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  • Jack S. Yeh

    Partner
    Litigation
     jyeh@manatt.com
    Download Contact (.vcf)

    Los Angeles
    Direct: 310.312.4367
    General: 310.312.4000
    Fax: 310.312.4224
    Education

    University of San Diego School of Law, J.D., May 1994
    Appellate Moot Court Board, National Team Member

     

    University of California at San Diego, B.A., cum laude, in political science with distinction, December 1990
    Bar Admissions
    California
    • Profile
    • Representative Matters
    • Honors & Awards
    • Publications
    • Memberships & Activities
    • Speaking Engagements

    Profile

    Jack Yeh is a trial lawyer whose practice encompasses a wide range of complex commercial litigation matters, including competitive business litigation, unfair competition, government litigation, land use, intellectual property, entertainment, and other general business contract and tort claims. Mr. Yeh represents both publicly traded companies and emerging businesses in the advertising, entertainment and media, energy, real estate and technology industries.

    Mr. Yeh has been publicly recognized by the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, which named him one of 25 of the nation’s “Best Lawyers Under 40; by Los Angeles Magazine, which, on multiple occasions, has accorded him its prestigious “Southern California Superlawyer” designation; and by LawDragon.com, a national portal listing of lawyers, which named him to its 500 New Stars, New Worlds list.

    Representing his clients in federal and state courts throughout the country, Mr. Yeh has amassed substantial experience litigating commercial disputes at all stages, including arbitrations, mediations, court and jury trials, and appeals, including before the California Court of Appeal, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the California Supreme Court.

    In addition to his considerable trial experience, Mr. Yeh has developed a particular expertise in the litigation of complex consumer and competitor class action brought under California’s Unfair Competition Law (California Business and Professions Code Section 17200); governmental-related matters involving local and regional public agencies, such as the City of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Unified School District and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority; and matters involving State of California agencies, including the Department of General Services, the Department of Conservation, the Department of Transportation, and the Transportation Commission. Mr. Yeh has developed, coordinated and implemented successful litigation strategies for project applicants and public agencies at the trial court and appellate levels on a variety of subject matter, including the California Environmental Quality Act, public contracting, competitive bidding, negotiated procurement, conflicts of interest, political contributions and the California Public Records Act.

    Representative Matters

    General Business Litigation

    Dismissal with prejudice obtained on behalf of a national accounting firm hired by the Southern California Regional Railroad Authority (“Metrolink”) to audit bids submitted in connection with Metrolink’s RFP for consulting services. Subcontractor who was removed from the procurement sued accounting firm for negligence and tortious interference in connection with the audit. Trial Court granted a Special Motion to Strike under California’s anti-SLAPP statute (“Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation”) and awarded full amount of attorneys fees. 

    Dismissal with prejudice obtained from the United States District Court on behalf of a regional internet registry in an antitrust lawsuit filed by the high-profile owner of a ubiquitous adult web address. 

    Successful prosecution of a copyright infringement action on behalf of a prominent Hollywood studio and the largest independent distributor of DVD content in North America against a production company and competing distributor involving the domestic home video distribution rights to multiple seasons of a television series. Obtained binding arbitration award that included recovery of attorneys’ fees.

    Unanimous defense verdict obtained on behalf of employer in one-week disability discrimination jury trial.

    Defense verdict obtained on behalf of insurance carrier in malicious prosecution bench trial.

    Summary Judgment obtained in the Superior Court of California in a specific-performance action filed by a boycotted pay phone company against the West Coast’s largest pay phone manufacturer.

    Summary judgment obtained in the United States District Court’s Southern District of Texas in a disability discrimination action filed by legally blind concert-goer against publicly traded ticketing company.  The case drew national attention over the interpretation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. 

    Dismissal obtained from the New York Supreme Court in a breach of contract dispute with several concert promoters against a publicly traded ticketing company. 

    Successful defense of a media company against a TRO sought by a Hollywood actress claiming commercial misappropriation and Lanham Act violations. 

    Successful resolution of a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit on behalf of employer involving an alleged transgender harasser.

    Successful resolution of several franchise disputes filed in California and Michigan state courts against a publicly-traded petroleum company.

    Unfair Competition Law Litigation

    Successful defense of an international outdoor advertising company in a representative action filed under California Business and Professions Code section 17200 alleging violations of California's political contribution laws. Case dismissed at the pleading stage. 

    Successful resolution of a representative and competitive business action filed under California Business and Professions Code Section 17200 alleging violations of various California regulatory restrictions against an international outdoor advertising company.

    Successful resolution and no-money dismissal for a national petroleum company against a products liability action filed under California Business and Professions Code Section 17200 alleging unlawful tobacco sales to minors.

    Successfully defended an international retail company against a Section 17200 class action for alleged violations of California’s recycling laws.

    Extensive experience litigating California Business and Professions Code Section 17200 issues in competitive business litigation. 

    Government and Land Use Litigation

    Successfully obtained a verdict and seven-figure judgment on behalf of a national trucking industry company against the California Department of Transportation after a complex four-week jury trial involving the agency’s bad faith breach of a land exchange agreement.

    Successful defense verdicts obtained on behalf of a large retailer in several mandamus trials involving California Environmental Quality Act lawsuits filed by citizens groups challenging public agencies’ certification of Environmental Impact Reports approving the retailer’s projects. 

    Successfully defended a statewide renewable energy initiative from a pre-election legal challenge filed by a utility-sponsored opposition claiming false and misleading statements were contained in the California Ballot Pamphlet issued by the California Secretary of State. 

    Successful defense verdict (and appellate court affirmance) obtained on behalf of an international security-inks provider in a statewide public contracts and California Public Records Act challenge filed by a disqualified bidder.

    Successfully defended a statewide gaming initiative from multiple pre-election legal challenges filed by Indian tribes in the California Supreme Court and California Court of Appeal.

    Dismissal obtained from the Superior Court of California (demurrer sustained without leave to amend) in a public contracting challenge filed by a disgruntled bidder against the Los Angeles Unified School District.

    Successful defense verdict (and appellate court affirmance) obtained on behalf of a prominent private girls’ school in a mandamus trial involving a California Environmental Quality Act lawsuit filed by local residents challenging the City of Los Angeles’ certification of an Environmental Impact Report approving the school’s relocation into the Brentwood community of Los Angeles.

    Successful defense verdict obtained on behalf of contractor in a mandamus trial involving a series of related land use, public contracting and political contribution lawsuits filed by disgruntled billboard companies challenging the MTA’s award of a contract for its Automated Public Toilet project. 

    Successful issuance of a peremptory writ of mandate by the California Court of Appeal in a California Public Records Act matter involving the scope of the attorney-client privilege.

    Prosecuted and defended multiple lawsuits involving California’s conflict of interest and open meeting laws.

    Published Opinions

    STI Outdoor, LLC v. Superior Court (Eller Media Co.), 91 Cal.App.4th 334 (2001), 109 Cal.Rptr.2d 865, (2001) 

    Royalty Carpet Mills, Inc. v. City of Irvine, et al., 125 Cal.App.4th 1110 (2005)

    Honors & Awards

    Identified in 2001 by the Los Angeles Daily Journal as an “Up & Comer” – 1 of 10 California trial lawyers to watch 

    Named in 2002 by the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association as one of twenty-five of the nation’s “Best Lawyers Under 40” 

    Selected in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2009 by Los Angeles Magazine as a “Southern California Superlawyer”  

    Named as one of the "500 New Stars, New Worlds" in the 2006 LawDragon guide

    Recipient, March 2004 and March 2006, Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association’s President’s Award (recognizing outstanding commitment and service to the organization)

    Publications

    Co-Author, "Protecting Privileged Communications," California Lawyer, June 2005

    Memberships & Activities

    National Chair of Manatt’s Diversity Program.

    Member, Diversity Committee for the Managing Partners Roundtable 

    Asian Pacific American Legal Center

    • Board of Directors (2006-present)
    • Executive Advisory Council (2006)

    Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association.

    • Board of Governors (1999-present)
    • Chair, Judicial and Political Appointments Committee
    • Trial Advocacy Skills Workshop Committee 

    Asia Society (Southern California)

    • Leadership Committee Advisory Board (2007-present) 

    Member, Planning Committee for the Corporate Open Legal Standards Initiative 

    Member, American Bar Association, Litigation and Public Contract Law Sections

    Member, Los Angeles County Bar Association

    Member, State Bar of California

    Also admitted to practice generally before the United States District Court for the Northern, Eastern, Central and Southern Districts of California, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

    Speaking Engagements

    Speaker, California Business Law Update, "Unfair Competition & Complying with Business and Professions Code Section 17200," Bridgeport Continuing Education, November 17, 2004

    Speaker, California Section 17200 Litigation Conference, "An Overview of California’s Unfair Competition Law: Business and Professions Code Section 17200," Bridgeport Continuing Education, April 7, 2005

    Speaker, Diversity, Los Angeles County Bar Association, Corporate Law Department Section Roundtable, March 21, 2006

    Speaker, Diversity in the Legal Profession – Client-Driven Perspectives, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, Third Annual California Regional Conference, July 29, 2006

    Panelist, Diversity Roundtable, National Law Journal and GC Magazine, March 28, 2007

    Panelist, Calculating Diversity Return on Investment, Minority Corporate Counsel Association Annual Conference, November 8, 2007

    Panelist, Diversity Roundtable, California Lawyer, September 2008