Overview
James Bo Pearl is a trial attorney who is recognized as one of the Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America. He is nationally recognized for his expertise in antitrust, First Amendment, intellectual property, and entertainment matters. From helping to obtain a $1.25 billion monopolization settlement for Advanced Micro Devices to quickly undoing a devastating federal trade secret injunction for a fintech provider, to getting pop star Kesha back to work, Mr. Pearl regularly leads large trial teams in clients’ most important disputes. In 2024, Mr. Pearl and his team won dismissal of two certified class monopolization class actions against Align Technology (makers of Invisalign) on the eve of trial in an important case involving the right of firms to interoperate with commercial partners of their choosing. The high profile, zero dollar defense judgment netted Mr. Pearl and his team The American Lawyer “Litigator of the Week” (runner-up) honors.
Mr. Pearl is regularly included in the prestigious Variety Legal Impact Report, which lists the most influential entertainment attorneys. The Legal 500 recommends Mr. Pearl as an "outstanding litigator." He is recommended in two categories: entertainment litigation and antitrust. The Recorder hailed him as a "Giantslayer" for his work in the Kesha/Dr. Luke litigation.
The American Lawyer nominated Mr. Pearl and his team for its Global Legal Litigation/Dispute Resolution Matter of the Year for their $3 billion antitrust summary judgment win for Samsung in the Optical Disk Drive case. In 2021, Mr. Pearl was recognized and profiled by The American Lawyer and Law360 for leading a stunning turnaround and dissolution of a devastating preliminary injunction against a fintech provider that turned to Paul Hastings after adverse rulings threatened its viability. The win was recognized as a 2021 Top Defense Verdict by the Daily Journal. In 2023, Mr. Pearl obtained dismissal at the pleading stage of seven different antitrust class actions against a leading real estate owner in a series of high-profile price-fixing cases.
Recognitions
- Named 2023 Antitrust Lawyer of the Year by Century City Bar Association
- Multiple Time American Lawyer Litigator of the Week (Runner-Up)
- Lawdragon, 500 Leading Litigators in America
- Named to Variety’s Legal Impact Report
- Recommended by The Legal 500 USA, Media and Entertainment: Litigation
- Recommended by The Legal 500 USA, Antitrust
- Recommended by The Legal 500 USA, First Amendment Litigation
- Named a "Giantslayer" by The Recorder for his work on Kesha litigation
- Winner, 2021 Top Defense Verdict
- Runner-up Lawyer of the Week, American Lawyer
- Member of Chambers-ranked Entertainment Litigation, Complex Litigation and Antitrust groups
Education
- Georgetown University Law Center, J.D., 1998 (Editor, Georgetown Law Journal; Equal Justice Foundation Scholar)
- University of California at Davis, B.A., 1994 (Frank J. Mesple Scholarship Recipient; White House Intern)
Representations
Mr. Pearl has led large teams of lawyers in industry transformative litigation, including:
Technology:
Mr. Pearl helped craft and execute a comprehensive antitrust litigation and regulatory strategy that propelled Advanced Micro Devices ascension in the microprocessor industry. The campaign involved a worldwide monopolization suit and related worldwide and domestic regulatory investigations. The effort resulted in a $1.25 billion settlement and wide-ranging injunctive relief. The historic settlement was one of the largest single-plaintiff recoveries ever reported, and the settlement capped a series of litigation and regulatory wins around the world, including the European Commission issuing a US$1.4 billion fine against Intel, the largest fine ever issued by the European Commission.
Mr. Pearl also led a large team representing Agilent Technologies in trade secret litigation against former employees accused of misappropriating valuable DNA synthesis trade secrets. The litigation resulted in a $22.5 million cash settlement for Agilent.
Sports:
Mr. Pearl led the team representing a leading boxing promoter in antitrust litigation that opened up sports broadcasting to free and open competition. The litigation led to prime time boxing from multiple promoters across networks and platforms.
Media:
Mr. Pearl led the representation of Kesha Sebert in litigation that ultimately propelled her return to the studio for the Grammy-nominated Rainbow album. The litigation raised historic challenges on behalf of artists seeking to record free of abusive working conditions.
Mr. Pearl led the defense of several idea theft cases involving tentpole properties like Zootopia and The Last Samurai resulting in full defense verdicts for his studio clients.
Further Representative Experience:
- Obtained dismissal of defamation claim for Real Housewives of Orange County star on anti-SLAPP motion.
- Obtained $78 million settlement for Beach Point Capital Management in fraud and breach of contract action, including payment of all attorneys’ fees.
- Represented Welterweight Champion Manny Pacquiao in Fifth Circuit. Argued appeal of successful terminating sanctions motion and prevailed in per curiam opinion.
- Obtained $450 million plaintiff-side settlement for an aviation client in a contractual dispute.
- Obtained $67 million plaintiff-side settlement for manufacturer in contractual dispute.
- Obtained $8 million plaintiff-side settlement for manufacturer in a distributor termination and copyright infringement suit.
- Obtained complete dismissal for Samsung in Lithium Ion Batteries Antitrust Litigation.
- Represented 14-year-old Salvadoran child in oral argument at Ninth Circuit and obtained new trial and successful reversal of deportation order.
- Won summary judgment for defendant in $40 million fraud, trade secret, and trademark action against a leading water product manufacturer.
- Won full dismissal of $80 million suit alleging tortious interference with prospective economic advantage, prima facie tort, and willful misconduct against a group of investment funds in New York Supreme Court.
- Obtained full dismissal of antitrust claims versus a leading airplane parts manufacturer on motion to dismiss.
- Represented a “Big Four” accounting firm and led a briefing team of several major law firms. Achieved dismissal of US$500 million corporate fraud suit at the pleading stage.
- Represented a motion picture studio in a price fixing and price discrimination suit brought against seven movie studios regarding revenue sharing in the home video industry.
Engagement & Publications
- Co-Author, "Are Vaccine Passports the Ticket to Packed Live Events?" SportBusiness.com (May 2021)
- Co-Author, “Golden Age of Defamation,” Law.com (March 12, 2021)
- Co-Author, “A Proposal for Group Licensing of College Athlete NILs,” Harvard Law School Journal of Sports & Entertainment Law, Volume 12, No. 1 (February 10, 2021)
- “The New US Antitrust Administration - How the antitrust landscape may change in 2021: Compliance risks in a Democratic Washington,” Concurrences (January 12, 2021)
- "How Do We Get College Athletes the Compensation They Deserve," Law.com (October 2020)
- “Breaking Down the Epic v. Apple Fight,” Lexology (September 25, 2020)
- “7 Keys To Drafting Effective Legal Briefs,” Law360 (August 20, 2020)
- “The Difficulties of Showing Pass Through in Indirect Purchaser Component Cases,” Competition (December 11, 2018)
- “Antitrust Class Actions After the Supreme Court’s 2015 Term,” Bloomberg BNA Antitrust & Trade Regulation Report (November 2015)
- “A Cost-Cutting Solution to the Discovery Burdens of Antitrust Disputes,” Competition Policy International (May 2013)
- “Antitrust Statute Of Limitations: A Limit Only In Theory,” Law360 (February 2013)
- “Expanding The Extraterritorial Reach Of US Antitrust Law,” Law360 (June 2012)
- “Survival of the Fittest - Aspen Skiing,” Law360 (April 2011)
- “Evidence Preservation Warfare; Ediscovery Lessons Learned from AMD v. Intel,” ACC Docket (September 2010)
- Co-Author, “Golden Age of Defamation,” Law.com, March 12, 2021
Involvement
- Board Member, Make-A-Wish Greater LA, 2013-Present (Board Chair, 2017-2019)
- Board of Directors, Kenley Jansen Foundation
- Georgetown University Law Alumni Board