Jacob N. Foster represents both plaintiffs and defendants in complex litigation that includes contract disputes, consumer class actions, insurance recovery, and white collar criminal defense. He has first and second chaired trials, and has expertise briefing and arguing appeals.
Mr. Foster has particular expertise in class action lawsuits, including those involving health care, life insurance, disability discrimination, and unfair business practices. He has acted as the principal brief author and successfully argued class certification motions.
In white collar criminal defense cases, Mr. Foster has represented clients in federal and state investigations, pre-trial proceedings, trial, sentencing, and appeals involving a range of substantive areas including fraud, securities, and tax evasion.
Mr. Foster also specializes in federal appellate practice before the Supreme Court and lower courts. He has represented clients in both civil and criminal appeals, and appeared as an oral advocate on multiple occasions before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. In 2014, Mr. Foster achieved a significant victory in the Ninth Circuit case Merritt v. Countrywide, with the court specifically noting his “helpful argument” and establishing greater protections for homeowners under federal lending laws. He was interviewed by National Public Radio and other media outlets regarding the decision.
Mr. Foster previously served in the Immediate Office of the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court on secondment, where he worked on the investigation and prosecution of crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide around the world. He was profiled by the San Francisco Chronicle in the front page story “Seeking to Right Wrongs Against Humanity” and by the Daily Journal in the article “From Associate to War Crimes Prosecutor.” He has spoken about the investigation and prosecution of atrocity crimes at Stanford Law School, Yale University, the American Bar Association, the World Affairs Council, and the Commonwealth Club of San Francisco.
Mr. Foster also successfully tried a number of criminal misdemeanor jury trials while previously serving on secondment as a specially appointed Deputy District Attorney in the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Compton Branch.
Mr. Foster was recognized as a “Lawyer on the Fast Track” by The Recorder in 2013 and named a Northern California Super Lawyers “Rising Star” in the practice areas of Appellate, General Litigation, and Criminal Defense: White Collar, in 2012-2014.
