Jon Dean is a partner in the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP and is based in the Firm’s Los Angeles office. As a member of the Firm’s Trial Department, he concentrates his practice in the areas of complex business litigation, class actions, health care litigation, employment litigation, intellectual property and business crimes.
During his career, Jon has served as trial counsel on both complex business litigation cases and criminal matters. On behalf of a Fortune 1000 client, for example, Jon was trial counsel on one of the longest jury trials in the Northwestern Division of the Los Angeles County Superior Court. The plaintiff, a former high level executive, business partner and alleged co-founder of the company, sought tens of millions of dollars for alleged breaches of a partnership contract, breach of a lucrative commissions contract and wrongful termination. The jury returned a complete defense verdict in favor of his client.
Most recently, Jon was lead trial counsel in the decertified class action case of Williams, et al. v. Starcrest Products of California, Inc. (Riverside County Superior Court 2007). (Prior to trial, the Court denied plaintiffs’ request for class certification of their unfair competition and labor code claims.) In the third week of trial, the 15 named plaintiffs dismissed their case in its entirety, and received no award of damages. Due to the nature of the case and the number of claimants, the Starcrest matter is one of the few cases of its kind that has proceeded to trial in California.
Jon also previously served as a Deputy District Attorney. While working for the District Attorney’s office, he successfully tried and prosecuted numerous criminal cases, and worked closely with law enforcement during the Government’s investigation of those matters. Since leaving the Office of the District Attorney, Jon has represented companies and individuals in connection with civil and criminal Government investigations. Previously, for example, Jon represented a national chemical company in connection with a kickback scheme and fraud investigation. He has also represented companies and individuals in connection with investigations by the Department of Justice, Securities & Exchange Commission and local District Attorneys regarding the False Claims Act, trade secrets matters, alleged OSHA violations and securities matters. Currently, he represents a number of clients in connection with the Government’s active pursuit of claims involving the alleged backdating of stock options.
Immediately after law school, Jon served as law clerk to the Honorable Judge A. Andrew Hauk, Senior Judge and Chief Judge Emeritus, United States District Court, Central District of California (Los Angeles).
In law school, Jon won U.C. Berkeley’s James Patterson McBaine Honors Moot Court Competition and was the Senior Articles Editor of the Berkeley Journal of International Law. Also during law school, he worked for the Honorable Judge Saundra Brown Armstrong, United States District Court, Northern District of California (San Francisco). While in college, Jon was co-captain of the UCLA debate team that won two Cross-Examination Debate Association national titles.
Jon is admitted to practice in California and is active in the Los Angeles legal community. He is a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and the Mexican American Bar Association. Jon also currently serves as Chair of the Los Angeles office’s Pro Bono Committee, and was recently named to the Board of Directors of the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA).
Jon also serves on the Firm’s Associate Development Committee and Recruiting Committee.
Education
- University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, J.D., 1996
- University of California-Los Angeles, B.A., 1992
