Cheryl L.O'Connor

Partner

Irvine + 1.949.553.7505

Cheryl O'Connor is an accomplished, first-chair trial lawyer with 25 years of experience in high-stakes litigation, both civil and criminal. She represents companies and executives in government investigations and cases involving trade secret and economic espionage, unfair competition, False Claims Act, and consumer class actions. Cheryl is an equally skilled appellate advocate and has argued before the Ninth Circuit more than a dozen times. Prior to joining Jones Day, Cheryl served as a Assistant United States Attorney in the Central District of California, where she was the Deputy Chief of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section.

As a federal prosecutor, Cheryl directed law enforcement in grand jury and wiretap investigations, then prosecuted the resulting cases through trial and appeal. She was lead trial counsel on the largest human trafficking case brought in Southern California, for which she received the Attorney General's Award for Distinguished Service. Cheryl now advises companies on how to detect and eliminate the threat of human trafficking in their supply chain and services. She also helps companies conduct internal investigations, develop robust compliance programs, and defend against claims of fraud and abuse.

Cheryl is active in the legal and civic community. She serves as a Lawyer Representative for the Central District of California, co-chair of the Women in White Collar Defense (LA Chapter), and on the board of Project Youth-OCBF, a nonprofit dedicated to keeping Orange County's at-risk youth healthy and in school.

Experience

  • Tesoro wins summary judgment dismissing two consolidated antitrust class actionsAs lead counsel of Tesoro Refining and Marketing Company, a subsidiary of Marathon Petroleum Corporation, Jones Day won summary judgment in two consolidated antitrust class actions in which gasoline stations and consumers sought a combined $72 billion in treble damages.
  • Experian obtains dismissal of class actionJones Day, on behalf of Experian Information Solutions, Inc., recently obtained a complete dismissal with prejudice of putative class claims arising under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”) brought by a repeat plaintiffs’ firm on behalf of Lynn Travers and a putative nationwide class.
  • Epicor obtains stipulated judgment, consent decree, and asset acquisition in copyright, trade secret, and intellectual property infringement suit against Alternative Technology SolutionsJones Day successfully obtained a stipulated judgment and consent decree on behalf of Epicor Software Corporation, a global leader in business software solutions, in an intellectual property lawsuit against Alternative Technology Solutions, Inc., which was filed in federal court in the Central District of California.
  • Additional Speaking Engagements

    • January 31, 2018
      Effectively Responding to Government Investigations, Jones Day MCLE University
    • January 24, 2017
      The Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016: What Does it Mean for You? Jones Day University