Celeste M. Brecht

Representative Matters

• Obtained a defense verdict, affirmed on appeal, on behalf of a leading pharmaceutical company in the first California bellwether trial in a judicially coordinated complex proceeding
• Won dismissal, affirmed on appeal, on behalf of a production company that was producing promotional content for a major motion picture, in a highly publicized wrongful death action 
• Won motion to dismiss with prejudice in a putative class action alleging that a national pet food company failed to disclose toxic lead and other disease-causing heavy metals in its dog food
• Defeated class certification in a California consumer protection and unfair competition case on behalf of a local pet business
• Obtained a dismissal with prejudice on behalf of defense contractors regarding allegations of California employment violations for work performed outside of the United States
• Obtained a favorable verdict on behalf of a leading media company in a defamation trial
• Won an anti-SLAPP motion, affirmed on appeal, on behalf of a high-profile actor, producer, and comedian, defeating allegations of harassment, discrimination, and defamation
• Obtained a favorable verdict for a leading manufacturer of fiberglass-reinforced plastics in a case where the jury unanimously held that the client was not liable for $28 million in compensatory damages sought by plaintiff
• Obtained a defense verdict, affirmed on appeal, for a premises owner in a case involving a large publicly traded international oil and gas company; the case was selected by a widely read publication as one of the top defense verdicts in 2012
• Obtained a seven-figure jury verdict for the former general counsel of a national mortgage lender in a breach of employment contract action
• On behalf of a pharmaceutical company, obtained dismissal in a high-profile personal injury case involving a college athlete
• On behalf of a national media and entertainment company, defeated a former executive’s wrongful termination and related tort claims, through a series of dispositive and exclusionary motions
• On behalf of a chemical company, obtained summary judgment in a products liability case by showing that plaintiff’s theory of exposure was “speculative”
• On behalf of a gasket manufacturer, obtained summary judgment in a products liability case by demonstrating plaintiff could not show specific causation
• Won a Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) appellate hearing, knocking down a “serious” citation on behalf of a national construction company
• Resolved numerous disputes arising from California’s Prop 65 environmental regulation on behalf of manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and premises
  
   

Education

• J.D. cum laude Southwestern University School of Law 2005
• • First Place Team Award, J. Braxton Craven, Jr. Moot Court Competition, February, 2005
  • First Place Brief Award, J. Braxton Craven, Jr. Moot Court Competition, February, 2005
  • Extern – Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Administrative Law Judge Diane Arkow-Gross
• B.A. with honors University of Michigan at Ann Arbor 2002

Bar Admissions

• California

Court Admissions

• U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California

Professional Memberships and Activities

• Board member, Association of Business Trial Lawyers (ABTL), Los Angeles Chapter
• Member, American Bar Association, Products Liability Section
• Member, Defense Research Institute
• Member, Federal Bar Association
• Member, Los Angeles County Bar Association
• Co-founding member, RISE — an organization of women lawyers committed to supporting each other’s professional growth and advancement to equity partner, general counsel, or high-ranking public official. RISE is dedicated to developing the tools necessary to shatter the glass ceiling in public service and corporate America
• Graduate of the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) Trial Academy, an intensive, week-long program designed to develop defense trial advocacy skills.
  
   

• Included in Super Lawyers, Southern California, 2018 - 2020
• Listed in The Best Lawyers in America, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants, 2019 - 2020
• Listed in Best Lawyers Business Edition, Women in Law, Product Liability Litigation, 2019
• Included in Los Angeles Business Journal "Most Influential Women Attorneys," 2018 - 2019
• Included in Super Lawyers Rising Stars Edition, Southern California Business Litigation, Personal Injury – Products, 2009 - 2017
• Included in Super Lawyers, Southern California Up-and-Coming 50: Women Rising Stars, 2015 - 2017 
• Included in Super Lawyers,  Southern California Up-and-Coming 100: Rising Stars, 2015 - 2017
  
   

Pro Bono

• Assists survivors of domestic violence in obtaining temporary restraining orders as part of the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Domestic Violence Project
• Provides legal services for the Inner City Law Center, a nonprofit law firm fighting for justice for low-income tenants, working poor families, immigrants, people who are living with HIV/AIDS or are disabled, and veterans

Volunteerism

• Actively involved with Los Angeles Women’s Circle, an organization dedicated to researching and funding programs that benefit the development and well-being of young women in the Los Angeles area

Personal Activities

• Yoga and co-ed softball