RACHEL BLACK, Partner, born San Francisco, California; admitted to bar, 2001, New York; 2002, Washington.
Rachel S. Black is a partner in Susman Godfrey's Seattle office. Her practice focuses on high-stakes commercial litigation for both plaintiffs and defendants. Ms. Black has tried and managed cases in state and federal courts across the country involving a variety of claims, including contracts, fraud, accounting malpractice, patent infringement, and environmental remediation, among others. Please see below for highlights of Ms. Black's significant case experience.
Ms. Black's legal skills have been recognized by her peers. Beginning in 2004 and for five years thereafter, Washington Law & Politics selected Ms. Black as a "Rising Star" in the legal profession.
Ms. Black is also a powerful advocate for women and diversity in the Bar. In 2006, Ms. Black founded the Mother Attorneys Mentoring Association of Seattle, a specialty bar organization recognized by the Washington State Bar Association. The organization's goals include empowering and supporting mother attorneys and promoting their advancement within the profession. She currently serves as the president of the organization and is a member of the board of directors. Washington Law & Politics published an article about the organization in the Spring of 2008, available here. Since its founding, the organization has grown dramatically and has served to inspire the founding of sister organizations in other cities throughout the country, including San Diego and Honolulu. Ms. Black has also been a member of Susman Godfrey's diversity committee and is a former member of the Washington State Bar Committee for Diversity.
Ms. Black began her career at Susman Godfrey after serving as a law clerk to The Honorable Robert R. Beezer in the United States District Court for the Ninth Circuit and The Honorable Alan C. Kay in the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii. She is admitted to practice in both Washington and New York, in addition to the Ninth Circuit and the district courts of Washington and Texas. She received her J.D., magna cum laude, in 1999 from Cornell Law School, where she was a law review editor; her M.S. in educational psychology in 1996, and a B.A. in psychology in 1991.
Representative cases include the following:
Two-Way Media, LLC. v. AT&T Inc. et al. (W.D. Tex.) (2008 - present) (originally filed in S.D. Tex. as Two-Way Media LLC v. Akamai Technologies, Inc. et al.): Represent plaintiff in patent infringement suit relating to the streaming of audio and video content over the Internet; achieved favorable settlement with two defendants. Litigation against numerous AT&T entities is ongoing.
CLRB Hanson Industries, LLC et al. v. Google, Inc. (N.D. Cal.) (2008 - present): Represent nationwide class against Google for breach of contract, unfair competition, and false advertising relating to Google's AdWords billing practices and related disclosures. Obtained final approval of $20 million settlement in September 2009. Appeal currently pending before the Ninth Circuit.
In re: Chocolate Confectionary Antitrust Litigation (M.D. Penn.) (2007 - present): Co-lead discovery counsel for the direct purchaser plaintiffs in putative nationwide class action currently consolidated for pre-trial proceedings. Plaintiffs allege that defendants conspired to fix the price of chocolate.
Metropolitan Mortgage and Securities, Inc. and Summit Securities, Inc. v. PricewaterhouseCoopers, L.L.P. (E.D. Wa.) (2005-2008): Represented bankrupt financial companies against former auditor for breach of contract and accounting malpractice. Case settled for $30 million at start of trial.
Timeline, Inc. v ProClarity Corp. and Microsoft Corp. (W.D. Wash.) (2006-2007): Represented plaintiff in prosecuting patent infringement and contract claims against Microsoft and its wholly owned subsidiary. Case settled on confidential terms on the eve of trial.
Two-Way Media, LLC. v. America Online, Inc. (S.D. Tex.) (2004-2007): Represented plaintiff in patent infringement suit against AOL. Case settled on confidential terms during trial.
DeVetter v. Alex Brown Management Services, Inc., et al. (Maryland state court) (2003-2006): Represented 17 exchange fund investors in an action for fraud and negligent misrepresentation against the fund's managers. After the plaintiffs overcame the defendants' motions for summary judgment, the case settled for a confidential amount.
Novell, Inc. v. Microsoft Corporation (2004): Represented Novell, Inc. in developing antitrust claims against Microsoft and in negotiating $536 cash settlement of those claims before filing suit.
Alakayak v. British Columbia Packers, Ltd. (Alaska state court) (2003-2004): Represented a class of Bristol Bay salmon fishermen in a four-month antitrust trial in Anchorage, Alaska against seafood processors and importers. The settlements before and after a jury verdict in the defendants' favor totaled over $40 million.
Tauber v. Alaska Airlines, et al. (Los Angeles Superior Court) (2001-2003): Represented airlines in defense of a class action suit alleging violation of state labor law in connection with pilot applications for employment; case settled for nominal sum.
Union Station Associates v. Puget Sound Energy (W.D. Wa.) (2001-2002): Represented developer in suit to recover environmental remediation costs pursuant to state and federal environmental laws; case settled successfully following completion of discovery.
EDUCATION - University of California at San Diego (B.A., 1991)
- University of Nevada, Las Vegas (M.S., with honors, 1996)
- Cornell Law School (J.D., magna cum laude, 1999)
HONORS & DISTINCTIONS - Note Editor, Cornell Law Review, 1998-1999
- Law Clerk to the Honorable Alan C. Kay, United States District Court for the District of Hawaii, 1999-2000
- Law Clerk to the Honorable Robert R. Beezer, United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, 2000-2001
- Named a "Rising Star" by Washington Law & Politics for five years.
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