Arturo González is chair of Morrison & Foerster’s Commercial Litigation and Trial Practice Group and past co-chair of the Litigation Department.  He is a Fellow with the American College of Trial Lawyers, an associate with the American Board of Trial Advocates, and a Fellow with the International Academy of Trial Lawyers.  He specializes in high-stakes, bet-the-company litigation.

Mr. González has successfully defended three trials where plaintiffs sought over $1 billion, including a trade secrets case on behalf of Cypress Semiconductor.  He also represented a bank in a class action trial.  The bank prevailed on all claims but one and the California Supreme Court ruled in favor of the bank on that claim.  His third billion-dollar case was a defense verdict for a member of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum board of directors, sued for fraud by the Oakland Raiders.

Mr. González has also won four verdicts in excess of $10 million:  a $36.3 million verdict involving medical robotics, where the jury found that the defendant willfully misappropriated trade secrets and breached two contracts; a $10.8 million jury verdict in a breach-of-duty and trade secrets case, including a finding that multiple defendants acted willfully; a $60 million verdict in a wrongful death trial; and a $12.5 million verdict in a civil rights trial.

Judges have praised Mr. González’s trial skills: “the trial advocacy skills were superior.”  Another judge described his trial skills as “phenomenal.”

Mr. González has been consistently recognized by his peers and in legal publications.  He was honored in The National Law Journal’s 2009 “Winning” Special Report, which recognizes 10 of the country’s top trial lawyers.  From 2010 – 2014, he was selected as one of the country’s top 30 trial lawyers by Legal 500 US, which described Mr. González as “[i]ncredibly impressive on his feet, great storyteller to the judge and jury, highly experienced,” and a “great leader.”  Chambers USA recommended Mr. González as a general commercial litigator 2010 – 2014, noting that he is “[a] great advocate who quickly establishes a rapport with judges and juries.”

Mr. González served as the 2010 President of the Bar Association of San Francisco.

Education

University of California, Davis (A.B., 1982); Harvard Law School (J.D., 1985)

Speaking Engagements

• Program Chair, “California Trial Advocacy,” PLI, August 5, 2015, San Francisco
• “Masters in Trial, Examination of Experts,” ABOTA, June 4, 2015, San Francisco
• “Bet the Company Litigation,” ACC Annual Meeting, 10/30/2014, New Orleans
• Program Chair, “California Trial Advocacy,” PLI, July 31, 2014, San Francisco
• “Masters in Trial, Examination of Experts,” ABOTA, 10/24/13, San Francisco
• “How to Change Your Style at Trial,” ABA Litigation Section, April 25, 2013, Chicago
• “Motions During and After Trial,” CEB, May 13, 2011, San Francisco
• “Strategies for Winning Trade Secrets Cases,” November 4, 2010, San Jose
• “Masters in Trial: Opening Statements,” ABOTA, October 1, 2010, San Francisco
• “Inside the Mind of the Juror, Tips for Jury Selection,” HNBA, 10/3/2009, Albuquerque