Becca J. Wahlquist

An accomplished trial lawyer, appellate advocate, and leading and respected practitioner on consumer protection matters, Becca Wahlquist has a wide-ranging litigation practice defending Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 business in federal and state courts nationwide. Becca is the managing partner of the Los Angeles, California office. Complementing her consumer class action defense work with robust commercial litigation experience, Becca provides her clients with efficient and effective representation designed to protect their bottom lines. Becca is nationally recognized for defending cases brought under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA), state Unfair Competition Laws (UCLs) and False Advertising Laws (FALs), and other consumer protection statutes. In consumer class actions, Becca has amassed an impressive record of defeating class certifications, resulting in early resolutions that spare her clients from the costs and disruption of protracted litigation. In her consumer class action defense practice, Becca represents clients from a broad spectrum of industries, including banking and finance, manufacturing, satellite and cable, insurance and mortgage, franchising, restaurant and hospitality, telecommunications, retail and service, automotive, and real estate. The preparation, persuasiveness, and persistence that have facilitated Beccas success at the trial court level have also been instrumental in her effectiveness before appellate panels and in commercial arbitrations and business tort disputes. Her courtroom acumen earned Becca a 2008 California Lawyer of the Year (CLAY) award for her complex commercial arbitration work. She also consults with major U. S. companies about compliance with laws pertaining to advertising and communications. Becca values her pro bono work, including the 12 years she headed the appeals for an Alabama death row inmate. After her final oral argument before the Alabama Supreme Court led to a 7-2 order finding that her client was entitled to a new trial, her client was released from prison in June 2019. A frequent commentator on various legal issues, Becca was invited by the Senate Commerce Committee in May 2016 and by a House Judiciary subcommittee in June 2017 to provide testimony about the TCPAs impact on American businesses. She has also spoken on behalf of the U. S. Chamber of Commerce on consumer protection matters. Representative Matters Won summary judgment for many clients on TCPA claims, including for a worldwide manufacturer in multi-district litigation in West Virginia federal court, which order was affirmed after argument before the Fourth Circuit. See UTC Unit Escapes TCPA Suit Over Resellers Marketing Calls, Law360, May 19, 2015; see 4th Circuit Says Honeywell, UTC Not Liable for Sellers Calls, Law360, March 14, 2018. Another summary judgment won for a national bank when the plaintiff was found to be outside the zone of interest of the TCPA. See Garcia v. Credit One Bank, 2020 WL 4431679 (D. Nev. Jul. 31, 2020). Won denials of class certification for many clients, including for a national bank where the Nevada district court found common issues did not predominate, Bridge v. Credit One Fin., Corp., 294 F. Supp. 3d 1019 (D. Nev. 2018), and for a national manufacturing company where the Connecticut district court found the same. Gorss Motels, Inc. v. Otis Elevator Co., 2019 WL 1490102 (D. Conn. Apr. 4, 2019). Won decertification of certified nationwide class with finding by Florida Court of Appeals that Florida laws prevented non-injured Plaintiffs standing to sue. Pet Supermarket, Inc. v. Troy Eldridge, 360 So.3d 1201 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2023). Won dismissals of litigations for various reasons including lack of personal jurisdiction, Boger v. General Auto. Ins. Servs. Inc., 2020 WL 42713 (D. Az. Jan 3, 2020), failure to state viable cause of action, DeClements v. RE/MAX LLC, 2020 WL 3078365 (D. Colo. Jun. 10, 2020), existence of a valid arbitration provision, Thompson v. Isagenix Intl., LLC, 2020 WL 1432840 (D. Az. Mar. 24, 2020), and Pizarro v. Quin Street, Inc., 2022 WL 3357838 (N. D. Cal. Aug. 15, 2022). Oversaw nationwide settlements of consumer class actions when advantageous to client to do so, including for a national mortgage company that successfully settled claims with over 2 million consumers and an insurance company settling claims involving over 10 million allegedly illegal faxes. See Mortgage Lender Inks $6.3M Deal To End TCPA Class Action, Law360, February 7, 2020; Illinois Appeals Court Oks $23 M Met Life Fax Case Settlement, Law360, March 24, 2016.