Fred Norton

Partner
Oakland

t: 510 874 1007
f: 510 874 1460

fnorton@bsfllp.com

Area of Practice

Education

New York University School of Law, J.D., magna cum laude, 1999; Order of the Coif; Senior Articles Editor, NYU Law Review

University of Dayton, B.A., cum laude, History, 1993

Clerkships

Hon. M. Blane Michael, United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, 1999-2000

Admissions

New York and California

United States Courts of Appeals: Ninth Circuit

United States District Courts: Central, Eastern, Northern, and Southern Districts of California

Fred Norton's main practice area is complex commercial litigation. Mr. Norton has represented clients in state and federal trial and appellate courts and in arbitration proceedings, in complex commercial litigation matters involving antitrust, securities, fraud, and investigations by federal regulators.

Mr. Norton’s representative matters include defense of a telecommunications technology company and its individual directors in fraud and breach of fiduciary duty claims brought by the company senior managers and minority shareholders; representation of a high net worth individual in a securities fraud case against a major bank that resulted in the successful Second Circuit appeal, Caiola v. Citibank, N.A., 295 F.3d 312 (2d Cir. 2002) (redefining a “security” to include synthetic options); defense of a Fortune 100 manufacturing company in federal criminal investigations and civil litigation arising from alleged price-fixing; representation of plaintiff technology company in antitrust litigation alleging the defendant’s monopolization of markets for cell phone chipsets and technology; representation of plaintiff aerospace company in antitrust litigation against the two dominant firms for the provision of satellite launch services; defense of a large telecommunications company against monopolization claims brought in Texas state courts; representation of plaintiff class in an antitrust lawsuit brought against the two largest participants in the market for auction services for alleged price-fixing; representation of defendant technology company in a securities fraud class action; and representation of the daughter of a deceased billionaire in claims alleging misappropriation of trust assets, fraud, and breach of fiduciary duty. Mr. Norton has also represented a major telecommunications company in pre-merger review before the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission.

In March 2006, Mr. Norton successfully defended a client in a three-week jury trial in California state court against claims of fraud, negligent misrepresentation, and breach of contract arising from the sale of a business. The verdict was a complete victory for the firm’s client, which was also awarded 100% of its attorneys’ fees.

Selected Publications

Assisted Reproduction and the Frustration of Genetic Affinity: Interest, Injury, and Damages, 74 N.Y.U. L. Rev. 793 (1999)