Jerome B. Falk Jr.

As director of the firm's litigation department, this highly sought-after appellate specialist convinced the state Supreme Court to cut $200 million in punitive damages off a $500 million jury verdict when City of Hope National Medical Center accused his client, biotechnology company Genentech, of stealing the profits from a gene-splicing method. Next up is his appellate work on behalf of MGA Entertainment in its fight with Mattel over claims that a designer of the wildly popular Bratz doll created the concept while working for the toy manufacturer. Also on tap is his continued representation of a Ford SUV rollover crash victim, whose case is under consideration by the state Supreme Court. The appellate court already has upheld an $82.6 million judgment that included $55 million in punitive damages, the single largest punitive damages award to survive appeal in the state.