Kay Anderle

Kay Anderle is one of the region's top trial lawyers, with over two decades of expertise and over 100 jury verdicts. Kay began her legal career over 26 years ago as a prosecutor for the Orange County District Attorney's Office, where she spent 12 years. She was one of the most well-liked prosecutors on the team, and she was assigned to some of the most renowned trial teams.

Kay went into private practice in 2004, concentrating on white-collar criminal cases. Her negotiation and trial talents have earned her one of Southern California's most effective defense lawyers, and she has been named in The Best Lawyers in America for both white collar and non-white collar criminal defense on numerous occasions. Her versatility as a trial lawyer and smart negotiator provides her clients with a multi-faceted counsel capable of promptly assessing their case and devising a winning strategy.

Kay expanded her practice to include civil litigation about a decade ago. Kay assisted Ms. Keller in a commercial fraud trial in 2009, where the jury awarded $350 million, the biggest jury verdict in California at the time. She assisted Ms. Keller in the retrial of Mattel v. MGA, an epic doll war in which MGA was defending itself against copyright infringement and trade secret misappropriation accusations while also litigating its own trade secret misappropriation action against Mattel. The jury found MGA Entertainment guilty of copyright infringement and trade secret misappropriation and awarded MGA Entertainment $85 million in damages, plus $85 million in punitive damages and $139 million in attorneys' expenses.

She was co-lead plaintiff counsel in a corporate fraud trial in 2013, which resulted in a jury judgement of more than $3,375,000 in economic damages and more than $1,465,000 in punitive damages.

Since then, Kay has worked on cases involving shareholder oppression (which was resolved in her client's favor), allegations of human trafficking against a Saudi princess (which were all eventually dismissed), the successful defense of a claim that 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, which then-Attorney Jerry Brown dubbed "the largest corruption case in the history of San Francisco." The defendant was cleared of all counts after a nine-month jury trial. Kay is also defending a number of health care fraud charges brought by the Orange County District Attorney, and she has a unique skill in defending white collar cases in state court.

Education

• Southwestern University School of Law, J.D., graduated 1989
• Wake Forest University, BA, graduated 1983

Award List

Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers for:

• Criminal Defense: General Practice, Orange County (2015)

Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for work in:

• Commercial Litigation
• Criminal Defense: White-Collar
• Legal Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs

Awards:

• 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)