J. Robert Renner practices in the areas of commercial litigation, insurance coverage litigation and copyright infringement litigation, and has represented clients in the entertainment industry. A member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, Mr. Renner is admitted to practice in all California state courts, as well as before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. District Courts for the Central, Southern, Northern and Eastern Districts of California. He has participated in arbitrations before the American Arbitration Association, the Independent Film & Television Alliance, JAMS and other institutions.

Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Renner served as a Deputy Attorney General for the California Department of Justice.

Mr. Renner is a 1990 graduate of the Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California at Berkeley, where he was a member of the California Law Review, and a magna cum laude graduate of Dartmouth College.

Areas Of Practice

Commercial Litigation
Insurance Coverage Litigation
Intellectual Property

Representative Matters

Currently representing the London insurance market in a declaratory relief action against BP America and Atlantic Richfield Company concerning the scope of a policy buyback agreement.
Lead attorney in the defense of a national clothing retailer against two federal court actions for copyright infringement in connection with fabric patterns on women's garments.
Lead California counsel in an action to enforce a $1.9 million Louisiana judgment against a motion picture production company in California.
Represented Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's, London in the deposition phase of a complex international insurance coverage action venued in New Jersey.
Represented the owner of the rights to a motion picture library (over 40 titles, including Terminator 2, Rambo: First Blood, and Basic Instinct) in highly successful state-court litigation against a domestic video distributor in a dispute over irregularities in participation accounting.
Obtained the dismissal of a $15 million dollar action brought by the City of Bakersfield against a major hotel operator.
Represented the copyright owner in a successful arbitration before the American Arbitration Association over the renewal term to the international distribution rights to a major motion picture.
Lead attorney in an action against a national restaurant chain for breach of a three-year supply contract.
As a former California Deputy Attorney General, argued the case of People v. Colantuono, 7 Cal.4th 206 (1994), before the California Supreme Court.

Professional Activities

California State Bar
Los Angeles County Bar Association

Admissions

California
U.S. District Courts for the Central, Southern, Northern, and Eastern Districts of California
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Education

University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law, J.D., 1990

California Law Review

Dartmouth College, A.B., magna cum laude, 1986

Experience

Duane Morris LLP
- Partner, 2008-present
- Associate, 2005-2007
Coudert Brothers LLP
- Senior Attorney, 2003-2005
- Associate, 1995-2003
California Department of Justice
- Deputy Attorney General, 1991-1995
Hon. Oliver W. Wanger, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California
- Law Clerk, 1991

Civic and Charitable Activities

Trustee of The Renner Foundation
Volunteer attorney for Bet Tzedek Legal Services

Honors and Awards

Recipient of Bet Tzedek Legal Services "Pro Bono Service Award" in 2000

Selected Publications

"Liability of Website Operators for Defamatory Postings by Third Parties," Global eCommerce Law and Business Report, February 2000