Jennifer Romano is a partner in Crowell & Moring's Los Angeles office and is a member of the Litigation Group. Jennifer focuses her practice on defending companies against unfair competition and consumer class actions, and representing major retailers in litigation matters. She also represents financial services firms in FINRA arbitration matters. Jennifer represents clients as both plaintiffs and defendants in state and federal courts as well as in arbitration and mediation. Her clients include major retailers, internet companies, financial services and professional services firms. Jennifer was named by the Los Angeles Daily Journal in 2009 as one of the Top Women Litigators in California.

Prior to joining Crowell & Moring, Jennifer was a partner at Folger Levin & Kahn LLP. Previously, she served as a law clerk to the Honorable Mariana R. Pfaelzer, United States District Court for the Central District of California.

Representative Matters

• Representation of a national rental car company in defending against multiple representative and class actions alleging unfair competition, false advertising and statutory violations. Obtained judgment at the pleading stage in a putative class action filed in federal court alleging violations of federal and state constitutional rights and seeking several million dollars. The matter is currently on appeal before the Ninth Circuit.
• Representation of major retailers in disputes with landlords relating to cotenancy provisions, CAM charges, taxes and property damage. Won summary judgment in Orange County Superior court on behalf of a major retailer in a seven figure lease dispute with its landlord. Judgment included a right to back rent, rent abatement, prejudgment interest and costs.
• Defense of Yahoo! Inc. and its affiliates in consumer class actions, breach of contract claims, business torts and trade secrets disputes. Obtained defense judgment against putative class action claims challenging Yahoo!’s First Amendment right to determine the content of its search results.
• Successfully prosecuted a trade secret misappropriation lawsuit and FINRA arbitration claim against former employees and a competitor on behalf of a prominent financial institution.
• Lead counsel in over a dozen FINRA securities arbitration matters in California, Arizona, Idaho and Oregon on behalf of national securities broker dealers.
• Advising multiple clients, including financial, Internet and retail companies, with respect to the development and implementation of privacy policies, compliance with state and federal privacy statutes, and responding and objecting to third party subpoenas seeking private information about customers.
• Representation of a national residential real estate brokerage firm in an action brought for compensatory and punitive damages arising out of a consumer's purchase of residential property. After a three week trial, cross-appeals to the California Court of Appeals and a Petition for Review by the California Supreme Court, obtained defense judgment on behalf of client.

Education
University of California at Los Angeles, B.A. - political science, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa
University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, J.D., 1997 - Order of the Coif, Executive Editor of the Berkeley Women’s Law Journal

Affiliations
Admitted to practice: California

Memberships
Member, American Bar Association, Litigation section and Class Actions and Derivative Suits committee
Board Member and Co-Chair of Litigation section, Women Lawyers of Los Angeles
Member, National Retail Tenants Association 

Community Service
Volunteer, The Alliance for Children’s Rights

Publications
"The Center is Failing: What are Your Rights?," National Retail Tenants Association Tenants in Common Newsletter (October/November 2008 Issue). Author: Jennifer S. Romano.

"Taxes: Not Just a Simple Pass-Through," National Retail Tenants Association Tenants in Common Newsletter (June/July 2008 Issue). Author: Jennifer S. Romano.

Speeches & Presentations
"Co-tenancy Disputes," National Retail Tenants Association Conference (2009). Presenter: Jennifer S. Romano.

"Operating Costs and the Law, an Overview" and "Operating Costs and the Law, Case Study," National Retail Tenants Association Conference (2008). Presenter: Jennifer S. Romano.

"E-Discovery: Legislative Efforts to Manage the Burdens of Litigation," California Retailers Association Annual Meeting (June 2008). Presenter: Jennifer S. Romano.