Cheryl L. O'Connor

Cheryl O’Connor is an accomplished, first-chair trial lawyer with 25 years of experience in high-stakes privacy, consumer protection, and technology-related litigation, both civil and criminal. She represents companies and executives in government investigations, multi-district litigation, and class actions involving alleged violations of state and federal privacy laws, including the California Consumer Privacy Act, the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and wiretapping laws. She also defends clients in trade secret and economic espionage, unfair competition, and False Claims Act matters. Cheryl is an equally skilled appellate advocate and has argued before the Ninth Circuit more than a dozen times.

Cheryl previously served as an 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.

• The Legal 500 US, recommended for Intellectual Property — Trade Secrets: Litigation and Non-Contentious Matters (2017)
• Co-chair, ABA White Collar Crime Committee, Southern California Regional Subcommittee (2010-2014)
• Daily Journal's Top Women Litigators in California (2010)
• Attorney General's Award for Distinguished Service (2009)
• International Association of Chiefs of Police Civil Rights Award (2009, LA Metro Human Trafficking Task Force)