Hilary Potashner

Litigation

Los Angeles

Since joining Larson LLP in 2019, Hilary L. Potashner has leveraged her prior public defender experience to run many of the firm's white-collar defenses, investigations and complex civil cases.

She was the federal public defender for the Central District for five years, having worked in the public defender's office as acting chief, chief deputy, supervising deputy and deputy since 2007. She is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.

"It's been a great transition," Potashner said of moving to Larson. "I loved being a defender. It was an honor and a privilege. There's a very high level of practice in the Central District, and I find how great it is to grow, now that I'm practicing both civil and criminal, state and federal, trials and appeals."

Potashner's path to a legal career started with her taking pre-med courses at Duke University.

"I moved to psychology and philosophy and found myself drawn toward social work and political issues," she said. "I worked at a nonprofit with the homeless, and I liked finding that I could advocate for them on daily life stuff. I thought going to law school would let me advocate on a higher level."

In a recent win for a major law firm and one of its partners, Potashner successfully fought off a disgruntled client's claims of fraud, breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty.

After extensive pretrial litigation and a bench trial on issues related to alter ego status and the fugitive disentitlement doctrine, Potashner and her team obtained a full dismissal with prejudice for her client. Frontline Medical Associates Inc. v. Bird, Marella, Boxer, Wolpert, Nessim, Drooks, Lincenberg & Rhow PC et al., 19STCV26512 (Los Angeles Super. Ct., filed July 30, 2019).

"Even before we got to the substance of the case, we argued that the individual behind the company had felony warrants for his arrest. But you can't evade the court and avail yourself of its services at the same time," Potashner said. "It was a great outcome."

The court also awarded a costs judgment of more than $200,000.

Earlier, Potashner and firm founder Stephen G. Larson conducted an exhaustive investigation and analysis of Riverside County's handling of the 13 Turpin children who were rescued from their abusive family home only to be placed in an abusive foster care situation.

"Our investigation brought lapses in the county's social services program to light," Potashner said of the 634-page report the Larson team produced. Not long after, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill to help improve communications within social services agencies and nonprofits throughout California.

"It was very important to us to get this right," Potashner said. "It was good work, and it will have a positive impact for vulnerable people."

-- John Roemer