Overview
Alex is an experienced trial lawyer who litigates complex civil matters involving fraud, contract, fiduciary duty, conversion, trade secret misappropriation, intellectual property, and unfair competition claims. He represents clients in state and federal courts, as well as in regulatory and criminal matters before federal and state agencies, including the Medical Board of California.
Alex has considerable expertise litigating closely-held business and partnership disputes, which often involve parallel proceedings before arbitration panels, government enforcement agencies, and bankruptcy courts. Clients appreciate his creative strategies that are grounded in his broader experience with adversary proceedings in bankruptcy, derivative claims, receiverships, and attachments.
Before joining Steptoe, Alex provided outside general counsel services to a nationwide media company and an international amusement park operator. In that capacity, he managed First Amendment litigation, collections, intellectual property claims, vendor disputes, law enforcement inquiries, insurance coverage negotiations, and defended the depositions of key managers.
Alex participated in the Student Honors Program with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Unit of the US Securities & Exchange Commission, Division of Enforcement, and externed for the enforcement division of the California state securities regulator. In those roles, he worked on several receiverships, including a $220 million Ponzi real estate-based offering fraud and Ponzi scheme.
- California
- US District Court, Central District of California
- District of Columbia
- J.D., Pepperdine University School of Law, 2015, Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary
- B.A., Fordham University, 2011, History
Areas of Work
Representative Matters
Commercial Disputes
- Co-trial counsel in a weeklong jury trial defending the successor company to a $350 million merger and its principals against $60 million in claims by a former shareholder. After two dispositive motions and trial, the company was found liable for only $2 million.
- Co-trial counsel in a three-week jury trial defending co-founder and executive of cryptocurrency company against derivative claims for breach of fiduciary duty and fraud.
- Co-trial counsel in a two-week federal jury trial defending an e-liquid manufacturer and its employee against trademark infringement claims. After substituting in as counsel, obtained reversal of $6.5 million summary judgment against clients. After trial, obtained judgment as a matter of law for individual defendant employee.
- Co-counsel for Pledge Medical, LLC, and certain affiliated owners in one of the largest California-based healthcare qui tam lawsuits involving personal injury medical lien-based services and procedures pursued by State Farm in 2024. Resolved litigation against all clients within 90 days with a complete release of liability for all clients.
- Secured dismissal of California Medical Board investigation and accusation against a client-surgeon concerning a purported requirement to maintain privileges at local hospitals adjacent to surgery centers.
- Domesticated $2.7 million foreign judgment in California state court after winning summary judgment; obtained 100% of attorney’s fee and costs requested.
- Successfully defended against hedge fund's attempt to add our client as a judgment debtor to an existing $30 million judgment.
- Obtained favorable settlement on behalf of trucking logistics platform against trade secret misappropriation and breach of contract claims.
- Obtained favorable settlement on behalf of two partners in an e-liquid distribution company against minority shareholders.
- Obtained summary judgment and attorneys' fees award on behalf of healthcare industry software as a service SaaS provider against former customer’s breach of contract and fraud claims.
- Successfully recovered industrial machinery and contractual payments from industrial machinery manufacturer on behalf of Mexican restaurant and bakery.
Consumer Litigation
- Co-trial counsel securing defense verdict after three-week trial regarding California Proposition 65 chemical warnings on rice products. Consumer Advocacy Grp. Inc. v. Gulf Pacific Rice Co., Inc., Cal. Super. Ct., Los Angeles, No. BC553427 (2024).
- Secured dismissal of all claims following two weeks of trial regarding California Proposition 65 chemical warnings on spice products. Consumer Advocacy Group, Inc. v. Gel Spice Co., Inc., Cal. Super. Ct., Los Angeles, No. BC665798 (2024).
- Represented pet food manufacturer accused of toxic contamination and mislabeling of products in coordinated state and federal class action proceedings in California and Washington. Obtained dismissal of class representative and class complaint in California on jurisdictional grounds, leading to favorable global settlement.
- Secured dismissal with prejudice on behalf of e-liquid distributor accused of toxic contamination and inaccurate product labeling.
- Secured dismissal with prejudice of subrogation claims on behalf of telecommunications company.
- Obtained 7-figure settlement against truck seller on behalf of victim of single-vehicle truck collision.
News & Publications
Press Releases
Steptoe Secures California Proposition 65 Win on Behalf of Client Gulf Pacific Rice
March 19, 2024
Noteworthy
- Super Lawyers, Southern California, "Rising Star" (2019-2025)
- Super Lawyers, Southern California, Up-and-Coming 100 (2023-2024)
- Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB) Practitioner, Article, "Strategy Notes on Partnership Disputes" (2021)
Previous Employment
- Intern, Student Honors Program, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Division of Enforcement, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Unit (2014)
- Intern, California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, Division of Enforcement (formerly, California Department of Business Oversight and California Department of Corporations) (2013)
Professional Affiliations
- Member, Orange County Bar Association (OCBA); Board of Directors (2020); Chair of Orange County Bar Association Young Lawyers Division (2020);
- Executive Board, Pepperdine Law Alumni Network of Orange County; (Co-Chair 2017-2018)
- Executive Board, William P. Gray Inn of Court
- Member, Association of Business Trial Lawyers
- Member, Federal Bar Association of Orange County