Bruce Abbott

Bruce A. Abbott is a litigation partner in the Los Angeles office of Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP. Mr. Abbott received his undergraduate degree summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa in 1988 from Pomona College, where he was also class valedictorian. Mr. Abbott received his law degree in 1991 from Yale Law School, where he was a senior editor of the Yale Law Journal. After graduating from law school, Mr. Abbott clerked for the Honorable William D. Keller, U.S. District Judge, Central District of California.

Mr. Abbott initially joined the firm in 1992, concentrating in the areas of complex business litigation and government investigations. Mr. Abbott left Munger Tolles between 1994 and 1996 to serve as a U.S. Special Prosecutor in Washington, D.C., where he was responsible for several major fraud investigations, indictments, criminal prosecutions and convictions surrounding the former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and various related individuals/entities.

Since his return to the firm, Mr. Abbott’s practice continues to focus on complex business litigation and governmental proceedings, including SEC and CFPB matters. Mr. Abbott is often retained to solve complicated interdisciplinary problems that include multiple pieces of civil litigation in multiple jurisdictions (particularly class actions), along with overlapping governmental investigations and regulatory proceedings.

Mr. Abbott is co-chair of the Professional Liability Practice Group. Key representations include:

• Professional Liability Matters
  • AM LAW 100 firm in a series of putative class actions, mass actions and multi-plaintiff actions filed in federal court and state court arising from the collapse of a securities firm allegedly involving several hundred investors.
  • AM LAW 100 firm in over 200 lawsuits filed across the United States in both federal and state court, including a series of putative class actions, involving various alleged tax shelter transactions that received nationwide press coverage.
  • AM LAW 100 firm in alleged malpractice concerning a $20 million+ entertainment venture; case dismissed with prejudice at the pleading stage for plaintiff failing to observe corporate formalities.
  • AM LAW 100 firm in alleged malicious prosecution action; case dismissed with prejudice following a two week bench trial.
• Complex Business Litigation
  • Fortune 50 technology company in defeating a series of multi-hundred million dollar unfair business practices class actions across the United States involving video gaming consoles.
  • National Home Builder in two federal court RICO, RESPA, TILA and Unfair Business Practices class actions alleging over $150 million in damages; cases dismissed following collapse of class certification.
  • National Home Builder in defeating class certification in federal court action alleging over $150 million in damages; case resolved following denial of class certification.
  • SIPC Trustee in obtaining a multi-million dollar trial verdict (plus attorneys’ fees) in a securities fraud action in federal court.
  • Fortune 400 business founder in obtaining a nine-figure settlement in the middle of trial in Delaware Chancery Court.

Education:

• Yale Law School (J.D., 1991); senior editor, Yale Law Journal, 1990 – 1991
• Pomona College (B.A., summa cum laude, 1988) Phi Beta Kappa

Bar Admissions : California