Sarah Kelly-Kilgore

After major litigation in two cases involving comedian Bill Cosby, Kelly-Kilgore is focused on a groundbreaking gender discrimination lawsuit against Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart PC. She recently took over as co-lead counsel for Tracy A. Warren, who said she faced discrimination in pay and retaliation for demanding equality while the only female equity shareholder in Ogletree's San Diego office.

The case takes a separate path from a federal action currently in arbitration by accusing Ogletree of violating California's Private Attorneys General Act. Greenberg Gross LLP recently replaced Sanford Heisler Sharp LLP, as plaintiff's counsel. Warren v. Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart PC, et al., 2019-00004338 (S.D. Super. Ct., filed Jan. 23, 2019).

"It's just such an important issue, and I'm delighted to be in a leadership role at a firm that takes on these issues," Kelly-Kilgore said. "It's not just essential for the women who face discrimination; it's really essential for all law firms and all law clients."

Recently, Kelly-Kilgore was counsel of record for Cosby in two cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. In the first, actress Kathrine McKee sued Cosby for defamation based on statements from his former lawyer, Marty Singer, about McKee's sexual assault allegations against Cosby.

Facing off against well-known defamation lawyer Charles J. Harder, Kelly-Kilgore persuaded the U.S. Supreme Court not to review the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal's affirmance of a district court's rejection of McKee's defamation claim. McKee v. Cosby, 17-1542 (U.S. 2019)

Amid that case, Kelly-Kilgore also petitioned the high court to review a California appellate panel's affirmation that a defamation claim against Cosby from former supermodel Janice Dickinson could proceed. Dickinson v. Cosby Docket: BC580909 (Cal. Super. Ct., L.A. Cty. The court didn't grant the petition, but the plaintiff agreed to a settlement that did not require any compensation from Cosby. Kelly-Kilgore also serves as one of Cosby's lead attorneys in his criminal appeal in Pennsylvania.

Kelly-Kilgore represents telecommunications entrepreneur Kevin Halpern in a trade secrets lawsuit against Uber Technologies Inc. Greenberg Gross LLP took over the case in March 2019 and defeated defense motions for summary judgment and terminating sanctions, as well as Uber's writ petition seeking reversal of the denial. The first phase of a bifurcated trial is expected to begin in February 2020.

She also was the lead attorney in a fraudulent transfer action that involved multi-million dollar U.S. properties owned by a Russian national whose son started a real estate company, bought the properties and developed them. When the father went bankrupt, a Russian bank sued him and his son. The case settled on the eve of trial.

A graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, Kelly-Kilgore played water polo as an undergrad at San Diego State University and as a professional athlete in Australia, and said she sees parallels between athletics and practicing law.

"Just like a top athlete, a top trial lawyer is constantly seeking to maximize their potential," she said.

-- Meghann Cuniff