Commercial and Consumer Class Action Attorney Becca Wahlquist Joins Kelley Drye’s Litigation Team
Kelley Drye & Warren LLP announced today that Becca Wahlquist has joined the firm as a partner in the Litigation practice group. Based in Los Angeles, Becca expands the firm’s litigation capabilities in California and in its core areas of expertise.
Known nationally for defending cases brought under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and other consumer protection statutes, Becca has a wide-ranging, complex commercial litigation practice defending Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 businesses in federal and state courts throughout the country. She specializes in class action defense, and also practices in the fields of appellate litigation, contract and business tort disputes, and commercial and appellate arbitrations.
Becca has represented major American corporations as lead counsel in defending against individual and putative class-wide TCPA claims, including companies in the banking and finance, manufacturing, satellite and cable, insurance, mortgage lending, restaurant, retail, automotive, and real estate industries.
“We are excited to welcome Becca to the firm,” said Michael Lynch, chair of the Kelley Drye Litigation practice group. “Becca is an intellectual force with deep commercial litigation experience throughout the country. She will deepen our litigation bench in California and be an invaluable resource to clients facing complex class action claims.”
A frequent commentator on a variety of legal issues, Becca has testified on behalf of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce before the Senate Commerce Committee and a House Judiciary subcommittee about the TCPA’s impact on American businesses. She is also known for her pro bono work, including a twelve-year appeals effort 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, in June 2019, her client was released from prison.
“For many years, I worked in conjunction with a team of Kelley Drye attorneys representing a co-defendant in a Multi-District Litigation class action litigation, and I was highly impressed with their work ethic and the quality of their advocacy,” said Becca. “I’m looking forward to joining a team rich with experience in complex class actions, and having the ability to collaborate with Kelley Drye’s top-notch regulatory lawyers.”
Becca received her J.D., cum laude, from New York University School of Law, and she has a Masters in Literature from UCLA, as well as a Masters in Literature from Brigham Young University. Becca received her Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, in English from Brigham Young University. She was recognized by California Lawyer with the 2008 California Lawyer of the Year Award.
Becca is a member of the California bar and is admitted to practice in California state and federal courts, and various U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal.
For more than 180 years, leading companies around the world have relied on Kelley Drye litigators to guide them through the thorniest business litigation. Litigation partners are all courtroom-tested trial lawyers who have tried significant and challenging cases in federal and state courts, arbitration tribunals, and administrative bodies around the country.