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Arwen Johnson is a commercial litigator who delivers results in high-stakes cases.  She leads trials and regularly wins dispositive motions.  Arwen’s clients rely on her expertise in employment classification issues, discrimination and retaliation, sexual harassment, trade secrets, employee mobility, partnership disputes, copyright infringement and idea theft, the TCPA, defamation, attorney malpractice, and high net worth trust and estates litigation.  They also count on her extensive knowledge of emergency and provisional remedies, the anti-SLAPP statute, class action procedures, and post-trial motions and appeals.  

Arwen's publications and presentations include:

  • Speaker, “Powerful Women in the Courtroom,” Daily Journal’s Women Leadership in Law Forum, May 2019
  • Speaker, “Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis and Its Aftermath and Impact on Class Action Waivers,” Bridgeport Continuing Education, January 2019
  • Speaker, “Launching Your Career: Keys to Success in a Law Firm,” UCLA Law Women LEAD Summit, February 2017
  • Author, “Navigating California’s Parental Leave Laws,” California Minority Counsel Program, June 2018 (with Noah Perez-Silverman)
  • Author, “California's No Aid Clause and Religious Endorsement: Davies v. County of Los Angeles,” California Minority Counsel Program, July 2016 (with Kimberly M. Singer)
  • Author, “Overpriced Security? A Review of the SEC’s Proposed Rulemaking on ‘Pay-to-Play,’” American Bar Association’s Fourth Annual National Institute on Securities Fraud, October 2009 (with David K. Willingham and Jeffrey H. Rutherford)
Full Bio

Credentials

J.D., UCLA School of Law

B.A., Rice University, summa cum laude

California

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

Law Clerk, Hon. Harry Pregerson, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Law Clerk, Hon. Dean D. Pregerson, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

ABA Leadership, Judicial Intern Opportunity Program (JIOP), Regional Co-Chair for Los Angeles

California JNE Commission

California Women Lawyers

Delegate, LACBA California Conference of Bar Associations

Vice President, Advisory Board of the Western Center on Law and Poverty (2013–2016)

Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles

First Amendment Award, ACLU Foundation of Southern California


2017

Daily Journal, Top 40 Under 40


2017

Fellow of the Legal Council on Legal Diversity


2018

Southern California Super Lawyers – Rising Star in Business Litigation


2013–present

Up-and-Coming 50 – Women Southern California Rising Stars


2015–present

Up-and-Coming 100 – Southern California Rising Stars


2015–present

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Recognition

First Amendment Award, ACLU Foundation of Southern California


2017

Daily Journal, Top 40 Under 40


2017

Fellow of the Legal Council on Legal Diversity


2018

Southern California Super Lawyers – Rising Star in Business Litigation


2013–present

Up-and-Coming 50 – Women Southern California Rising Stars


2015–present

Up-and-Coming 100 – Southern California Rising Stars


2015–present

Matters

Won motion to compel arbitration on behalf of tech client of putative class action alleging misclassification of couriers and raising novel legal theories relates to COVID-19

Won nearly all claims tried to the jury in fraud, interference, and trade secret dispute between tech startup and government contractor

Won bench trial on claims involving an employee’s entitlement to Labor Code penalties by securing a nonsuit after the plaintiff’s opening statement—including the client’s attorneys’ fees, a rare employer win

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Close

Matters

Won motion to compel arbitration on behalf of tech client of putative class action alleging misclassification of couriers and raising novel legal theories relates to COVID-19

Won nearly all claims tried to the jury in fraud, interference, and trade secret dispute between tech startup and government contractor

Won bench trial on claims involving an employee’s entitlement to Labor Code penalties by securing a nonsuit after the plaintiff’s opening statement—including the client’s attorneys’ fees, a rare employer win

Won summary judgment in multi-million-dollar partnership dispute. The court’s order specifically complimented the “excellent briefing,” which ultimately led to a $350,000 fee award.

Won summary judgment on behalf of the film studio and filmmakers behind the blockbuster film trilogy The Matrix in a copyright infringement lawsuit

Won a permanent injunction against the County of Los Angeles in federal court, thereby preventing an attempt to include an overtly religious symbol on the County Seal. This case was highlighted as a signature matter by Law360

Defeated wage-and-hour and disability discrimination class action allegations in a twenty-count action brought by a former employee of a film studio client

Won summary judgment in a major case brought against a large energy company by a real estate developer alleging $50-100 million in lost sales

Defeated all claims at the pleading stage in multiple trust and estates litigations

Successfully prosecuted and defended multiple anti-SLAPP motions, at both the trial and appellate levels, resulting in complete victories

Favorably resolved multiple partnership dissolution actions and employment disputes on behalf of major corporations and small businesses

Matters

Won motion to compel arbitration on behalf of tech client of putative class action alleging misclassification of couriers and raising novel legal theories relates to COVID-19

Won nearly all claims tried to the jury in fraud, interference, and trade secret dispute between tech startup and government contractor

Won bench trial on claims involving an employee’s entitlement to Labor Code penalties by securing a nonsuit after the plaintiff’s opening statement—including the client’s attorneys’ fees, a rare employer win

See more

Close

Matters

Won motion to compel arbitration on behalf of tech client of putative class action alleging misclassification of couriers and raising novel legal theories relates to COVID-19

Won nearly all claims tried to the jury in fraud, interference, and trade secret dispute between tech startup and government contractor

Won bench trial on claims involving an employee’s entitlement to Labor Code penalties by securing a nonsuit after the plaintiff’s opening statement—including the client’s attorneys’ fees, a rare employer win

Won summary judgment in multi-million-dollar partnership dispute. The court’s order specifically complimented the “excellent briefing,” which ultimately led to a $350,000 fee award.

Won summary judgment on behalf of the film studio and filmmakers behind the blockbuster film trilogy The Matrix in a copyright infringement lawsuit

Won a permanent injunction against the County of Los Angeles in federal court, thereby preventing an attempt to include an overtly religious symbol on the County Seal. This case was highlighted as a signature matter by Law360

Defeated wage-and-hour and disability discrimination class action allegations in a twenty-count action brought by a former employee of a film studio client

Won summary judgment in a major case brought against a large energy company by a real estate developer alleging $50-100 million in lost sales

Defeated all claims at the pleading stage in multiple trust and estates litigations

Successfully prosecuted and defended multiple anti-SLAPP motions, at both the trial and appellate levels, resulting in complete victories

Favorably resolved multiple partnership dissolution actions and employment disputes on behalf of major corporations and small businesses

Credentials

J.D., UCLA School of Law

B.A., Rice University, summa cum laude

California

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

Law Clerk, Hon. Harry Pregerson, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Law Clerk, Hon. Dean D. Pregerson, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

ABA Leadership, Judicial Intern Opportunity Program (JIOP), Regional Co-Chair for Los Angeles

California JNE Commission

California Women Lawyers

Delegate, LACBA California Conference of Bar Associations

Vice President, Advisory Board of the Western Center on Law and Poverty (2013–2016)

Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles

First Amendment Award, ACLU Foundation of Southern California


2017

Daily Journal, Top 40 Under 40


2017

Fellow of the Legal Council on Legal Diversity


2018

Southern California Super Lawyers – Rising Star in Business Litigation


2013–present

Up-and-Coming 50 – Women Southern California Rising Stars


2015–present

Up-and-Coming 100 – Southern California Rising Stars


2015–present

Close

Recognition

First Amendment Award, ACLU Foundation of Southern California


2017

Daily Journal, Top 40 Under 40


2017

Fellow of the Legal Council on Legal Diversity


2018

Southern California Super Lawyers – Rising Star in Business Litigation


2013–present

Up-and-Coming 50 – Women Southern California Rising Stars


2015–present

Up-and-Coming 100 – Southern California Rising Stars


2015–present