Cyndie M. Chang litigates complex business and commercial disputes involving contracts, unfair competition, trademark, trade secrets, products liability, entertainment and real estate law. In addition, she has handled insurance disputes involving large, multimillion-dollar environmental, asbestos and toxic tort continuing injury claims.

Ms. Chang has represented many businesses, including Fortune 500 companies, and has obtained favorable results in trial and arbitration. Ms. Chang was named the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association ("NAPABA") 2010 "Best Lawyers under 40," awarded to 20 lawyers across the country. In 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013, she was named a "Rising Star" in Los Angeles Magazine's Super Lawyer Rising Star section, given to no more than 2.5% of attorneys in the state, and in 2012 and 2013 was listed in its The Top LA Women Lawyers. The Recorder named Ms. Chang a "2013 Lawyer on the Fast Track." Selections for the honor were based on attorneys? career achievements and leadership roles within their practice, organization and community. Ms. Chang was also named in the Lawyers of Color Inaugural Hot List, which honored 100 early-to-mid-career minority attorneys for excellence in the legal profession.

She is the President of the Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association ("SCCLA"), one of the oldest and largest Asian-American bar associations in the country. She is also an executive officer of NAPABA, as its Secretary, and was the Regional Governor for the Central District, which encompassed over ten minority interest bar organizations in Southern California. Ms. Chang has also participated in the American Bar Association's Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section ("TIPS") 2010 Leadership Academy, selected with a group of approximately 20 lawyers in the nation identified to be emerging bar leaders. Further, Ms. Chang was appointed as the Vice-Chair of the ABA-TIPS Business Litigation Committee and a member of the Standing Committee on Diversity in the Profession. In addition, she is her firm's office Pro Bono Coordinator and an inaugural Fellow to the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity ("LCLD"), a dynamic leadership training program comprised of high-potential attorneys from major law firms and corporations in the country. Ms. Chang has also served as a board member of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Los Angeles ("APABA"), a Vice-Chair of the ABA-TIPS Business Litigation Committee, and an appointed member of the ABA-TIPS Standing Committee on Diversity in the Profession. She also has been involved with the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, the California State Bar Breakfast Club and the Southern California Business Litigation American Inn of Court. Ms. Chang has also been featured in the Los Angeles Business Journal, the Daily Journal and other legal publications.

Ms. Chang previously served as judicial extern to the Honorable Stephen Reinhardt of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Ms. Chang is a graduate of Loyola Law School, where she was a published Note and Comment Editor for the Entertainment Law Review, the Student Editor of the ABA Student Lawyer national magazine and a member of the National Moot Court Team and Scott Moot Court Honors Board. She previously was a member of the ABA Law Student Division Board of Governors, a liaison to the ABA Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession and an elected officer of the Loyola Student Bar Association. Further, Ms. Chang is a graduate, with honors, of Johns Hopkins University and was awarded the Senior Leadership Award for her class and the Multicultural Student Affairs Award. She was elected into the academic honor societies of Pi Sigma Alpha for Political Science, Psi Chi for Psychology, and the Order of Omega. Ms. Chang served as the chair of the Inter-Asian Council, chair of Asian Awareness Month, and the convocation speaker for Black History Month. She also obtained the National Leadership Award in her sorority and the Louis Azrael Fellowship for writing excellence.

In the community, Ms. Chang has served on the Board of Directors for the Asian Pacific Community Fund ("APCF"), a non-profit organization that supports Asian Pacific Islander communities in need and generates funding for 29 affiliate agencies in Southern California. Ms. Chang is also a licensed California Real Estate Broker.

Representative Matters

• Obtained decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit that affirmed a district court's decision to remand its declaratory judgment action to state court and to dismiss the case pursuant to the Colorado River doctrine. R.R. Street & Co. Inc. v. Transport Insurance Co., 656 F.3d. 966 (9th Cir. Sept. 2, 2011).
• Counsel for lead party in a multimillion-dollar environmental coverage action arising from perchloroethylene ("PCE") contamination. Briefings addressed novel issues under California law regarding coverage for the settlement of punitive damage claims and an excess insurer's duty to defend.
• Obtained a jury verdict in favor of Starpoint USA, Inc. d/b/a Daewoo Motor America, Inc., a former corporate subsidiary of defendant Daewoo Motor Co., Ltd. (Daewoo Korea), in its action seeking defense and indemnity for products liability pursuant to the parties' agreement.
• Representation of corporations, including publicly traded companies and Fortune 500 companies, in contract, indemnity, licensing, trade secret and commercial lease disputes.
• Representation of national restaurant chains in local commercial litigation disputes; Prevailed at binding arbitration on behalf of national fast food chain against a $8.6 million claim for damages. See West's Trial Digest, 2 TD 13th 25.
• Representation of major oil company in eminent domain matters.
• Representation of companies in environmental liability disputes.
• Representation of insurance companies in complex coverage claims arising out of environmental contamination and/or injuries against product manufacturers and distributors.

Admissions

• California
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
• U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California

Education

• Loyola Law School Los Angeles, J.D., 2003
• The Johns Hopkins University, B.A., with honors, 2000

Honors / Awards

• Named a Top 50 California "Lawyer on the Fast Track" by The Recorder, 2013
• Named in the inaugural "Hot List" by the Lawyers of Color, 2013
• Elected as Secretary to NAPABA Board of Governors
• Named National Asian Pacific American Bar Association ("NAPABA") 2010 "Best Lawyers under 40"
• Named a "Rising Star" in Los Angeles Magazine's Super Lawyer Rising Star section, 2010-2013
• Listed in The Top LA Women Lawyers, 2012
• Fellow to the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity ("LCLD"), 2011
• Graduate of the American Bar Association's Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section ("TIPS") Leadership Academy, 2010
• Graduate of the International Association of Defense Counsel ("IADC") Trial Academy
• Graduate of the Committee of 100 ("C100") Leadership and Mentorship Program, 2010-2011
• Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association President's Award for outstanding service and commitment to association
• Scott Moot Court Honors Board, Top Ten Brief
• Women Lawyers of Long Beach, Scholarship Recipient
• Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association, Scholarship Recipient

Publications

• Featured in "Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association: Developing a New Generation of Leaders," Diversity & the Bar, January/February 2013
• "Exploring Internet Privacy Through Cable Broadband Struggles; ISPs Walk a Fine Line Between Privacy and Security," Loyola Entertainment Law Review

Speaking Engagements

• Panelist, Duane Morris Diversity Retreat, "Leadership Competencies," Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 2012
• Speaker, Committee of 100 Gala, Pasadena, California, April 19, 2012
• Co-Moderator and Co-Chair, "Acting for Lawyers II" workshop, 23rd Annual NAPABA Annual Convention, Atlanta, Georgia, November 2011
• Co-Moderator and Co-Chair, "Acting for Lawyers" workshop, 22nd Annual NAPABA Convention INSPIRE, Los Angeles, California, November 2010
• Panelist, Duane Morris Annual Retreat, "Examples of Successful Marketing," Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, October 2010
• Panelist, Duane Morris Diversity Retreat, "Balancing Responsibilities: Are Law Firms Doing Enough to Promote/Recruit Lawyers of Color to Partnership? How Can Corporate America Help?" Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 2009
• Panelist, Duane Morris Annual Retreat, Insurance Practice, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, October 2008
• Speaker, Duane Morris Diversity Retreat, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 2008
• Speaker, Career Workshop, Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, California, January 2008
• Moderator and Chair, "Phoenix Rising," full day CLE program presented by the Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association, Loyola Law School, October 2007
• Panelist, Duane Morris Annual Retreat, Marketing and Business Development Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, October 2007
• Panelist, Duane Morris Diversity Retreat, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 2007
• Presenter, "Pellicano: How Do You Hire and Supervise Private Detectives, and What Happens When Things Go Wrong?" MCLE presentation for the Southern California Business Litigation Inn of Court, Los Angeles, California, October 2006 - Received Circle of Excellence Award from the American Inns of Court for placing second in Top Programs of 2007