Emily T. Kuwahara

Partner | She/Her/Hers

Overview

Emily Kuwahara is a partner in Crowell & Moring's Los Angeles office and is a member of the firm's Litigation Group. Emily has an active trial practice and is co-chair of the firm’s Appellate Group. She has represented defendants in a patent inventorship dispute, breach of contract actions, business torts, antitrust and consumer class actions, unfair competition law, products liability, and other complex business disputes. She has assisted plaintiffs and cross-plaintiffs in recovering over $500 million in business torts and contract actions relating to patent licenses and technology-related matters. Emily has also represented clients in criminal antitrust matters and grand jury investigations, particularly in Japan.

Emily is also active in the community. She has served as a long-time board member of the Japanese American Bar Association and is currently President-Elect, to serve as President in 2025. She was recognized as among the Most Influential Minority Attorneys in Los Angeles by the Los Angeles Business Journal in 2019, and one of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association’s Best Lawyers Under 40 in 2018. She maintains an active pro bono docket in both the trial and appellate courts.

Prior to joining Crowell, Emily was an associate with Folger Levin & Kahn LLP. Prior to joining that firm, she served as law clerk to the Honorable Milan D. Smith, Jr., U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. While in law school, Emily was an extern to the Honorable Kathryn Doi Todd, California Court of Appeal.

During law school, Emily served as a senior copy editor on the Law Review.

Career & Education

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    • Stanford University, B.S., 2002
    • Michigan State University, M.A., 2004
    • University of Southern California, Gould School of Law, J.D., 2007
    • Stanford University, B.S., 2002
    • Michigan State University, M.A., 2004
    • University of Southern California, Gould School of Law, J.D., 2007
    • California
    • Supreme Court of the United States
    • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
    • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
    • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
    • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
    • U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
    • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
    • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
    • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
    • U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
    • California
    • Supreme Court of the United States
    • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
    • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
    • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
    • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
    • U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
    • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
    • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
    • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
    • U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
  • Professional Activities and Memberships

    • Los Angeles County Bar Association
    • Japanese American Bar Association, Vice President
    • Asian Pacific American Women Lawyers Alliance, Lifetime Member, former Board Member

    Professional Activities and Memberships

    • Los Angeles County Bar Association
    • Japanese American Bar Association, Vice President
    • Asian Pacific American Women Lawyers Alliance, Lifetime Member, former Board Member
    • Japanese
    • Japanese

Emily's Insights

Firm News | 1 min read | 07.14.23

Lawyers of Color Recognizes Crowell & Moring Lawyers on Hot List and Wonderful Women List

Washington – July 14, 2023: Lawyers of Color has recognized four Crowell & Moring lawyers on its Hot List 2023 and two on its inaugural Wonderful Women list....

Representative Matters

Appellate

  • Represented The Regents of the University of California in the California Court of Appeal in a case involving taxpayer standing. Obtained affirmance of trial court dismissal on appeal. Case reported at Animal Legal Defense Fund et al. v. California Exposition and State Fairs et al. (2015) 239 Cal. App. 4th 1286.
  • Represented The Regents of the University of California in the California Court of Appeal in multiple appeals, following a bench trial ruling and summary judgment ruling in favor of The Regents. All trial victories were affirmed.
  • Represent pro bono clients in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in immigration matters and a 1983 action alleging the unreasonable use of deadly force. Also serve as a moot court judge for the Family Violence Appellate Project in cases brought in the California appellate courts.
  • Successfully obtained grant of final approval of class action settlements for national client and defended settlement against objectors at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Trial

  • Represented inventors in a highly contested patent inventorship bench trial involving a pharmaceutical compound in the Central District of California.
  • Represented a tech company seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages in a breach of contract action in California. Case settled.
  • Represented The Regents of the University of California and a professor in a dispute with a pharmaceutical company, Medivation, over control of a promising prostate cancer treatment drug invented and patented by The Regents. Prevailed in court trial on behalf of Regents, entitling Regents to $32 million in possible future payments pursuant to patent license. On summary judgment defeated all claims that The Regents failed to provide Medivation all contracted for patent rights. Affirmed on appeal.
  • Representing national retailer in consumer class actions in the Southern District of California.
  • Representing Japanese corporation and U.S. subsidiary in antitrust class actions in the Northern District of California.
  • Represent, on a pro bono basis, a coalition of over 60 organizations, led by Advancing Justice | AAJC (Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC), American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), and the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), and filed an amicus brief filed in the Northern District of California and Southern District of New York in an effort to stop the implementation of the “public charge” rule.

Emily's Insights

Firm News | 1 min read | 07.14.23

Lawyers of Color Recognizes Crowell & Moring Lawyers on Hot List and Wonderful Women List

Washington – July 14, 2023: Lawyers of Color has recognized four Crowell & Moring lawyers on its Hot List 2023 and two on its inaugural Wonderful Women list....

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Emily's Insights

Firm News | 1 min read | 07.14.23

Lawyers of Color Recognizes Crowell & Moring Lawyers on Hot List and Wonderful Women List

Washington – July 14, 2023: Lawyers of Color has recognized four Crowell & Moring lawyers on its Hot List 2023 and two on its inaugural Wonderful Women list....