Karen P. Hewitt

As the lead partner at Jones Day representing Walmart in the massive multi-district litigation surrounding the nationwide opioid epidemic, Hewitt is gearing up for a bellwether case that could dictate how the retailer fares in more than 1,300 related cases.

The former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California will work alongside a large team comprising multiple firms to argue, in essence, that Walmart and its pharmacies are not to blame for the ongoing crisis.

“I think it’s a really significant legal issue in America; it’s sort of the next big tobacco litigation,” Hewitt said. “I think it’s going to be a major issue for several years to come.”

Hewitt is also lead outside counsel for Walmart in a longstanding federal investigation into whether the company violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Collaborating with a Jones Day team that has gathered evidence in Mexico, India, China and Brazil, she leads all communications with the Justice Department and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on behalf of the company.

She is also leading the defense against significant government investigations on behalf of confidential clients, including a major U.S. franchisor, a Major League Baseball team and one of the world’s largest auto manufacturers.

As a member of the trial team representing Qualcomm Technologies Inc. in its multi-billion-dollar antitrust and contract dispute with Apple Inc., Hewitt had scarcely completed opening statements last month when the high-profile case ended in a settlement.

The native San Diegan returned to her hometown in 2000, after litigating hundreds of cases on behalf of the United States in Washington D.C. In 2010, she made the move from the U.S. Attorney’s Office to Jones Day, where she became partner-in-charge of the firm’s San Diego office the next year.

“To lead this office and to have cases not only in San Diego but across the country—it’s an ideal place for me to practice law,” she said. “I work with a lot of very smart people, and I get to work on interesting matters for clients I really enjoy serving.”

Noting that 17 of Jones Day’s 44 offices are led by women, Hewitt added that she is grateful to work at a firm where women are well-represented in leadership positions.

“These are leaders and outstanding lawyers who also happen to be women,” she said. “The firm has a culture that really encourages women to strive to become leaders and for that leadership to be recognized.”

— Mark Armao