Dennis C. Crovella is special counsel to Cooley and is a member of the Litigation department. He joined the Firm in 2003 and is a resident of the San Diego office.
Mr. Crovella's practice focuses on general business litigation, real estate litigation, and securities litigation. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Crovella was a litigation associate at Klinedinst P.C. in its San Diego office.
Representative matters have included:
Obtained a unanimous jury verdict in favor of client Ernest Rady, a prominent San Diego business leader and philanthropist. Mr. Rady faced a lawsuit filed in 2009 by several family members seeking $272 million in damages over a purported contract to buy out their shares in American Assets, Inc., a family-owned corporation.
Defended one of the nation's largest residential apartment developers in a $20 million breach of contract and governance suit brought by a co-founder. Negotiated a "walk away" settlement in which the company paid nothing and obtained dismissal with prejudice of all claims against it.
Represented partners in an arbitration over buy out rights. The partnerships at issue owned several local hotels. A complete victory was obtained along with attorneys' fees and costs.
Successfully opposed writ of attachment proceedings involving a local residential developer.
Represented a high end residential developer in a financial accounting and management dispute with joint venture partner relating to a 500+ acre residential real estate development project with revenues in excess of $600 million.
Represents a diversified national commercial developer of hotels in numerous land use disputes related to its efforts to develop the a 3 million square foot, $1.3 billion mixed used development on the San Diego waterfront.
Member of team that obtained summary judgment on behalf of a managed care organization in major multi-district RICO class action consolidated in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, and brought by physician providers seeking billions of dollars in damages against the managed care industry.
Mr. Crovella received his J.D., cum laude, in 1997 from Washington and Lee University School of Law. During law school, Mr. Crovella served as an extern to the Honorable Roy B. Willett, Chief Justice and the Honorable Diane McQ. Strickland, Twenty-Third Judicial Circuit of Virginia. Mr. Crovella received his undergraduate degree from the University of California, San Diego.
Mr. Crovella is admitted to all State and Federal Courts of California. He is a member of the American Bar Association and San Diego County Bar Association.
