Rogers Joseph O'Donnell

Number of partners: 20

Number of attorneys: 41

Firm Overview:

RJO represents clients on their most difficult legal problems in nine specialized areas of practice. Founded in 1981, this litigation-focused firm provides effective representation to handle proceedings of any size in state and federal courts both at trial and on appeal and in ADR of the most sophisticated disputes.

Main Areas of Practice:

Government Contracts:

RJO is nationally recognized as one of the leading government contracts firms. The firm represents many major national government contractors, as well as local and regional companies, in their federal, state and local contracts. RJO works on all government contract issues, including bid protests, contract disputes with the government, disputes between prime and subcontractors, cybersecurity and supply chain issues, teaming agreements, terminations, qui tam and other False Claims Act cases, Cost Accounting Standards, Multiple Award Schedule contracts, and due diligence in acquisitions and mergers.

Key Clients: Microsoft, CGI Federal; Siemens Government Technologies; McKesson; Leonardo DRS Technologies; Blackboard; Raytheon; Infosys.

Construction:

RJO has the experience to assist clients in resolving the most complex construction problems through a unique and comprehensive mix of expertise in both public and private construction. The firm represents general contractors, subcontractors, design professionals, construction managers, suppliers, owners, sureties and construction lenders. The firm has extensive expertise in legal issues related to all types of construction projects, including contract negotiation, protests of contract awards, insurance, extra work and delay claims, liens, false claims, stop payment notices, surety and employment disputes, terminations and warranties.

Key Clients: Kiewit; ACCO Engineered Systems; TY Lin International; Watts Constructors; Obayashi; Holtec International; Alstom; Bombardier; ATVL Test Systems; RailWorks; Keller; Weitz; AshBritt; APTIM; AECOM; Arcadis; CF Contracting.

Attorney Liability & Conduct:

RJO’s attorney liability and conduct practice group represents lawyers and law firms in litigation matters including legal malpractice, fee disputes, disqualification, sanctions and State Bar disciplinary matters. It also provides advice and counseling in the areas of ethical compliance and law practice management. The firm has significant experience representing large and small law firms and corporate legal departments, and is regularly called upon to provide strategic direction and risk management advice.

Complex Commercial Litigation:

RJO represents companies and individuals in complex litigation in a wide variety of industries, including disputes involving complex commercial contracts, trade secrets, federal and state antitrust laws, unfair competition and false advertising statutes, securities and other business fraud claims, consumer class actions against retailers and other business entities, minority squeeze-out claims and insurance coverage.

Labor & Employment:

RJO provides advice and counseling to private and government contractor employers and has extensive litigation experience representing employers in individual and class action labor and employment disputes, including jury and bench trials, appeals, administrative hearings, mediations and arbitrations. The firm has defended wage and hour claims on a class, representative and collective basis under federal and state law, discrimination and harassment claims based on a variety of protected categories including age, race, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, religion and disability and whistleblower claims including those arising under the State and Federal False Claims Acts.

Key Clients: Workers Compensation Ins. Rating Bureau; franchises branded as Burger King, Jack In The Box, Denny’s, Little Caesar’s Pizza, Domino’s Pizza, Roundtable Pizza, Buffalo Wild Wings, Black Bear Diner, and Taco Bell.

Environmental Law:

RJO represents energy companies, manufacturers, developers, property owners and individuals in disputes and litigation with federal, state and local environmental regulators and in private party cost recovery cases arising under state and federal environmental laws. The firm’s practice is focused on the States of California and Washington. Lawyers in the firm have prosecuted and defended cases under all of the major federal statutes and California and Washington’s state law counterparts. These lawyers have particular expertise in litigation arising under CERCLA (the “Superfund” law), the Clean Water Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, California’s Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) and Proposition 65, and Washington’s Model Toxics Control Act (“MTCA”).

Key Clients: Chevron USA; The Dutra Group; Williams-Sonoma.

Retail Trade Regulation:

RJO represents national and regional retail chains, suppliers and manufacturers in disputes with state, federal and local regulatory agencies, public prosecutors and private public interest groups. RJO has expertise defending companies in consumer class actions, litigation and compliance needs arising under the CA Hazardous Waste laws, the Food Drug & Cosmetics Act (“FDCA”), Consumer Legal Remedies Act, (“CLRA”) Unfair Competition Law (“UCL”), False Advertising Law ("FAL"), CA Proposition 65, ADA/Unruh Act Web Access, and the CA Organic Products Act (“COPA”). RJO attorneys regularly provide compliance advice on sales and e-commerce operations to national and international companies.

Key Clients: Costco Wholesale Corp.; Walgreens Boots Alliance; Wayfair; Party City.

Cybersecurity & Privacy:

RJO attorneys focus on complex laws, regulations, legislation, and industry initiatives to offer our clients expert counseling on ever-evolving information security requirements and privacy practices. We advise world-leading companies on cyber and supply chain protection, and our voice is important in government-industry development of new security initiatives. We have also developed leading expertise on cyber insurance regarding ransomware events and on federal requirements for incident response. We assist companies on difficult cyber compliance questions and counsel on potential exposure under the False Claims Act. RJO attorneys provide general privacy counseling to clients and we assist with end-user policies and data transfer agreements, breach and incident response strategies. .We are experienced with federal cloud authorization requirements.

Key Clients: Microsoft; The MITRE Corporation; Leonardo/DRS; Raytheon; Becton Dickenson.

White Collar Criminal Defense:

Led by former federal prosecutors who served in leadership at the U.S. Dept. of Justice and a former public defender, the white-collar practice has decades of experience and an impressive trial record representing clients in a wide variety of state and federal criminal matters, including antitrust, securities, environmental, health care, FDA, export control, banking, FCPA, money laundering, government contract and procurement fraud, RICO, homicide and assaultive crimes, sex offenses and domestic violence, gang-related matters, tax frauds and customs. The firm also has extensive experience in the defense of SEC civil enforcement actions and investigations, as well as asset forfeiture.