Jennifer S. Romano

Romano usually keeps the names of her litigation clients and matters confidential. But one case she had in July was very high-profile, and it ended successfully almost before it began.

Her lawsuit was one of several that challenged a surprise decision by the federal Department of Homeland Security to force international students at U.S. colleges and universities to attend in-person classes to keep their student visas — even though their schools were switching to online classes during the pandemic.

The July 6 action reversed an earlier decision temporarily allowing the students to take online-only classes. For the University of California, Romano’s client, the reversal would have sent tens of thousands of international students back home, she said.

“Within a week, we were engaged in the matter, filed the complaint, filed an application for a temporary restraining order and then filed a motion for preliminary injunction,” Romano said. The Regents of the University of California v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 3:20-cv-04621, (N.D. Cal., filed July 10, 2020).

Just days later, the government backed down. On July 14, a federal judge in Boston hearing the case brought by Harvard and MIT announced that DHS had rescinded its new rule.

Far more often, Romano defends healthcare companies against class action suits. She blocked a class action against one client for lack of standing. In another case, she won a summary judgment tossing out a claim for many millions of dollars.

In a long-running and challenging class action, 9,000 retired employees sought restoration of benefits after a new entity replaced their former employer. Romano led negotiations on behalf of her client to reach an eight-figure settlement that will be active for more than 20 years.

As a member Crowell’s 12-partner management board and co-lead of its national litigation group, Romano spends time on management issues. A former president of the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, she is particularly dedicated to helping women lawyers in the firm, and in general.

She also is supervising a young associate working with a Loyola Law School clinic to represent a pro bono client. The man was sentenced to life in prison as a juvenile but now is petitioning for resentencing based on changes in the law.

— Don DeBenedictis