Erin J. Cox

Wells Fargo Bank in:

• federal court in a suit alleging mismanagement of billions of dollars of investments in its securities lending program. After a seven-week trial, the jury returned a unanimous verdict for Wells Fargo on all claims and awarded zero damages.
• class actions and individual actions in federal and state court relating to allegedly improper sales practices.
• a securities class action concerning over 50 RMBS offerings.
• winning a unanimous victory following a two-week trial in a case in which the plaintiff sought tens of millions of dollars in treble damages on the basis of allegations that the bank had improperly recorded a business communication in violation of California Law and then terminated the high-level employee as a result of the conduct revealed in the recording. This victory was recognized as a Top Defense Verdict for 2020 by the Daily Journal.

Bank of America in:

• securities litigation in federal and state courts arising from the issuance of mortgage-backed securities.
• a variety of breach of contract matters relating to its mortgage-origination business.
• an investigation by a consortium of district attorneys relating to the bank’s compliance with call recording disclosure requirements in the California Penal Code.

Disney in:

• winning complete dismissal—affirmed on appeal—of character copyright infringement and implied contract/idea theft claims relating to the anthropomorphized emotion characters at the heart of Disney•Pixar’s acclaimed motion picture Inside Out.
• defending against other claims of copyright infringement related to the motion picture Inside Out.
• defending against claims of copyright infringement related to Disney’s blockbuster motion picture Frozen.

NBCUniversal and KNBC Los Angeles in a one-month jury trial in Los Angeles Superior Court in a case brought by an award-winning investigative producer alleging age discrimination. After four days of deliberations, the court declared a mistrial after the jury announced that it was deadlocked.

PG&E in legislative and regulatory matters, including proceedings at the California Public Utilities Commission to review its Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization.

An independent television channel in a dispute with a large media company.

Burrill Life Sciences Capital Fund III, L.P., as a plaintiff, in a fraud case against the Fund’s former general partner and former auditor (a Big Four accounting firm) arising from a years-long multi-million dollar embezzlement scheme. After a year of litigation, the Fund settled with the former general partner for a significant portion of its damages, and then settled with the former auditor on a confidential basis.

An investment company in obtaining dismissal of a WARN Act class action in Delaware bankruptcy court that sought to hold it liable for termination notice violations of a bankrupt company in which it invested.

A major packaged goods company in obtaining a stipulated injunction and achieving a favorable settlement in trade secret litigation brought against a competitor and former employee for the theft of information.

A national retailer in securing dismissal of claims asserting that online postings and advertising violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.

In 2021, Ms. Cox was named a Law360 Rising Star. The annual ranking celebrates top legal talent under 40, and winners are selected based on their career accomplishments. She was also named A Rising Star by Super Lawyers for 2018-2019. In 2024, Chambers USA ranked Ms. Cox as an Up and Coming media and entertainment lawyer in California.

Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Cox served as a law clerk for Judge George H. King of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. She received her J.D. from UCLA School of Law, where she was elected to Order of the Coif and served as Senior Editor for the UCLA Law Review. During law school, Ms. Cox argued before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in representing a habeas petitioner bringing due process and ineffective assistance claims under AEDPA. She received her bachelor’s degree in cognitive science and social welfare from UC Berkeley in 2005, where she was a Regents’ Scholar and elected to Phi Beta Kappa.

Publications

• Quoted, Media & Entertainment Group Of The Year: Munger Tolles, Law360, Dec. 15, 2020
• An Economic Crisis Is a Terrible Thing to Waste: Reforming the Business of Law for a Sustainable and Competitive Future, 57 UCLA L. REV. 511 (2009).
• Freeing Exercise at Expression’s Expense: When RFRA Privileges the Religiously Motivated Speaker, 56 UCLA L. REV. 169 (2008).