Whitney Jones Roy

Whitney Jones Roy is an associate in the Business Trial Practice Group in the firm's Los Angeles office.

Areas of Practice

Ms. Roy specializes in business litigation. Her experience includes representing clients in a variety of business disputes and against claims of fraud, breach of fiduciary duties, breach of contract, unfair business practices, negligence, nuisance and trespass.  Ms. Roy has also developed a specialty in litigation relating to Proposition 65, CERCLA, and products liability.  She has also been involved in insurance litigation, environmental litigation, and defending class action lawsuits.  Ms. Roy's cases have related to a broad spectrum of industries including financial institutions, insurance, securities trading, real estate, oil, and pharmaceuticals.  Ms. Roy has experience in all aspects of California and federal civil procedure including drafting and opposing motions; arguing motions in court; propounding and responding to discovery; conducting and defending depositions; preparing for and representing clients in trial and private arbitration; and briefing for various appellate courts.

Ms. Roy also serves as the firm coordinator and liaison with Public Counsel for the Adoptions Project.  Ms. Roy is also a member of Sheppard Mullin's Recruiting Committee and the Associates Forum.  Each summer, Ms. Roy serves as an instructor and public speaking coach for Sheppard Mullin's Trial Advocacy Program (TAP) for summer associates. 

Education

• J.D., University of Southern California, 2000, worked for noted Professor Charles Whitebread as a teaching and research assistant, contributed to the publication with numerous articles regarding constitutional law and criminal procedure, as well as Professor Whitebread's annual publication Recent Decisions of the United States Supreme Court 1998-1999, staff member for the Southern California Review of Law and Women's Studies
• B.A., Political Science, University of California, Los Angeles, 1997, cum laude
• B.A., Sociology, University of California, Los Angeles, 1997, cum laude

Clerkships

• Ms. Roy worked for the Honorable Harvey Schneider of the Los Angeles County Superior Court as an extern in 1998.

Admissions

• California, 2000
• U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
• U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

Representative Matters

Ms. Roy represented State Compensation Insurance Fund ("State Fund") in the matter Cumbre, Inc. et al. v. State Compensation Insurance Fund, in which several insurance brokers alleged that State Fund improperly terminated their broker relationship due to the broker's unprofitability.  The brokers asserted a variety of novel legal theories including unfair business practices, violation of due process, violation of the duty of fair procedure and breach of contract.  Ms. Roy ultimately prevailed on summary judgment.

Ms. Roy also recently prevailed on summary judgment on behalf of client Wynn Oil Company in the Los Angeles Superior Court matter Miguel, et al v. Wynn Oil Company.  The case involved allegations of fraud, breach of contract, intentional interference with economic advantage, unfair business practices, and misappropriation of trade secrets associated with a ten year relationship between Wynn Oil and its Brazilian distributor. 

Finally, Ms. Roy represents Exxon Mobil Corporation in a wide variety of litigation.  Currently, she is involved in several matters pending in a variety of state and federal courts relating to the use of MTBE in refined gasoline.

Honors

• Ms. Roy was selected as the 1999 Champion of the University of Southern California's Hale Moot Court Honors Program and received the honor of Outstanding Oralist at Brooklyn Law School's Jerome Prince Evidence Moot Court Competition in 2000.

Memberships

• Member, California State Bar, Appointed in 2006 to the Committee on Women in Law and is currently serving a three year term
• Volunteer, Public Counsel's Adoptions Project (represents parents in several pro bono adoptions each year)
• Member, Los Angeles County Bar Association
• Member, American Bar Association
• Member, Women's Law Association of Los Angeles
• Member, California Women Lawyers
• Member, National Association of Women Lawyers
• Member, Association of Business Trial Lawyers