Stephen Watkins focuses his practice on torts and personal injury, governmental liability and public entity defence, premises liability, products liability, professional liability, construction litigation, employment matters, FDCPA defence, and environmental and toxic torts. Stephen has experience representing public entities in premises liability matters as well as torts and personal injury cases. He also represents general contractors, subcontractors, and property owners in construction litigation, including matters involving subrogation and indemnification.
- Represent clients in complex commercial litigation and consumer class actions involving privacy, statutory, and insurance-related claims.
- Serve as lead counsel managing cases from inception through resolution, including strategy, discovery, dispositive motions, and settlement.
- Defeated class certification in an action brought by investors alleging fraud and breach of fiduciary duty against a financial institution.
- Defeated class certification in an action alleging unfair competition claims against an insurance carrier.
- Defend national insurance companies in breach of contract and bad faith litigation.
- Served as defense counsel in personal injury matters assigned by insurance carriers, handling litigation strategy, discovery, and resolution.
- Structured and drafted LLC operating agreements and related governance documents for a technology startup and joint venture pursuing venture capital investments.
- Collaborate across practice groups to support broader client relationships and cross-functional matters.
- Defended individual and class actions under the TCPA, FDCPA, and California privacy statutes.
- Served as lead or key litigation counsel in matters involving class certification, arbitration enforcement, and appellate issues.
- Defeated class certification in multiple consumer class actions, including TCPA claims against a healthcare provider.
- Successfully compelled individual arbitration in class actions under federal consumer protection statutes.
- Obtained summary judgment in complex litigation matters, including employment and privacy-related claims.
- Prevailed on appeal before the Ninth Circuit on Article III standing in a consumer debt collection matter.
- Served as second chair in a successful bench trial involving alleged violations of a medical privacy statute.
- Panelist, “ESG and Climate Litigation Trends for In-House Counsel”, Dentons, June 17, 2025
- Co-Presenter, “A.I. Cadabra: Uncovering Legal Risks from Artificial Intelligence”, Association of Corporate Counsel (Southern California), November 15, 2023
- Panelist, “How to Build a Reputation for ESG Without Greenwashing”, Western Growers Association, May 31, 2023
Admissions
- California
- U.S. District Court, Northern, Central, Eastern, and Southern Districts of California
Memberships
- Corporate Firm Network (CFN), Langston Bar Association, Chair
Education
- J.D., Yale University School of Law, 1999
- B.S., Mathematics, Howard University, 1995
Honors
- Super Lawyers® Rising Stars distinction in Environmental and Employment Litigation, 2026
- Best Lawyers in America® distinction in Business Transactions, 2024-2025