Victoria L. Cook

Southern California 2011

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Victoria Cook's favorite legal habitat is the courtroom. She has successfully handled complex commercial and class action cases for plaintiffs and defendants across the United States. Victoria's practice focuses on intellectual property, securities, antitrust, breach of contract, wage and hour, class actions, and a bit of family law. Whether representing plaintiffs or defendants, Victoria's work is defined by her attention to detail, creative thinking, and around-the-clock dedication to her clients.

Victoria has been trying cases, or preparing to try them, ever since joining Susman Godfrey following her federal clerkship. Victoria's most recent trial ended on May 23, 2011 when a federal jury in the Eastern District of Texas awarded her client $23 million. In Fractus v. Samsung, Victoria represented patentholder Fractus, a Spanish company that invented certain internal antennas for cell phones. Fractus accused Samsung of infringing its patents; Samsung contested infringement and the validity of the patents. Samsung asked for a royalty of only 1 cent per phone, if the jury found infringement. The jury found for Fractus and awarded over 35 cents per phone. Victoria handled the damages portion of the case. The jury also found willful infringement, setting the stage for the Court potentially to award enhanced damages and attorney fees. Click here to read about Victoria's work on this trial.

In 2010, Victoria tried the first phase of the McCourt vs. McCourt divorce trial in Los Angeles Superior Court, where she represents owner Frank McCourt in this dispute over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Her work in that trial was recently profiled in the cover story of California SuperLawyers magazine. Click here to read the article. During the trial, Victoria examined a key witness and delivered part of the closing argument, which you can read about here and here . Victoria also appeared on Fox 11 evening news to discuss the Court's ruling on the first phase of the trial and next steps. Click here to watch.

Between 2005 and 2008, Victoria tried to verdict three large wage and hour class actions brought against one of the world's largest retailers. In 2005, Victoria defended the retailer in a four month long class action jury trial in Oakland, California. The client then appointed Susman Godfrey as national trial counsel for all wage and hour class actions. Victoria has since tried two more of these cases to verdict. In 2010, Victoria defended the same retailer in a class action brought by the EEOC alleging gender discrimination.

Victoria has also tried other types of cases. In 2004, Victoria tried a four week bench trial in New Orleans bankruptcy court on behalf of Equitas, Ltd. and other participants in the London insurance market. The matter settled after trial for less than the clients' reserves. She also represented the London market in coverage litigation in Corpus Christi, Texas. Click here to read a recommendation letter from Equitas.

Victoria's ability to try complex cases also has achieved great results for clients without trial. On the defense side, she recently represented RealNetworks in a putative class action alleging copyright infringement brought against the company and other major online music providers. She settled the case for a confidential amount prior to class certification. Victoria has defended Amazon.com against patent infringement claims relating to web site shopping cart technology. That case settled days before trial. In 2004, Victoria and Steve Susman successfully defended the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and then-Puerto Rico Secretary of Justice Anabelle Rodriguez in related suits brought by Texaco Puerto Rico and Shell Co. (Puerto Rico) Ltd. seeking antitrust injunctions. Click here to read a recommendation letter from the Puerto Rico Department of Justice.

On the plaintiff side, Victoria and Vineet Bhatia of Susman Godfrey obtained a $64 million settlement in 2007 on behalf of the class in securities litigation over the elimination of Genzyme Corp.'s Biosurgery Division stock. The case settled days before trial was set to begin in the Southern District of New York.

In addition to her fast-paced trial practice, Victoria takes seriously her duty as a lawyer to provide legal services to those in need. Victoria and other Susman Godfrey attorneys teamed with Barry Scheck and the Innocence Project to overturn the wrongful conviction and obtain the release of George Rodriguez, who was imprisoned in Texas for 17 years based on inaccurate forensic evidence. The case was profiled in USA Today, The Texas Lawyer, and The American Lawyer. Victoria has also represented immigrants seeking political asylum in the United States.

Victoria has been recognized multiple times by H Texas Magazine as a "Lawyer on the Fast Track" and voted by her peers as a " Rising Star" in SuperLawyers magazine.

Victoria is admitted to both the State Bar of California and State Bar of Texas. She and her husband David Orozco, also a Susman Godfrey partner, live in Los Angeles with their two English Springer Spaniels.

University of Houston (B.A. with University Honors and Honors in Major, magna cum laude)
University of Texas School of Law (J.D., with honors)

Law Clerk to The Honorable Lee H. Rosenthal, United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas

• University of Texas Chancellors
• Order of the Coif
• Associate Editor, Texas Law Review

• Author: Note, Life in Prison Without A Trial: The Indefinite Detention of Immigrants in the United States, 79 Tex. L. Rev. 769
• Resolving Human Rights Violations of Past Regimes: Argentina's Policy Choices, 1983-1990 (Univ. of Houston Honors Thesis)