Erin Trenda

Erin is a skilled commercial litigator who represents companies and individuals in US state and federal court and in arbitration. Her cases involve contract disputes, trade secret and patent litigation, and other business tort claims. She has experience litigating all stages of a case, from discovery and motion practice through trial, post-trial motions and appeal. Erin also has experience representing companies in government investigations. Erin is an active member of the Cooley Women’s Initiative committee.

Erin has successfully litigated multiple arbitrations to final award. She has briefed winning motions to dismiss and motions for summary judgment in district court, and she has been on the trial teams for patent infringement trials in federal court and before the International Trade Commission. Her work also includes handling appeals before the California Courts of Appeal, the California Supreme Court and the Federal Circuit.

Erin’s recent representative matters include:

• Representing a social media technology company facing an investigation by a multistate coalition of state attorneys general
• Litigating trade secret claims in federal court for biotech company to protect its proprietary diagnostic technology
• Advising on pre-litigation and early dispute resolution for multiple clients on contract disputes and trade secret protection
• Obtaining a California Supreme Court ruling in favor of a client’s standing to continue to litigate fiduciary duty claims against former nonprofit foundation directors and a trustee, ensuring essential whistleblower protections for more than 110,000 charities across California
• Securing a complete arbitration win and resolving federal trade secret litigation to protect a client’s proprietary manufacturing process, including securing an award for $50 million in damages and injunctive relief in arbitration
• Obtaining an arbitration award entirely in favor of a closely held corporation and majority shareholder in a business dispute
• Representing a publicly traded company in arbitration over a contractual dispute and securing a favorable settlement
• Defending a top scientist and research institute against trade secret claims in district court and pursuing related contract claims in arbitration, which resulted in a favorable settlement

Prior to joining Cooley, Erin worked at a distinguished New York law firm on complex commercial litigation matters, where she was part of the trial teams for a jury trial in Texas state court and a bench trial in Delaware Chancery Court. In 2013, Erin adjunct taught a course on business torts at University of California, Irvine School of Law. 

While attending Harvard Law School, Erin was a member of the board of student advisers and a teaching assistant for the legal research and writing program. 

Erin is active in the San Diego community and currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the La Jolla Playhouse.