Overview
Noah Helpern is a Los Angeles-based litigator whose Southern California roots and nearly 20 years of practice have provided him with deep familiarity with courts and jurisdictions throughout California and across the country.
Noah’s practice focuses on complex commercial litigation and high profile disputes, with an emphasis on media and entertainment matters, real estate industry disputes, RICO cases, and products liability issues. Noah has handled cases with billions of dollars in dispute, but is equally comfortable working to resolve sensitive and high-profile matters before they reach the courtroom. His clients include universities, media and technology companies, real estate developers, high-profile individuals, and consumer product manufacturers. Among his cases was the representation of Fox Corporation against claims by Dominion Voting Systems through resolution of the matters shortly after jury selection. The judge in that case, after the announcement of settlement, said of both sides, "I have been on the bench since 2010. . . I think this is the best lawyering I've had, ever."
Noah has extensive experience in alternative dispute resolution and served as a teaching assistant for the Harvard Negotiation Institute (formerly Program of Instruction for Lawyers) at Harvard Law School’s Program on Negotiation.
- California
- J.D., Harvard Law School, 2007
- B.A., Pomona College, 2003, magna cum laude, Public Policy Analysis/Politics
Representative Matters
*Includes matters handled prior to joining Steptoe.
- Defense of national media organization and national television network in various defamation and related claims.
- Obtaining complete dismissal, at the pleading stage, of RICO action alleging unlawful surveillance and harassment by high-profile entertainment industry figure and his legal team.
- Won dismissal of derivative lawsuit, and affirmance on appeal by the Nevada Supreme Court, on basis of former CEO's lack of standing to pursue derivative claims. James J. Cotter, Jr. v. Kane, et al. (Reading International, Inc.), 136 Nev. 63 (2020).
- Counsel for eBay, Inc. in theft of trade secret, fraud, and breach of fiduciary duty case against craigslist related to eBay's minority investment in craigslist. Case settled on confidential terms.
- Represented lead defendant in a 59-count criminal RICO case brought against a successful businessman by the US Attorney's Office for the Central District of California. Obtained dismissal of certain RICO claims pre-trial, others during a four-week trial, and all remaining claims through post-trial motions based on government misconduct.
- Defended celebrity client in action alleging sexual battery and emotional distress. Represented same client in actions alleging defamation, false light and emotional distress.
- Obtained a complete victory for the University of Southern California following a 7-day arbitration against its former head football coach Steve Sarkisian, who sought over $30 million in connection with an allegedly wrongful termination. The arbitrator denied each of Sarkisian's claims, resulting in a judgment in USC's favor.
- Represented San Diego Gas & Electric and Sempra Energy in defense of over $2 billion in property damage claims arising from 2007 San Diego Wildfires.
- Represented East West Bank in a class action alleging the bank aided and abetted an alleged Ponzi scheme.
- Represented MBIA Insurance Corporation as subrogee to claims under California securities laws of purchasers of residential mortgage backed securities in two separate actions for losses MBIA incurred in excess of $2.5 billion in connection with securitizations comprised of Countrywide and IndyMac mortgages.