and securing over $500 million in trial awards for Monster Energy—consisting of the largest-ever Lanham Act award and among the largest-ever trademark awards—in two separate cases against rival VPX. The firm also obtained over $300 million for Match Group in an antitrust case against Google, played a critical role in Epic Games’ landmark antitrust trial victory against Google, and secured an unprecedented defense trial win for Endo Pharmaceuticals in $50 billion opioid litigation.

Hueston Hennigan is often called upon to replace Big Law giants and other famed litigation boutiques in order to deliver victories to clients. To learn more about our practice, please visit hueston.com.

What Clients Say

“Hueston Hennigan is the firm we turn to when we know we must win at trial. Their attorneys are not only masterful lawyers, they are creative, thoughtful, strategic and tenacious. From the moment the first document is filed, every option is considered and every decision is made with the ultimate goal in mind, winning at trial. Hueston Hennigan has achieved historic, record-setting results for Monster in incredibly complex matters. Those results were achieved because Hueston Hennigan did what Hueston Hennigan does, win.”

-Aaron Sonnhalter, Monster Energy Company Chief Legal Officer

“After taking over a bet-the-company case months before trial, the Hueston Hennigan team quickly immersed themselves in the business and facts of the case, earned the trust and respect of our team, and positioned the case for victory. At trial, they put on a master class, including incredible opening and closing arguments, a compelling case-in-chief, and cross-examinations for the ages. Their entire team is smart, honest and a pleasure to work with.”

-Alex Dimitrief, Former General Counsel, GE Capital; Acting General Counsel, Amulet Estate

“Hueston Hennigan is bold, strategic, and relentless. Their deep lineup of talented and diverse trial lawyers weave masterful arguments, impactful direct exams and devastating crosses. We especially value their close and collaborative partnership with our in-house team in order to obtain the best possible outcomes. Hueston Hennigan is the total package and we are glad to have them on our side.”

-Jonathan Mothner, Synchrony Financial (formerly GE Capital) Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary

“I turn to Hueston Hennigan for our most significant legal matters. In each engagement, they have provided extraordinarily effective lawyering, counsel, and strategic business advice. They are unrivaled as go-to trial counsel for complex, high-risk litigation.”

-Julie Davis, Taco Bell Global, Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary

“The lawyers at Hueston Hennigan have distinguished themselves with their wise counsel and outstanding advocacy from the boardroom to the courtroom. Their ability to balance legal and business considerations practically and efficiently is truly exceptional. They are among our go-to trial counsel, and they deliver results.”

-Jake Schatz, Electronic Arts, Executive Vice President and General Counsel

“When the USEPA triggered an unprecedented environmental disaster that contaminated the Navajo Nation’s sacred waters, the Navajo Nation turned to Hueston Hennigan. For years, the USEPA hid behind its sovereign immunity and marshaled a massive litigation force to erect barriers to the Navajo Nation’s claims. Hueston Hennigan dismantled those barriers through relentless advocacy that left no stone unturned. They are fearless and determined, no matter the adversary, and as a result recovered over $40 million for the Navajo Nation.”

-Doreen N. McPaul, Navajo Nation, Attorney General

“Hueston Hennigan is an ideal choice for the toughest cases. The combined, concentrated trial talent of Hueston Hennigan makes this firm a top-shelf litigation choice for virtually any high-risk, complex matter.”

-Melissa Scanlan, T-Mobile, Vice President, Intellectual Property and Antitrust

“In one of Western Digital’s most important legal matters in recent years, Hueston Hennigan partnered with us to craft and implement a creative, multi-staged litigation strategy that delivered repeated victories in both court and international arbitration. Hueston Hennigan has a very deep bench of legal talent who are our trusted counselors for our most important cases.”

-Michael Ray, Western Digital Corp., Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary

“Hueston Hennigan lawyers distinguished themselves by being dynamically creative and unsurpassed in courtroom advocacy. Their care extends beyond the individual case; they work closely with our in-house counsel, and their post-mortem review of matters is a value-add that fits squarely with our continuous improvement culture. They are a go-to firm for the most complex and challenging cases.”

-Barry H. Caldwell, Waste Management, Former Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Chief Legal Officer

“Hueston Hennigan is a world-class law firm for the 21st century, capable of serving the litigation needs of individuals to global companies. Its talented team of professionals is dedicated to working closely with clients and has the creativity and flexibility to bring the simplest solutions to the most complex problems.”

-Arnold Pinkston, Edwards Lifesciences LLC, Corporate Vice President, General Counsel

“Hueston Hennigan creatively and relentlessly investigated and prosecuted claims arising from a complex, high-stakes commercial fraud, obtaining recoveries worth more than $75 million. They skillfully and efficiently positioned us for courtroom victories, while working hand-in-glove with in-house counsel to ensure that the legal strategy aligned with our business objectives. Their team was a pleasure to work with, and I strongly recommend the firm for difficult and important cases.”

-William B. Sailer, Qualcomm, Inc., Senior Vice President and Legal Counsel

Updated Oct 2025

Address:

523 West 6th St., Suite 400

Los Angeles, CA 90014

Tel:+1 213 788 4340 Web Address:https://www.hueston.com/

Hueston Hennigan

Linked Reviews

Dispute Resolution

Since its genesis in 2015, Los Angeles litigation boutique Hueston Hennigan has seen an ascent that can only be described as astonishing. Formed by a group of commercial litigators who peeled off of California institution Irell & Manella to launch this venture, Hueston Hennigan has forged itself a coveted position as a local litigation shop that has achieved state-wide and even national prominence. The firm is noted for its mission of putting a premium on trial work, a mission that has been fulfilled with rapid momentum on several high-level appointments. “They have just been massively successful,” sums up one East Coast litigator, stating a consensus shared by many. The firm’s client base is remarkably diverse, ranging from individuals to a variety of entities encompassing tech giants, Native American tribes, the Boy Scouts and the California State Bar (to name but a few), with very little repeat business and virtually no “routine” cases. “Hueston Hennigan doesn’t do the ‘cookie-cutter.’ They do really cool, cutting-edge work,” declares a peer, who goes on to confide, “I admit it makes me jealous, and I’m sure I’m not alone!” Seemingly not content with dominating the Los Angeles area, the firm has discreetly planted a flag in the New York market as well, with a further buildout expected.
Firm founder and name partner John Hueston is a trial trailblazer who has carved himself an enviable position even among others in the elite trial lawyer circuit. “I’ve seen trial lawyers rise and fade but John is young and vibrant enough to be in this for the long haul,” opines one peer. A client testifies on Hueston’s behalf. “John is incredibly smart and strategic. He is a true trial lawyer – he relishes the fight and is unafraid of a courtroom.” Hueston’s proven activity as lead counsel on a number of high-level appointments more than supports this near-unanimous acclaim. Hueston is not alone in his trial prowess and activity, however. Moez Kaba has staked himself a position as another of the firm’s lead trial counsel, acting in tandem with Hueston or on his own on some of the firm’s most high-stakes disputes. Kaba made his debut as one of the Benchmark Top 100 Trial Lawyers in 2019, a coveted status made all the more impressive by the fact that he is the youngest appointee to this prestigious list by some distance. More impressive still, his position on that list remains secure again this year, as does that of Hueston, who has appeared every year since the list’s inception. This duo secured a complete defense victory for Boeing when the court overturned the $72 million jury verdict in favor of [now defunct] aerospace startup Zunum (in which Boeing invested) in a high-profile trade-secrets case alleging Boeing’s actions caused Zunum to go out of business. Zunum sought nearly $500 million from Boeing. Acting as replacement trial counsel, Hueston and Kaba handed Boeing a win, defeating Zunum’s claims as well as securing $12 million from Zunum on Boeing’s cross claim. A team composed of Hueston, Kaba and Alison Libeu (who argued the matter before the panel) prevailed at the Ninth Circuit in April 2025, persuading the judges to uphold the firm’s $311 million false-advertising trial judgment and permanent injunction against Vital Pharmaceuticals and its former owner and CEO Jack Owoc. This victory built upon a $293 million jury verdict the firm obtained in 2022 for energy drink entity Monster in a high-profile lawsuit involving claims of false advertising, tortious interference and trade secrets theft against VPX. The jury found VPX and Owoc falsely advertised the alleged “Super Creatine” ingredient in VPX’s billion-dollar Bang energy drink. The jury awarded $272 million against both VPX and Owoc for false advertising and another $21 million against VPX itself for tortious interference and trade secrets theft. In its post-trial judgment, the court added over $43 million in attorneys’ fees, expenses and prejudgment interest to the jury’s award, with over $39 million of that tacked onto the false-advertising claim. Kaba also acted with Robbie Klieger, whose practice has a dedicated entertainment industry niche, in securing a March 2025 triumph when a federal jury awarded client Disney a complete defense verdict in a high-profile suit brought by an animator who alleged Disney infringed his copyrights to develop the blockbuster film, “Moana.” The plaintiff alleged he had passed his materials to a family member who worked on a Disney lot, but the jury decided that the creators of “Moana” never had access to the plaintiff’s outlines and script.

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