Top Verdict has named the $3.2 million award in a housing discrimination class action lawsuit filed by Fish & Richardson and the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley as one of the top 50 settlements in California for 2017.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of 180 disabled individuals against the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Clara (HACSC), also resulted in an award of $712,500 in attorneys’ fees and costs. Fish represented the disabled individuals pro bono and donated its share of the fee award to the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley.
The case, which landed at number 33 on Top Verdict’s list of 50, set an important legal precedent stating that housing authorities cannot adopt a blanket policy considering a living room as a bedroom when reviewing a reasonable accommodation request for an extra bedroom for a disabled household member.
Jon Lamberson, a principal in Fish’s Silicon Valley office, served as lead counsel for Fish. Other Fish team members included principal Michael Headley and associates Bryan Basso, Emily Garff, Alana Mannigé, and Meghana RaoRane.
The Law Foundation of Silicon Valley team was led by Kyra Kazantzis, who was joined by Nadia Aziz, Kara Brodfuehrer, Annette Kirkham, Melissa Morris, Thomas Zito, Judy Wong, and Matthew Warren.
The Law Foundation of Silicon Valley advances the rights of under-represented individuals and families in its diverse community through legal services, strategic advocacy and educational outreach.
Top Verdict recognizes attorneys and law firms based on factual achievements. Top Verdict lists are generated based on extensive research. Sources include court records, electronic submissions by attorneys and major legal publications.
Fish & Richardson is a global intellectual property firm offering patent prosecution, counseling, and litigation; trademark and copyright prosecution, counseling, and litigation; and commercial litigation services. Established in 1878, and now with more than 400 attorneys and technology specialists in the U.S. and Europe, our success is rooted in our creative and inclusive culture, which values the diversity of people, experiences, and perspectives. Fish is the No. 1 ranked U.S. patent litigation firm, handling nearly three times as many cases as our nearest competitor; a powerhouse patent and trademark prosecution firm; a top-tier trademark and copyright litigation firm; and the most-active firm at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Fish continues to win cases worth billions in controversy – often by making new law – for the world’s most innovative and influential technology leaders. In addition to its expertise in intellectual property law, Fish boasts a robust pro bono program, and encourages all of its legal professionals to take on pro bono matters as part of their professional lives. In 2017, Fish lawyers contributed an average of 57 pro bono hours representing clients on a range of public interest matters, leveraging its greatest resource – Fish attorneys – to address unmet civil justice needs. For more information, visit fr.com or follow us at @FishRichardson.