Trenton H. Norris
Partner Litigation, Arbitration, and Employment
Languages
English
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Overview
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Experience
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Credentials
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Insights and events
Trent Norris guides manufacturers and retailers of everyday products and services through some of their most significant challenges. Through his litigation, counseling, and government advocacy practice, Trent resolves complex scientific and technical disputes involving consumer protection, advertising, environmental, and food and drug law, with a particular emphasis on the unique requirements of California law.
He brings more than 30 years of experience with regulators, prosecutors, activists, bounty hunters, and plaintiffs’ lawyers to provide clients with practical perspectives on litigation avoidance. Trent’s practice involves diverse products, technologies, and industries, including foods, beverages, dietary supplements, cosmetics, hospitality, medical devices, electronics, vehicles, drugs, and agriculture. He regularly represents trade associations and joint defense groups in strategic counseling, advocacy before regulatory agencies, and challenges to agency actions. Trent has also advised and defended hundreds of companies regarding California's unique toxics and labeling law, Proposition 65, and California's expansive consumer protection laws.
Trent has argued a dozen cases before the California Court of Appeal, the California Supreme Court, and the Ninth Circuit, often facing activist and environmental groups, the California Attorney General, California District Attorneys, and plaintiffs' lawyers. Through his significant appellate experience, Trent is able to handle common issues that often cannot be resolved at the trial court level, including preemption, commercial speech, interstate commerce, citizen enforcement, jurisdiction, and class action requirements.
Trent is registered as a lobbyist before the California Environmental Protection Agency and its sub-agencies. He served as a legislative aide to a U.S. senator and as an editor of the Harvard Law Review.
Representative experience
Represented a major restaurant system in defeating two nationwide and four state class actions challenging nutritional information on menus.*
Represented a leading grocery chain in a consumer class action alleging failure to use rewards card database to contact consumers regarding food recalls.*
Represented a private label manufacturer of flushable wipes in a Federal Trade Commission proceeding.*
Represented two major cleaning product manufacturers in resolving class action claims over product quality and "natural" claims.*
Represented several retailers and manufacturers of cosmetics, drugs, and dietary supplements concerning slack fill allegations by California District Attorneys and consumer class action attorneys.*
Advised numerous consumer product companies and two trade associations regarding California, Washington, and Maine green chemistry programs.*
Advised manufacturers, retailers, and a trade association concerning California Air Resources Board, California Energy Commission, and California Department of Pesticide Regulation proceedings.*
Advised a major consumer product company in a challenge to a California ban on a leading rodenticide.*
Advised several corporations and a governmental entity regarding FOIA and Public Records Act requests and trade secret protection.*
Advised over a dozen companies regarding compliance with the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act and other corporate social responsibility initiatives.*
Advised food and dietary supplement companies concerning allegations that their products require Proposition 65 warnings for lead, cadmium, mercury, furan, BPA, acrylamide, and other chemicals.*
Represented over a dozen personal care companies in defending claims that warnings are required for chemicals such as formaldehyde, titanium dioxide, benzophenone, DEA, and cocamide DEA.*
Represented the California Chamber of Commerce in a First Amendment challenge to Proposition 65 warnings for acrylamide in food.
Represented an agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology company in a First Amendment challenge to Proposition 65 warnings for glyphosate.
Represented the California Chamber of Commerce and Farm Bureau Federation in successfully defending regulatory standard for lead against activist group challenge.*
*Matter handled prior to joining Hogan Lovells.
Credentials
- J.D., Harvard Law School, magna cum laude, 1992
- B.A., Brown University, magna cum laude, 1986
- California
- District of Columbia
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court, Central District of California
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
- Member, Bar Association of San Francisco
- Member, Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom (BALIF)
- Fellow, American Bar Foundation