Lisa J. Demsky

Los Angeles

In her role as a trusted adviser, Lisa J. Demsky is known for handling high-stakes crises involving criminal investigations, litigation, internal investigations, crisis management and complex civil lawsuits.

Her caseload also entails bet-the-company matters, including fraud and breach of fiduciary duty, whistleblower claims, the False Claims Act, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and time-charging fraud.

Among her major recent highlights was her representation of Pacific Gas & Electric in several high-profile cases related to California wildfires. In the Zogg Fire case, she played a key role in the dismissal of all criminal charges against PG&E. People v. Pacific Gas & Electric (Zogg Fire), 21-0006622 (Shasta Super. Ct., filed Sept. 24, 2021).

Her efforts led to a settlement that included no admission of liability by PG&E, a contribution of $50 million to community organizations and civil penalties.

In the Dixie Fire case, Demsky spearheaded an internal investigation and settlement discussions, resulting in a historic civil settlement with no admission of liability and no criminal charges against PG&E.

Similarly, in the Kincade Fire case, she contributed significantly to a settlement with Sonoma County, leading to the dismissal of all criminal charges against PG&E without any admission of liability.

Demsky said these settlements were significant because the firm was able to work with the district attorneys' offices to agree on terms that would help the communities affected by the fires rebuild and that bring significant economic benefits while maintaining its position that there were no crimes committed.

"It is always challenging when something tragic has happened," Demsky said. "When communities and families have suffered such devastation, it is heartbreaking, and people understandably are looking for answers as to what happened. But it is important to remember that not all tragedies are crimes and criminal charges are not always warranted, and this can be a difficult message when there has been such loss."

Demsky said one emerging white-collar trend is the increased expectation that companies self-disclose.

"In a crisis situation, it is always important for a company to do its own investigation early to understand what happened, and this is something that has helped many clients as they enter discussions with the government," she said. "With the DOJ's recent increased focus on incentivizing self-disclosure, we've seen companies recognize the value of a thorough early internal investigation, and I expect we'll continue to see even more focus on early investigations."