McManis Faulkner, a leading Northern California trial firm, announces that Partner Elizabeth Pipkin was honored as one of the “Top 100 Women Lawyers in California” by the Daily Journal, California’s largest legal news provider. The listing highlights women attorneys in all legal practices whose work impacted and changed an industry, the law or society as a whole. Pipkin was selected from hundreds of nominations from law firms, nonprofits, universities and in-house counsel departments.
In making the selection, the Daily Journal highlighted Pipkin’s serving as lead trial counsel in the first successful challenge to a Government watch list since 9/11. The client, Dr. Rahinah Ibrahim, is a Malaysian scholar who lived for many years in the U.S. before her visa was revoked. Dr. Ibrahim alleged she was erroneously placed on the “no-fly” list and other U.S. government terrorist watch lists in violation of her due process rights. After eight (8) years of procedural wrangling, including two dismissals of Dr. Ibrahim’s case by the District Court and two reversals by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the case proceeded to a week-long bench trial in December, 2013. Following the trial, the same judge who had twice dismissed the case ruled in Dr. Ibrahim’s favor, ordering that her name be cleared. The District Court also made a public finding that the Government had conceded Dr. Ibrahim posed no threat to any aspect of U.S. national security.
The Daily Journal also highlighted Pipkin’s successful defense of Juniper Networks, Inc. against allegations of more than $65 million in damages relating to an asset purchase. Although a jury initially awarded some damages, the trial judge granted Juniper Networks’ judgment notwithstanding the verdict motion and threw them out. The judgment was entirely in favor of Pipkin’s client.
In her practice, Pipkin represents Fortune 500 companies, closely held businesses, charitable institutions, and individuals in a wide range of trial work, including trade secrets, complex commercial disputes, and personal injury cases. She also heads the firm’s civil litigation group and serves on the board of trustees of the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley, the largest provider of free legal services for those in need in Silicon Valley. Pipkin received her J.D. from Harvard Law School (2001) and her B.A. from Brigham Young University (1998).