Jamie Keeton

As a litigator representing both plaintiffs and defendants in complex civil matters — whistleblower and employment retaliation, business litigation, personal injury, construction defect, and consumer fraud — I have taken more than 25 cases to trial, 20 of them to juries, and handled multiple appeals in state and federal court. That experience shapes how I approach a case from the first day: every strategic decision is made with an eye toward how it will play in front of a jury.

In July 2026, I served as trial counsel for five current and former University of California Police Department officers at UC Santa Barbara in a consolidated whistleblower retaliation trial in Santa Barbara County Superior Court. After years of litigation against the Regents of the University of California, the jury returned a $3.3 million verdict for the officers who had reported misconduct within their department. The case reflects the work I care most about — holding institutions accountable to the people who speak up inside them.

I am licensed in California, Nevada, Texas, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Washington State, and Washington, D.C., and have appeared in courts across the western United States. My practice has ranged from assault and battery claims at high-profile Orange County nightclubs to multi-million-dollar business and contract disputes.

On the plaintiff side, I have secured more than $18 million in settlements and verdicts, including a $1.52 million medical malpractice verdict recognized as a Top 50 California Verdict in 2020 and a $1.46 million fraud judgment that ranked among the Top 100 Verdicts of 2022. On the defense side, I have delivered jury verdicts and dispositive rulings that saved clients millions, including complete defense victories in multi-million-dollar construction and contract disputes. My firm’s strength in motion practice recently resulted in several federal court dismissals featured in the Daily Journal.

Representative Matters

◆ Signa v. Regents of the University of California (Santa Barbara Superior Ct. 2026) — Trial counsel for five current and former UC Santa Barbara police officers in a consolidated action under the California Whistleblower Protection Act, obtaining a $3.3 million jury verdict against the Regents for retaliation against employees who reported improper government activity.

◆ Doherty v. MacArthur Group (C.D. Cal. 2025) — Trial counsel defeating a $40 million fraud and promissory estoppel claim, with a verdict under $150,000.

◆ Flanigan v. Rheumatology Diagnostics Laboratory (Cal. Ct. App. 2024) — Lead appellate counsel securing complete reversal of a $2.28 million whistleblower judgment and fee award, reinforcing attorney-client privilege protections in employment law.

◆ Nahid Lahiji v. Providence Little Co. of Mary Medical Center (L.A. Superior Ct. 2020) — Plaintiff’s trial counsel in a wrongful death jury trial, resulting in a $1.52 million verdict and hospital policy reform.

◆ ADX Components v. SBR Construction (O.C. Superior Ct. 2016; Cal. Ct. App. 2017) — Lead trial and appellate counsel achieving a full defense verdict in a multi-million-dollar commercial contract dispute, and securing $134,000 in costs on appeal.

◆ Liday v. Sim (2019) 40 Cal.App.5th 359 — Trial and appellate counsel in a published wage and hour decision clarifying application of the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights and reducing liability from $400,000 to $72,000.