Rollin B. Chippey, II is a partner in Morgan Lewis's Litigation Practice. Mr. Chippey led Morgan Lewis's trial team in its representation of Asahi Kasei Pharma Corp., where he and his partners obtained a $577 million verdict for Asahi after a three-month jury trial in California state court in the spring of 2011. The verdict was the second largest jury verdict in the United States for 2011. In 2014, after the California Supreme Court declined to review the verdict, Mr. Chippey was named by the American Lawyer as its “Litigator of the Week” for his management of the trial team.
Mr. Chippey's practice includes broad civil litigation representations in state and federal courts, including complex commercial matters, trade secrets, and employment disputes, as well as a full range of real estate matters.
Mr. Chippey’s trial experience includes bench and jury trials in both state and federal courts involving such matters as misappropriation of trade secrets, breach of an option agreement to purchase real property, breach of contract claims in connection with large military procurement contracts, breach of lease issues, mortgage banking-related issues, manufacturers of polyurethane applications, claims of trademark infringement and antitrust violations, landlord-tenant disputes, and claims regarding a stock option plan. His employment litigation experience includes defense of employers in complex wrongful termination, sexual harassment, and racial discrimination cases. He also has successfully briefed and argued a number of matters before the California Court of Appeal.
Mr. Chippey’s experience in class action litigation includes defending a national oil company in a case alleging race and sex discrimination. He also has represented an insurance company in a case where a class was seeking the imposition of penalties for the failure to return certain monies to tenants
Mr. Chippey has also been involved in many engagements where there were issues, claims and/or proceedings were being resolved in multiple fora including representation of a manufacturer of telephony equipment which involved disputes related to a license and technology transfer agreement requiring the initiation and participation in two federal actions and three American Arbitration Associations proceedings, representation of a multi-national gaming company and executives in related, complex matters that are the subject of litigation in the Nevada State Court, an investigation and inquiry by the Nevada Gaming Control Board, and the Department of Justice; and representation of the developer of a residential community which involved litigation before the Hawaii State Court, the federal district court in Hawaii and efforts before the County of Hawaii and the Hawaii State Legislature.
Mr. Chippey has a legal and technical background that includes work at a nationally prominent law firm and a law clerk position with Judge Nathaniel R. Jones, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
Mr. Chippey is a member of various national and local bar associations, including the Charles Houston Bar Association of Oakland and the Bar Association of the San Francisco. He is a former director of the Northern California Division of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers.
Mr. Chippey's civic involvements include his former service on the Board of NatureBridge, a national education organization introducing school children to the wonders of the natural world. He also served on the Board of Directors of Equal Rights Advocates and the Homeless Prenatal Program of San Francisco.
Mr. Chippey is admitted to practice in California and before all California state courts, the U.S. District Court for the Northern and Southern Districts of California, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
