Kay Anderle
PRACTICE AREAS
- Trials
- Commercial Litigation
- Class Actions
- White Collar Criminal Defense
- Criminal Defense
EXPERIENCE
With over two decades of experience and 100 cases to jury verdict, Kay Anderle is among the region’s leading trial attorneys. Kay began her legal career over 26 years ago in the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, where she spent 12 years prosecuting criminal cases. She was one of its most respected prosecutors, and was assigned to several of its most prestigious trial units.
In 2004 Kay entered private practice, focusing on white collar criminal cases. Her negotiation and trial skills have made her one of the most effective defense lawyers in Southern California, for which she has been repeatedly recognized in The Best Lawyers in America, both in white collar and non-white collar criminal defense. Her versatility as a trial attorney and skilled negotiator gives her clients a multi-dimensional advocate who can quickly assess their case and devise a winning strategy.
Around a decade ago Kay broadened her practice to include civil litigation. In 2009, Kay worked with Ms. Keller in a business fraud trial in which the jury awarded $350 million, the largest jury verdict in California that year. In 2011, she worked with Ms. Keller in the retrial of the epic doll battle Mattel v. MGA, in which MGA was defending against copyright infringement and trade secret misappropriation claims and prosecuting its own trade secret misappropriation action against Mattel. The jury rejected all of Mattel’s claims of copyright infringement and trade secret misappropriation and awarded $85,000,000 in damages to MGA Entertainment; the judge added another $85 million in punitive damages and $139 million in attorneys’ fees. (Although the judgment was reversed on appeal, the attorneys’ fee award remained.)
In 2013, she was co-lead plaintiff counsel on a business fraud trial which resulted in a jury award of over $3,375,000 in economic and over $1,465,000 in punitive damages.
Since that time Kay has worked on cases involving shareholder oppression (settled favorably to her client), allegations of human trafficking against a Saudi princess (all eventually dismissed), successful defense of a claim her client breached a $1 billion oral partnership for real estate investment, and a white collar criminal case alleging bribery of public officials by a developer that then-Attorney Jerry Brown called “the largest corruption case in the history of San Bernardino County, and possibly California.” After a nine-month jury trial the defendant was acquitted of all charges. Kay is also focused on defending a number of health care fraud cases brought by the Orange County District Attorney, and has special expertise in defense of state court white collar cases.
Kay is also managing partner of the firm.
- Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America (by invitation only, limited to top %BD of 1 percent of lawyers nationally)
- Litigation Counsel of America, Mesereau Cup for Outstanding Criminal Defense Lawyer, 2015-2016
- Los Angeles Magazine, “Southern California Superlawyers, White Collar Criminal Defense” (2015-2017)
- Listed in The Best Lawyers In America®, S. Naifeh & G. Smith (2011-17), White Collar and Non White Collar Criminal Defense, General Practice Criminal Defense; Orange County Lawyer of the Year 2014 (Criminal Defense: Non-White Collar)
- Life Member, Million Dollar Advocates Forum and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- National Trial Lawyers, Top 100 Trial Lawyers in California (2011-2014)
- California Lawyer Magazine, 2012 Lawyers of the Year, Honorable Mention (Litigation)
- OC Metro Magazine, Orange County%u2019s Top Lawyers for 2013 (criminal defense)
- Martindale-Hubbell %u201CAV%u201D rated, Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers
- Outstanding Prosecutor, Orange County District Attorney (1995)
Irvine, California 92612-1057
