E. Desmond Hogan

Des Hogan, the Chambers-rated Head of our global Litigation, Arbitration, and Employment practice, has a track record of winning cases early, at trial, and on appeal.

Recently, he won the largest jury verdict in U.S. history (US$75m) in a wrongful conviction case. He also won a complete victory in the Uber Data Breach MDL in the Central District of California when the court dismissed a nationwide class action on precedent-setting standing grounds; defeated a TRO and secured dismissal of a health care class action in Georgia federal court; defended the Anthem Data Breach MDL in the Northern District of California; and secured dismissal of a false advertising class action against a food company in a widely cited Miami federal case.

Currently, he helps lead the defense of many Blue Cross Blue Shield plans in a high-profile antitrust MDL in Alabama, represents a pharmaceutical company in a federal class action, a health benefits company in a state court class action, and clients in congressional investigations.

He defeated class certification and a 10-figure damages claim in the In Re WellPoint UCR MDL; won a nationwide health care class action on summary judgement, upheld after his Eleventh Circuit argument; and took over a Ford case, winning class decertification and defeating plaintiffs' US$350 million+ claims through trial and appeal.

Des has represented clients in over two dozen congressional investigations on health care, data security, pharma markets, consumer products, and public corruption issues.

Des is committed to pro bono. He received national press attention when the Norfolk 4 – U.S. Navy sailors sentenced to life for crimes they did not commit – were exonerated. And he led a team that won a discrimination class action on behalf of 100+ black U.S. Secret Service special agents.

Des was a co-founder of our Diversity Committee, clerked for federal judge Wiley Daniel, and was valedictorian at Howard University School of Law and its first summa cum laude graduate.