Lewis & Llewellyn LLP

Last month, a group of Lewis & Llewellyn team members, clients, and friends of the firm celebrated the last Golden State Valkyries regular season home game. It was a great opportunity to connect outside the office and cheer on the Bay Area’s newest team. We’re proud to support the growth of professional women’s sports, grateful to our clients for joining us, and look forward to more moments like these.

The San Francisco Chronicle recently featured Lewis & Llewellyn LLP’s lawsuit against Pacific Boychoir Academy and its longtime artistic director, Kevin Fox. The article details allegations from our clients, former students, who allege that Fox engaged in years of sexual harassment and abuse while administrators repeatedly ignored or dismissed complaints.   The full article can be read here. https://lnkd.in/gv4cz3CT

We are pleased to welcome DeShawn Carter to the firm as our law clerk for 2025. DeShawn is a second-year law student at the University of California, Berkeley, where he serves on the Board of Advocates and Negotiations Team and is a member of the Family Defense Project and Law Students of African Descent. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, magna cum laude, from Howard University. While at Howard, DeShawn was selected as a congressional intern for Congressman Eric Swalwell. This summer, he worked as a law clerk for the Alameda County Public Defender’s Office.   We are thrilled to have DeShawn as a part of our team, and we look forward to continuing to provide a space for young adults to explore their interest in the law.

The Daily Journal Corporation today named both Paul Llewellyn and Marc Lewis to its 2025 list of the Top 100 Lawyers in California. This prestigious list recognizes the most highly regarded attorneys in the state who execute cutting-edge legal work and make a meaningful impact on their clients, the industry, and society at large.   Paul and Marc were recognized not only for their success handling complex business litigation matters, but also for their commitment to representing sexual abuse survivors and obtaining justice on their behalf. As leaders of our firm, both Marc and Paul had continuously demonstrated what it means to deliver exceptional work in high-stakes business disputes and as well as unwavering advocacy on behalf of clients facing their most challenging legal battles.   As we celebrate these achievements, we also take this opportunity to reflect on the firm’s growth and the progress we have made over the years. From what the Daily Journal described as a “Leap of Faith” thirteen years ago to a team of twenty-one world class attorneys practicing at the cutting edge of litigation, we are immensely proud of our firm’s growth and success.

In California state court, if the opposing party fails to timely respond to your Requests for Admissions (RFAs), you have a valuable tool at your disposal: the motion to have facts deemed admitted along with mandatory attorneys’ fees as sanctions.   California Code of Civil Procedure section 2033.280 provides that failure to provide timely responses means “[t]he party to whom the requests for admission are directed waives any objection to the requests, including one based on privilege or on the protection for work product.” It further provides that “[t]he requesting party may move for an order that the genuineness of any documents and the truth of any matters specified in the requests be deemed admitted, as well as for a monetary sanction.” Importantly, the statute requires the court to impose a monetary sanction, including attorneys’ fees, on the party or attorney whose failure to respond made your motion necessary.    This is more than a procedural remedy; it is a tactical opportunity. Deemed admissions can significantly narrow the issues in dispute—or even eliminate the need for trial on key claims or defenses.   Track RFA deadlines meticulously. Missing a response deadline can trigger severe consequences for the opposing party—and present a critical leverage point for your client.

Partner Evangeline Burbidge will be attending The Sedona Conference WG12 Annual Meeting on October 6-7, 2025, in Atlanta, Georgia. Evangeline is an active member of The Sedona Conference Working Group on Trade Secrets, which aims to “develop consensus and nonpartisan principles for managing trade secret litigation and well-vetted guidelines for consideration in protecting trade secrets.” The October conference will cover topics such as international trade secret enforcement and protection, developing an effective "incident response plan" when trade secret disputes begin, and trade secret guidance for employees who change jobs.

Partner Paul Llewellyn will once again return to speak at the Sexual Abuse Litigation & Coverage Conference, hosted by Perrin Conferences. The conference, taking place in New York on October 7, 2025, will discuss current trends in sexual abuse litigation. Registration is available here. https://lnkd.in/gz7BdqbE

We are pleased to announce that seven Lewis & Llewellyn attorneys were recently named by Best Lawyers as leaders in their field for the 2026 edition. Evangeline Burbidge was selected by Best Lawyers as one of the Best Lawyers in America for her high caliber work and excellence in practice as a commercial litigator. Additionally, Lewis & Llewellyn attorneys Sable Bahleda (Hodson), Nitesh Daryanani, Zachary Flood, Marjon Momand, Rina Plotkin, and Grace Ramirez were recognized as “Ones to Watch,” an award given to attorneys who are in the earlier stages in their career to recognize their exceptional professional excellence in private practice.   With a selection process based on a rigorous peer review survey comprising more than 27 million confidential evaluations by top attorneys, this list is designed to capture the consensus opinion of leading lawyers across the country.  Congratulations to the Lewis & Llewellyn attorneys selected!

Lewis & Llewellyn is pleased to share that Partner Becca Furman was recently nominated and selected for the UC Law SF Alumni Association Board of Governors. The Board of Governors consists of 30 alumni members and serves as a liaison between alumni and the school’s administration. The group provides valuable input on alumni volunteer activities, chapter and affinity group programming, and helps support department initiatives at UC Law.

Lewis & Llewellyn is once again looking to bolster our ranks! We are looking for an experienced associate to dive deeply into our complex and interesting portfolio of matters and take their practice to the next level. As always, we are looking for attorneys with top-flight credentials coupled with the passion to litigate. The ideal candidate would have impeccable educational credentials, two to four years’ experience at an AmLaw 100 firm and be ready to develop an exciting practice in both state court, federal court, and arbitration. Lewis & Llewellyn deeply values diversity and we encourage applications from diverse candidates. If you are interested in joining a team of world class attorneys, practicing at the cutting edge of litigation, and who love what they do, send your resume to careers@lewisllewellyn.com.