Greenberg Gross LLP

Bill Cosby's recent hiring of Greenberg Gross LLP to fight his civil sex abuse and defamation lawsuits is the latest accomplishment for a 5-year-old firm that's earned a reputation as aggressive, unorthodox and top-notch.

"We opened our doors at a time when we knew we could create a firm that would not only perform at the highest level, but also do so with a sense of mission," said Wayne R. Gross, who founded the firm with Alan A. Greenberg in 2013.

Greenberg Gross now has a Los Angeles headquarters as they take on complex, high-stakes litigation from a major lawsuit on behalf of a fired school superintendent to the defense of a multi-state drug rehab company facing a federal investigation.

They pride themselves on an approach that incorporates traditional, high-class lawyering with a cutting-edge technology and out-of-the-box thinking free from the constraints of a corporate big law environment. And they're good at it: Their record of high-stakes wins began with a $50.3 million verdict on a cross claim while partners at Greenberg Traurig LLP.

It's expanded exponentially since they started Greenberg Gross, including a similar victory in 2015: $11.8 million on a cross complaint on behalf of the engineering company Cavotec SA against a former executive. Colaco et al. v. Cavotec S.A. et al., 2012-00601735 (Orange Super. Ct., filed Oct. 1, 2012).

"Companies, executives, celebrities and anyone else who gets sued should always look at whether the tables can be turned against a plaintiff," Greenberg said. "Not only can it lead to financial opportunities, it forces plaintiffs to defend themselves."

Their commitment to excellence is reflected in compensation: last year's associate bonuses beat by at least $5,000 those of scale-setter Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, which range from $15,000 to $100,000. The firm expanded from Orange County to Los Angeles this year, opening another sleek office in a high-rise that will soon include a state-of-the-art moot courtroom. The Orange County office already has one; Los Angeles' will be twice as big.

"When we get a new case, we look at it from the perspective of, 'How is this case going to play out in a courtroom?' And that shapes our preparation," Gross said. "So having courtrooms in our offices symbolizes and captures the way we approach our cases."

They've secured top talent from big-name firms, including Joshua M. Robbins from Baker & Hostetler LLP and Becky S. James, who co-chaired Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP's national appellate practice. Susan Hershman, a nationally acclaimed False Claims Act litigator, also joined this year as of counsel. All are veterans of the U.S. attorney's office, as is Gross: He started his career there in 1990 and was chief of the Orange County office from 2004 to 2007.

James said the culture at the firm "is strikingly similar to the best traditions of the U.S. attorney's office."

"The U.S. attorney's office is a place where well-trained, highly motivated attorneys went to make a difference," James said. "Greenberg Gross incorporates the best of both federal prosecutors and big law litigator."

The Cosby cases include oral arguments Oct. 26 in a 2nd District Court of Appeal case that will pit Greenberg against Jivaka Candappa, managing partner of The Bloom Law Firm. Firm owner Lisa Bloom's mother, Gloria R. Allred, represents plaintiffs in other Cosby cases. Dickinson v. Cosby, B271470 (Cal. App. 2nd Dist., filed April 8, 2016).

Greenberg already has one Cosby victory: The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Oct. 18 affirmed the dismissal of a defamation lawsuit brought by one of the entertainer's accusers. Greenberg handled oral arguments for the appeal three weeks earlier. McKee v. Cosby, 17-1256 (1st Cir., filed March 16, 2017).

The firm's 23 attorneys -- six are partners -- are experienced on both sides of the table, and their level of excellence has attracted blue-chip clients for both defense and plaintiff litigation. That includes insurance giant American International Group Inc., which won a dismissal of a securities fraud lawsuit filed by financial powerhouse PIMCO, as well as Frontline Corporation Services, which settled a lawsuit against a private equity company accused of covering for hedge fund manager Raj Rajaratnam.

Greenberg said the firm has "no desire to be measured by number of offices and lawyers."

"We just want to be the firm of choice for plaintiffs and defendants in their most significant cases," he said.

-- Meghann M. Cuniff