Joseph W. Cotchett Jr.

Cotchett said his newly published "The People vs. Greed" is making waves. Since its May debut, the book with the hefty subtitle — "Stealing America: Main Street vs. Wall Street: The Continued Erosion of Ethics in Our Professions, Business and Government" — has attracted raves from the likes of his congresswoman, Rep. Jackie Speier, (D-San Mateo), who wrote, "If you want the unvarnished truth about what is wrong in America, read this book. Cotchett spares no sacred cows as he shines a spotlight on the creed of greed."

The book also drew snark from former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown. "A page-turner, as they say," Brown wrote, "though I know a lot of people who will turn straight to the index, to see if their names are there."

In April, one of Cotchett's class actions over privacy issues was consolidated with 14 others in multidistrict litigation venued in the Central District. The plaintiffs contend that Vizio Inc. smart TV sets impermissibly collect viewer data and share them with third parties. "This will be a landmark," Cotchett said. "You sit in front of your TV and you don't know it, but everything you watch, they collect." In re: Vizio Inc. Consumer Privacy Litigation, 16-md-2693 (C.D. Cal, consolidated April 12, 2016).

Cotchett and colleagues are representing pro bono the Surfrider Foundation in its suit over access to Martins Beach in Half Moon Bay on claims that landowner and venture capitalist Vinod Khosla has illegally closed the popular shoreline to the public. In August, the California Coastal Commission joined the fight with a friend of the court brief supporting the foundation. The case is awaiting oral argument before the 1st District Court of Appeal, but Cotchett predicted it won't end there. "These are huge issues that will affect Malibu and Orange County, too," he said. "The other side is claiming the Coastal Commission is unconstitutional because of taking clause issues. This will go to the U.S. Supreme Court. You gotta open the beach." Surfrider Foundation v. Martin's Beach 1 LLC, A144268 (Cal. App. 1st Dist., filed Feb. 11, 2015).

Cotchett serves on the Northern District's pro bono panel. In that role, he represented an imprisoned convicted murderer who suffered personal abuse behind bars. Cotchett's civil rights suit resulted in a small cash payout to the inmate, Cotchett said. Green v. Taylor, 3:12-cv-5933 (N.D. Cal., filed Nov. 9, 2012).

— John Roemer