May 25, 2017
Rachel L. Jensen
See more on Rachel L. JensenRobbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP San Diego
Jensen focuses on consumer, antitrust and securities fraud class actions. She has played a key role in recovering billions of dollars for individuals, government entities and businesses injured by fraudulent schemes, anti-competitive conduct and hazardous products.
Jensen was a lead attorney in two class actions against President Donald Trump and his Trump University. Her team secured a historic $25 million settlement on behalf of the class, after nearly seven years of hard-fought litigation. Low v. Trump University LLC et al., No. 10-cv-0940 GPC-WVG (S.D. Cal. April 3, 2017).
"Obtaining a unanimous jury verdict against the president-elect would have been no easy feat, but we were prepared to go to trial," Jensen said. "It's an unprecedented settlement that caps off an unprecedented case."
Former Trump University students are expected to get 80 percent to 90 percent of what they spent on the now-defunct real estate seminar program. The settlement represents one of the highest recovery rates ever for a consumer class action. Jensen and the Robbins Geller team waived their fees on the case, ensuring the maximum possible recovery for the class.
A confluence of several factors led to the favorable outcome, according to Jensen. "Although I don't think by any means that it was a sure thing for us - getting a jury verdict against the president elect - the atmospherics were such that there was probably a lot of pressure on Trump to settle, for what we think was a really excellent recovery for the class members," she said.
Jensen has also prosecuted securities fraud and shareholder derivative actions in cases like City of Westland Police & Fire Ret. Sys. v. Stumpf, 3:11-cv-02369-SI (N.D. Cal. July 25, 2014), where she secured a $67 million settlement of a shareholder derivative suit involving Wells Fargo & Co.
Prior to joining Robbins Geller, Jensen clerked for the late Judge Warren J. Ferguson of the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals and the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda and former Yugoslavia.
Initially interested in international human rights law, Jensen has long been involved in human rights activities. In 2006, she co-founded Think Dignity, formerly Girls Think Tank, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing basic services to the homeless in San Diego.
— Jennifer Chung Klam
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