About Steven Strauss

Steve Strauss is a first chair trial lawyer in Cooley’s global litigation department with 35 years of experience
achieving trial verdicts and settlements in excess of $10 billion. Steve is one of the country’s most sought
after trial lawyers for complex commercial litigation, including business, intellectual property, environmental
and real estate matters.
Over the course of his career, Steve has been lead trial counsel for some of the most prominent companies
in the world such as Qualcomm and Kinder Morgan. Steve represents corporate officers and directors,
owners, developers, investors and high net worth individuals. He recently defended The Salk Institute in a
cutting-edge gender discrimination case and represented the family and estate of Junior Seau, NFL Hall of
Fame player, in the NFL concussion litigation. High profile clients like these seek Steve out for his practical
advice, persuasive courtroom advocacy and winning record in complex, contentious litigations that often
span several years.
Steve has received numerous accolades as a trial lawyer. He was lead appellate counsel in Union Pacific
Railroad Co. v. Santa Fe Pacific Pipelines Inc. et al., in which he secured a precedent-setting ruling that was
selected by the Daily Journal as one of the Top Appellate Reversals in 2014. In addition, this victory was
shortlisted by the Financial Times in its 2015 Innovative Lawyers rankings as one of the most innovative
courtroom victories that protected a client’s business over the past year. Steve also served as lead counsel
on Bee-Dee Investments v. Rady, which was selected as a Top Verdict by the Daily Journal. Steve is
recognized by the Daily Journal as one of the 75 Leading IP Litigators in California (2012, 2015) and as one
of the Top 100 Attorneys in California (2016). In 2015, The National Law Journal selected Steve for
its exclusive “Energy & Environmental Trailblazers” recognition. He is also recognized in Benchmark
Litigation’s legal guides and listed in Best Lawyers in America in the categories of Commercial Litigation,
Construction Law and Real Estate Law, and is named one of the Top 50 Development Lawyers by the Daily
Journal. Steve is consistently named as one of the Top 50 attorneys in San Diego by Southern California
Super Lawyers list in the category of Business Litigation and has been recognized as a Top San Diego
Attorney by the San Diego Daily Transcript. He has been named one of the 500 leading litigation lawyers in
America by Lawdragon and has received three Outstanding Trial Lawyer awards from The San Diego Trial
Lawyers Association. In addition, Steve was named one of the Top 50 Influential Leaders in in the San Diego
business community by the Daily Transcript, a top honor in the San Diego community.