“[A] top-notch litigator; superb legal writer; and skilled wordsmith who transforms complex legal arguments into simple and compelling narratives in the courtroom.” – Benchmark Litigation

Winning bet-the-company litigation means cutting through complexity to tell a simple, clear, and compelling story. Josh Robbins, a former federal prosecutor and Co-Chair of the firm’s White Collar & Investigations practice, does exactly that for businesses and individuals in the life sciences, technology, and financial industries in cases involving allegations of fraud, kickbacks, unfair competition, and other sensitive issues.

He does it before juries. He has tried and won both civil and criminal cases, for plaintiffs and defendants, involving subjects as varied as patent infringement, health care fraud, securities law violations, and whistleblower retaliation. His victory in a rare antitrust trial based on claims of bad-faith patent enforcement was named one of the Top Defense Verdicts of the Year by the Daily Journal.

He does it before judges. As lead counsel in over two dozen appeals in both state and federal courts, he has briefed, argued, and won cases involving constitutional rights, evidentiary questions, novel jury instructions, and other issues. And he has prevailed in both international and domestic arbitrations concerning subjects from technology licensing agreements to international investment treaties.

He does it before government enforcers. Often, Josh is called on when the Department of Justice or another law enforcement agency has opened an investigation of a company or executive, including in matters potentially involving hundreds of millions of dollars in exposure. Repeatedly, even after office raids and grand jury subpoenas have drawn coverage in the Wall Street Journal or New York Times, he has persuaded the government not to bring charges.

Josh is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School. After law school, he served as a law clerk for the Honorable Stanley Marcus of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit; an associate in the Washington, DC office of a major international law firm; and an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Central District of California. He has repeatedly been named by the Daily Journal as one of the Top White Collar Lawyers in California, by Benchmark Litigation as a Litigation Star, and by Best Lawyers in America as a leading white collar and securities litigator.

 

Business Trials

  • Obtained complete defense jury verdict for multinational water attraction manufacturer in $200 million federal antitrust and RICO lawsuit; named by the Daily Journal as one of California’s Top Defense Verdicts of the year
  • Obtained complete defense jury verdict and affirmance on appeal for behavioral health company in bet-the-company whistleblower retaliation lawsuit alleging termination for reporting fraud
  • Obtained complete defense win and complete win on counterclaims (with attorney fees) in international arbitration involving cross-border biotech licensing agreement
  • Obtained complete defense award (with attorney fees) for auto dealership executive in multi-million dollar arbitration against leading national dealership chain
  • Obtained complete claimant award (with attorney fees) for multinational technology company in international arbitration against Pakistan contractor regarding theft of trade secrets, breach of contract, and employee raiding scheme
  • Obtained favorable defense jury verdict and dismissal of 96% of claims in patent lawsuit between world’s largest waterslide manufacturers
  • Defended semiconductor company in arbitration relating to sales representative agreement

Civil RICO, Fraud, and Antitrust

  • Defended telecom startup in RICO and fraud lawsuit brought by major international telecom provider
  • Obtained favorable settlement for health care network as plaintiff in antitrust lawsuit against major competitor
  • Represented sports equipment retailer in RICO and fraud lawsuit against resellers
  • Represented plaintiff in RICO lawsuit against global religious organization for human trafficking and forced labor violations
  • Represented plaintiffs in RICO lawsuit against city government and officials for public corruption in municipal real estate transaction
  • Represented major national marketing company as plaintiff in $100 million arbitration involving fraud in M&A transaction
  • Defended artificial intelligence company in RICO and computer fraud lawsuit regarding alleged hacking and harassment campaign against opposing counsel in patent litigation
  • Represented Maltese investment company as claimant in $200 million international arbitration against the government of Austria involving allegations of money laundering

Government Investigations and Enforcement

  • Defended one of the nation’s largest COVID-19 testing services companies, which was raided by federal agents in a high-profile DOJ investigation covered by national press, as well as related state Attorney General enforcement actions, involving allegations of over $150 million in fraudulent testing claims
  • Defended a major northern California government contractor in a high-profile DOJ public corruption investigation
  • Defended a national behavioral health care provider, which was raided by federal agents in a high-profile DOJ investigation, involving allegations of more than $80 million in kickbacks and fraudulent claims
  • Defended the former CEO of a leading international environmental services company in a DOJ investigation, involving allegations of fraud and FCPA violations
  • Defended a national medical supply company in a DOJ investigation, involving allegations of kickbacks and fraudulent claims
  • Defended the CEO of a national diagnostic laboratory in a DOJ investigation, involving allegations of more than $150 million in kickbacks and fraudulent claims
  • Defended the CEO of a California-based COVID-19 testing services company in a DOJ investigation, involving allegations of more than $75 million in fraudulent claims
  • Defended the former CEO of a lobbying organization in a DOJ investigation, involving allegations of fraud, tax evasion, and public corruption
  • Defended a behavioral health company in investigation by a state attorney general, involving allegations of kickbacks and fraudulent claims
  • Defended the COO of an auto equipment importer in a DOJ investigation, involving allegations of customs fraud

Mr. Robbins received his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School. He received his M.A.L.D. from Tufts University, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and his A.B., magna cum laude, from Harvard College, where he was awarded the John Harvard Scholarship.

  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
  • President, Harvard Law School Association of Orange County
  • Member, Merit Selection Panel, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
  • Volunteer Judge, U.C. Irvine Law School Moot Court Competition