Jeffrey H. Reeves
Jeff's practice is focused on handling complex business disputes in any forum. He represents companies and individuals in business and tort cases and class actions, including handling high-profile, contract, fraud, trade secret misappropriation, and defamation cases.
Jeff is currently lead counsel for over 30 counties and cities in Arizona, Missouri, Kansas and Maryland who are suing the opioid manufacturers and distributors seeking redress for the societal and financial ills that these local governments have suffered at the hands of those defendants (Judge decides Prescott's lawsuit against opioid companies will beheard in Arizona, Arizona Republic, Aug. 7, 2019; Prescott City Council Hires Law Firms for Possible Opioid Suit, Knau.org, Feb. 13, 2019; The Current Climate in Opioid Litigation, Lawyer Monthly, Nov. 2019). He also sits in an ex officio capacity on the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors for Insys Therapeutics, Inc. in the company’s Chapter 11 cases stemming from the nationwide opioid epidemic.
Jeff is also currently lead trial counsel for plaintiffs, the former CEO and senior management of Microsemi Corporation, in a high-profile defamation action against the company that acquired Microsemi in a $10 billion merger that closed in May 2018, and the senior management of that company seeking upwards of $100 million in damages. (Microsemi Executives Sue Microchip for Libel, Orange County Business Journal, Oct. 12, 2018; Microsemi Execs Sue Microchip, ElectronicsWeekly.com, Oct. 10, 2018). The trial judge denied defendants’ Anti-SLAPP motion and motion to dismiss the defamation claims, and the case is now heading toward trial in the United States District Court in Santa Ana (New Allegations Added to Microchip Lawsuit, Phoenix Business Journal, Apr. 18, 2019).
Jeff is lead counsel for the defendants in a $45 million breach of fiduciary duty action against the founder, CEO and other senior executives and board members of BioNutritional Research Group, the protein nutrition company that manufactures the popular PowerCrunch™ bars. He tried and won that case in Orange County Superior Court in 2017. (Meghann M. Cuniff, Shareholders Lose Suit Against Nutrition Technology Firm, Los Angeles Daily Journal, Jan. 30, 2018), and argued the appeal in January 2020 (view January 23, 2020 appellate arguments here).
Among his other recent matters, Jeff was part of the team that won summary judgment on behalf of Nike in a lawsuit filed by Oakley against golfer Rory McIlroy and Nike following Mr. McIlroy’s decision to sign an endorsement contract with Nike, ending his relationship with Oakley.
Jeff enjoys being of service. He is active in local charitable and community organizations, including serving on the Board of Hoag Charity Sports, Inc., the Hoag Irvine Advisory Committee, and recently served as the co-chair of the UCI Law Public Service Awards Dinner Committee.
Prior to joining Theodora Oringher PC, Jeff was a partner with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in Irvine, where he spent 26 years as a member of the Litigation Practice Group, including eight years as Partner-in-Charge of the Orange County office.
- Anti-Defamation League’s Marcus Kaufman Jurisprudence Award by Orange County Chapter of the ADL
Costa Mesa, California 92626-7109
