Representative Work
Secured a published 9th Circuity victory on behalf of petitioner, a gay Nigerian client seeking asylum and protection under the Convention Against Torture in the United States after he was discovered being intimate with his boyfriend in a Nigerian hotel and was threatened with death as a result of that discovery. The Immigration Judge (IJ) found that the petitioner was not credible because he got the name of the hotel wrong, which led the IJ to find that the petitioner was not gay and did not face persecution in his home country. The IJ and Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) denied all relief. Following expert briefing by Hanson Bridgett attorneys David Casarrubias, Breana Burgos, and Alexandra Atencio, and David’s compelling oral argument, the Ninth Circuit granted the petition for review, holding the BIA failed to give “reasoned consideration” to all of the evidence. Further, the Ninth Circuit ruled that the petitioner’s asylum application was not “frivolous” merely because he got the name of the hotel wrong. While potentially relevant to his asylum claim, the location of the hotel was not a central element of his asylum claim.
Cannabis Law: Successfully defended cannabis distribution company in a jury trial against a cannabis cultivator alleging distributor breached an implied-in-fact contract when distributor attempted to return cannabis and cannabis products that would not sell. Fist Cut Farms, LLC, et al. v. Vista Distribution Inc., et al., No. SCUK-CVG-2019-72818 (Mendocino County Superior Court).
Anti-SLAPP: Assisted with drafting winning appellate brief defending trial court’s denial of two anti-SLAPP motions in class action alleging a conspiracy to deny non-locals access to a public beach via threats and violence. Spencer v. Mowat (2020) 46 Cal.App.5th 1024.
Writ Petition: Assisted with drafting successful opposition to writ petition on standing grounds in action involving the Registrar of Contractors of the California Contractors State License Board. URS Corp., et al. v. Registrar of Contractors of the Cal. Contractors State License Board, et al., No. 30-2019-01053135-CU-WM-CJC (Orange County Superior Court).
Immigration Law: Successfully reversed the Board of Immigration Appeals and Immigration Judge’s in absentia removal order by rebutting the federal government’s presumption that its removal order was delivered via regular mail. Sicat v. Sessions, 742 Fed.Appx. 170 (9th Cir. 2018).
Constitutional Law: Represented group of behavioral science and economics scholars as amici curiae in appeal addressing interplay between free speech and equal protection rights. 303 Creative LLC, et al. v. Elenis, et al., No. 19-1413 (10th Cir.).
Attorney Fees: Represented construction contractor by drafting appellate brief challenging a trial court’s order awarding nearly a quarter of a million dollars in contractual attorney fees. CDC San Francisco LLC v. Webcor Construction, L.P., et al., No. A157650 (Cal. App. 1 Dist.).
Government Law: Successfully represented local transportation districts in their defense against a high stakes, multi-million dollar, class action alleging violations of state and federal due process clauses based on toll violation noticing procedures. Saliani, et al. v. Bay Area Toll Authority, et al., No. CGC-14-540384 (San Francisco Superior Court).
Each case is different. Prior results are no guarantee of future success.