Contact Information: CONTACT: Peter Hecker (415) 772-6080 Neil Popovic (415) 772-6245 Anna McLean (415) 772-6170 Joanne Garvey (415) 772-6729 Vickie Spang (213) 617-4186
Litigation and Tax Quartet Join Sheppard Mullin San Francisco
Class Action Experts Further Expand Firm's Business Trial Capabilities; Tax Expert Adds Depth
| Source: Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP
SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire - October 10, 2008) - Peter S. Hecker, Neil A.F. Popovic, Anna
S. McLean and Joanne M. Garvey have joined the San Francisco office of
Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP as partners. Hecker, Popovic and
McLean join the firm's Business Trial practice group, and Garvey joins the
Tax practice. The group most recently practiced together at Heller Ehrman
in San Francisco. This group brings to 10 the total number of Heller
partners that have moved to Sheppard Mullin in recent months.
"With a variety of class action expertise, Peter, Neil and Anna add
significantly to our litigation capabilities in San Francisco. We continue
to grow our Business Trial practice group, and this trio's broad industry
experience is a valuable addition to our class action team," said Guy
Halgren, chairman of the firm. "Joanne is a preeminent tax professional
who, like the others, brings her prestigious reputation as well as her
legal talent to our practice," Halgren added.
Commented Hecker, "With a strong litigation practice and a well-established
San Francisco office, Sheppard Mullin offers an excellent platform for our
practice. I am impressed by Sheppard Mullin's top notch attorneys, some of
whom I have known well and admired for over 20 years, and in particular the
firm's class action expertise."
Hecker's practice emphasizes litigation and alternative dispute resolution
in connection with consumer class actions. He has extensive experience
defending actions brought under California's Unfair Competition Law,
Business & Professions Code Section 17200. Hecker has substantial
experience defending major consumer litigation, including cases involving
alleged false advertising, product defects, and the disclosure of fees and
services by a variety of businesses, including computer, software,
telecommunications, rental car, self-storage, food and drug, insurance
brokerage, and auto finance companies. Hecker is also a nationally
recognized authority on "force-placed" or collateral protection insurance
("CPI") litigation brought by consumers against banks and other financial
institutions.
Hecker represented Hertz in class actions challenging the fuel and service
charge in California, Illinois, Texas, Oklahoma and Nevada, including the
leading cases of Guerra v. Hertz, 504 F. Supp. 2d 1014 (D. Nev. 2007), and
Schnall v. Hertz, 78 Cal. App. 4th 1144 (2000) and represented Palm in
class actions alleging damage to personal computers from electrostatic
discharge; and litigation challenging termination of its wireless service,
in which class certification was denied. Eichorn v. Palm, 2008 WL 102222
(Cal. Ct. App. 2008) (unpublished).
Popovic's practice includes international dispute resolution, consumer
litigation and white collar criminal defense. His litigation experience
includes a wide range of commercial disputes, including consumer class
actions, white collar criminal matters and international litigation and
counseling. Popovic also practices international environmental law,
including representing clients in international negotiations. He has
taught courses in international law at Boalt Hall since 1996, and has
published widely in law reviews. His clients have included the Republic of
Argentina, the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville), Caremark, Inc., IMPAX
Laboratories, ITT Sheraton Corporation, McDonald's Corporation, MCI, Inc.,
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, Muzak Limited Partnership, RSA
Security Inc., Seagate Technology, Global Capital Group and Wells Fargo
Bank, N.A.
McLean's litigation practice emphasizes the defense of complex class
actions alleging unfair business practices and products liability claims.
She has had significant experience litigating complex class action cases
in both the consumer disclosure and products liability areas. In her
consumer class action practice, McLean has defended clients in a variety of
industries with regard to alleged consumer disclosure issues, liquidated
damages/penalty claims, fee and interest rate claims, and mortgage and auto
lending issues. In her products liability practice, she has represented
major manufacturers in the tobacco, building products, and chemicals
industries in multi-state class actions and public entity cost-recovery
litigation.
Garvey's tax practice emphasizes state and local taxation. She has
represented clients in the United States Supreme Court and at all levels of
the California court system, as well as in administrative proceedings
within and without California. She argued Barclays Bank v. Franchise Tax
Board before the U.S. Supreme Court. She has testified at legislative and
regulatory hearings, including the hearings under U.S.-U.K. Tax Treaty,
before the working group for the Presidential Commission on the Unitary
tax, and on the California water's edge legislation. She is the author of
the Tax Management Portfolio Income Taxes: California Water's Edge Unitary
Legislation. Garvey served in both the American Bar and California Supreme
Court commissions on rules for Multijurisdictional Practice. She is the
first recipient of the State Bar Taxation Section's "Joanne M. Garvey
Award" for Lifetime achievement, as well as numerous awards for
professional and community service including the prestigious "Margaret
Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award" by the American Bar Association
which honors outstanding women lawyers who have achieved professional
excellence in their area of specialty and have actively paved the way to
success for others.
Hecker received a J.D. from University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall
School of Law in 1973, Order of the Coif and a B.A., magna cum laude, with
distinction, from Carleton College in 1970. Popovic received a J.D. from
the University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law in 1987,
where he was an editor on the California Law Review, an M.A. from Tufts
University in 1992, where he was a Ford Foundation Fellow in Public
International Law, and an A.B. from the University of California, Berkeley
in 1983. McLean received a J.D. from UCLA School of Law in 1989 and a
B.A., with high distinction, from the University of California, Berkeley in
1984. Garvey received her J.D. from the University of California,
Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law (1961) where she was on the California
Law Review and Order of the Coif. She received her undergraduate degree
from U.C. Berkeley, with honors, Phi Beta Kappa, in 1956 and her masters
degree from the same institution in 1957.
About Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP
Sheppard Mullin is a full service AmLaw 100 firm with more than 550
attorneys in 11 offices located throughout California and in New York,
Washington, D.C. and Shanghai. The firm's California offices are located
in Los Angeles, Century City, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Orange County,
Santa Barbara, San Diego/Downtown and San Diego/Del Mar. Founded in 1927
on the principle that the firm would succeed only if its attorneys
delivered prompt, high quality and cost-effective legal services, Sheppard
Mullin provides legal counsel to U.S. and international clients. Companies
turn to Sheppard Mullin to handle a full range of corporate and technology
matters, high stakes litigation and complex real estate, land use and
finance transactions. In the U.S., the firm's clients include more than
half of the Fortune 100 companies. For more information, please visit
www.sheppardmullin.com.