Anthony Todaro

Representative Matters

• Defending German automobile manufacturer in putative nationwide class action alleging product defect and consumer fraud in connection with sales of specific models.
• Federal securities litigation on behalf of underwriters in connection with alleged misrepresentations made in an initial public offering
• Coverage and bad faith litigation defense on behalf of large insurer groups in various claims in state and federal courts in Washington and Oregon related to claimed damages from the COVID-19 pandemic 
• Class action wage and hour litigation for a franchisor in connection employee drivers at distribution centers
• Consumer protection and pyramid scheme allegations brought by the Washington Attorney General against an apparel designer and distributor
• Hotel franchises in connection with nationwide claims relating to trafficking of minors
• Various discrimination and BOLI matters under Washington and Oregon regulations
• Class action payroll litigation involving a provider of paratransit services
• A multi-month internal investigation conducted in three countries and involving the application of both foreign and domestic laws
• A health care provider in connection with alleged charity care violations at two of its hospitals
• A limited partner relating to the alleged breach of fiduciary duties in connection with the sale of the partnership interest
• An interstate trucking company in wage and hour class action litigation involving the application of rest and meal breaks in a piece rate compensation system
• A payroll services company in class action litigation involving the application of fees in connection with a paycard product
• A publicly traded pizza franchise in connection with alleged consumer protection violations related to marketing practices
• Directors and officers of a startup in a multi-week trial alleging fraud and breach of fiduciary duty
• A publicly traded health care organization in whistleblower claims relating to alleged false reporting
• A testing services company in a multi-week jury trial in a wrongful life/wrongful birth claim relating to a claim of negligence in the conduct of genetic testing
• An application delivery networking technology company in indemnity and related actions brought in connection with patent litigation.
• A developer in a dispute with a joint venture partner concerning the development of a mixed-use multi-family dwelling in the Roosevelt neighborhood
• Various defendants in a series of related cases involving claim of violation of online agreements in connection with the sending of unwanted emails
• A supplier of generic pharmaceuticals in multi-party products liability litigation related to claim of contaminated alcohol prep pads
• A business owner in a US$60 million claim brought under the Washington State Securities Act arising out of the purchaser's misstatements in connection with the acquisition of the business owner's company. The case settled for a confidential sum following a mediation
• A provider of Internet services, defending the company in indemnification action arising from a US$247 million judgment entered against its former CEO for violations of securities laws
• Purchasers of coffee stands in a an arbitration trial of claims brought under the Franchise Investment Protection Act. The arbitrator awarded our clients damages, attorneys' fees and a punitive multiplier
• A luxury yacht manufacturer, defending it in an arbitration hearing against claims brought by a golf champion arising out of his assertion that the manufacturer used photographs of yacht’s interior without the owner's permission
• An Internet company and directors/officers, defending in IPO/secondary offering consolidated class action cases. The claims were dismissed on motion, and, following successive appeals, the dismissal of most claims was affirmed by the Ninth Circuit
• A Hall-of-Fame professional football player, defending him in a fiduciary breach claim arising from alleged activities as an outside director of a company offering medically integrated health clubs. Our client was dismissed from the lawsuit without making a payment
• Three Internet companies, defending them in an anti-spam campaign launched by a multinational technology company. The case settled on favorable terms
• A widow as assignee in a bad faith claim against an insurance carrier for failure to defend. The case settled for a confidential amount
• The estate of a deceased Microsoft attorney killed in a Bellevue crane collapse. We obtained a confidential settlement for the estate on the eve of trial
• The plaintiff in a multi-week premises liability trial relating to serious injuries the plaintiff sustained following a roof avalanche outside a ski lodge. The jury returned a verdict holding the ski lodge liable for a proportionate share of the fault

• Band 2, Washington Litigation: General Commercial (2024)
• Band 3, Washington Litigation: General Commercial (2022 – 2023)
• Band 4, Washington Litigation: General Commercial (2020 – 2021)
• Up and Coming, Washington Litigation: General Commercial (2018 – 2019)

Additional Recognitions

Anthony serves as the Seattle Office’s Pro Bono Partner and is a member of the firm’s North American Pro Bono Committee.  He has participated in a number of pro bono matters, predominantly focused on the areas of domestic violence and firearms safety.  He has represented parties in connection with published appellate decisions both directly (see e.g., Smith v. Smith, Washington Court of Appeals, Division I, Case No.: 76247-8, October 30, 2017) and as amicus (see e.g., Rodriguez v. Zavala, Washington Supreme Court, Case No.: 93645-5, June 29, 2017).  Currently, the office is partnering with the King County Bar Foundation’s DV LEAD program and with firm clients on a variety of pro bono matters to address the sharp increase in domestic violence and associated need during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Author, "Merger-Related Litigation”, Shareholder Litigation in Washington, 2023
• Author, "Trade Secrets Audits: The Best Kept Secret to Protecting Your Company's Secrets", Puget Sound Business Journal, 2012
• Author, "Contention Questions Belong in Interrogatories, Not Depositions", Trial News, 2009
• Author, "Minority Shareholder Oppression", Litigation News, 2009
• Author, "Business Sale Gone Bad? You Might Have a Franchise Claim", Trial News, 2008
• Author, "Removal", Civil Procedure Deskbook, 2003

• Presenter, "Piece-Rate Compensation; Advantages, Challenges, and the Road Ahead," Washington Trucking Associations, 2019
• Presenter, "Ethics - Who Is Your Client: Navigating the Board vs. Senior Management," Association of Corporate Counsel, 2018
• Presenter, "Legal and Ethical Issues in Mobile Devices," Association of Corporate Counsel, 2017
• Presenter, "Mitigating Risk as You Grow Your Business," Multi-Unit Operator Franchise Forum, 2016
• Presenter, WSBA Business Law Section Midyear Update: "A Practical Guide to Updates and Trends in 2016"
• "We've Been Hacked," Litigation Management in a New York Minute, 2015