Robert Meyerhoff
In private practice, Rob has represented Fortune 100 companies, closely held corporations, and high-net-worth individuals in high-stakes, bet-the-company litigation involving consumer protection, unfair competition, trade secrets, copyright and trademark, and breach of contract claims. As a deputy attorney general with the California Department of Justice, Rob defended the governor, the secretary of state, and other state officers in high-profile litigation involving constitutional challenges brought by technology companies, wine importers, and political advocacy groups. And as a volunteer assistant district attorney, Rob tried cases to verdict and successfully obtained convictions in one of the least prosecutor-friendly jurisdictions in the country.
Clients trust Rob because of his track record of success. He has successfully argued in Ninth Circuit and California Court of Appeals for reversal of lower court decisions, and his arguments in federal and state trial courts throughout California have resulted in denials of preliminary injunctions and victories at the pleadings and summary judgment. He has first-chaired jury trials to verdict and served on numerous trial teams in state and federal court. Rob has taken and defended dozens of depositions of individuals, corporate representatives, and expert witnesses, and he has managed large-scale document productions and teams of contract attorneys and junior lawyers.
Related Practices
Experience
Government Experience
- Deputy attorney general, Government Law Section, California Attorney General's Office
- Volunteer assistant district attorney, San Francisco District Attorney's Office
Representative Matters
- Successfully argued in the Ninth Circuit for reversal of a preliminary injunction preventing the state from restricting the carrying of firearms in sensitive places; en banc review of the decision was denied
- Successfully argued in the California Courts of Appeal for reversal of a judgment against the state in a Fifth Amendment challenge to rent-control law applied to mobile-home parks; the state's publication request was granted, the plaintiff's petition for review was denied, and the plaintiff voluntarily dismissed the case
- Led the successful defense against a constitutional challenge to a state law designed to increase housing density by allowing up to four residential units in single-family zoned houses; the case was dismissed on a demurrer, and the dismissal was affirmed on appeal
- Led the successful defense against a constitutional challenge to a prohibition on California attorneys sharing fees with out-of-state law firms owned by non-lawyers; the plaintiffs dismissed the case after their request for a temporary restraining order (TRO) and preliminary injunction (PI) was denied
- Led the successful defense against a constitutional challenge to California's restrictions on sales by out-of-state wineries to California retailers; the case was dismissed on standing grounds
- Led the successful defense against a Second Amendment challenge to California's restrictions on large-capacity magazines; summary judgment was entered for the state
- Led the defense against a constitutional challenge to a California statute designating Diwali as a state holiday; the plaintiff's request for TRO was denied
- Led the defense against a constitutional challenge to California's restrictions on possession of Title I firearms; the state's request for a stay on Pullman abstention grounds was granted, and the case remained stayed for more than four years
- Led the defense against a constitutional challenge brought by a trade association of technology companies to law increasing reporting requirements on e-commerce companies that facilitate online sales
- Successfully argued for dismissal of an individual defendant for lack of personal jurisdiction in a trade secrets case
- Litigated voting rights claims in a series of related lawsuits during the 2020 campaign on behalf of a state political party; drafted briefs in the Fifth Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court
- Successfully moved to strike nationwide class allegations in a case alleging that a national vitamin retailer had engaged in mislabeling; dismissal of nationwide class allegations affirmed on appeal
- Defeated plaintiffs' efforts to certify a nationwide (as opposed to California-only) class in a consumer class action, significantly reducing clients' potential liability in the case
- Represented a consumer products manufacturer in a series of anti-counterfeiting cases in federal district courts across the country; obtained seizure orders and expedited discovery in numerous jurisdictions across the county; executed seizures in coordination with the U.S. Marshals Service
- Successfully moved to strike nationwide class allegations and dismiss all substantive claims in a consumer class action alleging misleading labeling of nutritional supplements
- Represented individual defendants in a case alleging the breach of a pharmaceutical licensing agreement; case settled favorably for clients on the eve of trial
- Prepared witnesses and drafted pre-trial and post-trial briefs as part of a trial team in a breach of contract case in federal court
Insights
Credentials
Education
- J.D. magna cum laude Fordham University School of Law 2012
- Mary Daly Scholar (top 10% of first-year class)
- Order of the Coif (top 10% of graduating class)
- M.S. Teaching Pace University 2008
- B.A. History Columbia University 2006
Bar Admissions
- California
Court Admissions
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- California Court of Appeal
Community
Volunteerism
- Member, Advisory Board, Teach for America – Los Angeles