Awards & Rankings 08.17.23
Best Lawyers Recognizes 193 Pillsbury Lawyers in Latest Guide
Among the honorees are 8 Lawyers of the Year and 55 Ones to Watch
Source: The Best Lawyers Guides
Representing startups to Fortune 100 companies, Pillsbury Litigation partner Dianne Sweeney achieves winning results for clients at trial, on appeal and at the negotiating table.
Dianne Sweeney leads the Silicon Valley Litigation team and is the managing partner of Pillsbury’s Silicon Valley office. A skilled commercial and technology trial lawyer, Dianne represents clients on complex business issues in federal and state courts as well as before administrative panels. Her experience in complex corporate transactions and litigation proceedings encompasses merger, shareholder, joint venture and earnout disputes in California and Delaware; antitrust cases; contested property tax assessments; key executive employment disputes and trade secret claims. Dianne also provides risk management assessment and strategic litigation counsel to emerging businesses, especially clients in the high-tech sector.
Representative Experience
- Tried to successful judgment a complex tax assessment case involving property valued at over $65 million on behalf of Fortune 100 communication and media company against Los Angeles County.
- Successfully represented public entity against a major accounting firm and PE funded services firm in a dispute concerning the sale of a long-standing television station in the FCC spectrum auction.
- Secured a dismissal and favorable settlement following a precedential preliminary injunction ruling recognizing the right of a major bike share operator to continue as the exclusive operator of the bikeshare program in a major US market.
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- Represented a Fortune 100 energy company before an assessment appeals board and in superior court to seek reductions of property taxes on one of the company’s major refineries.
- Successfully tried pension spiking case to judgment for one of the world’s largest pension funds. Judgment affirmed on appeal.
- Prevailed in a six-week federal antitrust, Lanham Act and false advertising trial. The jury rejected $73 million+ damage claims and awarded injunctive relief for the client; verdict affirmed on appeal.
- Successfully defended major franchise entity in injunctive relief claim in Santa Clara Superior Court.
- Reversed multi-million dollar attachment obtained by major cruise ship line against bio-diesel reseller in the Northern District of California and successfully negotiated multi-district settlement of commercial and maritime claims.
- Obtained unprecedented restitution award for a Fortune 100 technology corporation in its effort to seek criminal and civil restitution from a former executive for wire fraud and related embezzlement, including prosecution support.
- Negotiated beneficial resolution for a Fortune 100 client in a complex joint venture undertaking involving the development and production of electronic paper.
Professional Highlights
- Recognized by Best Lawyers (published by BL Rankings LLC), Commercial Litigation (2022 – 2024)
- Recognized by Super Lawyers in Northern California (2015 – 2023).
- Served as president, president-elect, secretary, executive committee member and trustee of the Santa Clara County Bar Association.
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- Served a secondment as assistant district attorney for the County of Santa Cruz, leading trials and investigations, and handling cases that ranged from misdemeanors to serious felonies.
- Honors & Awards
- Recognized by Best Lawyers (published by BL Rankings LLC), Commercial Litigation (2022 – 2024)
- Named as a Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyer (2024)
- Recipient of the 2021 Santa Clara County Bar Association Salsman Award
- Super Lawyers – Northern California (2015 – 2023)
- Top Women Attorneys in Northern California (2016 – 2023)
- Associations
- Founding Member and Officer, Santa Clara County Bar Foundation, 2021 – 2024.
- President, 2014; President-Elect, 2013; Secretary, 2012; Executive Committee Member and Trustee, 2009 – 2011, Santa Clara County Bar Association.
- Co-chair of the SCCBA's Federal Courts Committee (with the Hon. Jeremy Fogel), 2007 – 2009
- Board member of the High Technology Advisory Committee for Santa Clara University, School of Law, 2003 – 2006
- Leader of Pillsbury Summer Program, 2004 – 2006 (a nationally recognized program in 2005 and 2006)
- American Bar Association, Litigation and Antitrust Sections
Education
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J.D., Santa Clara University School of Law, 1996
cum laude, 1993-1996 Dean’s List (Top 10% of class), American Jurisprudence Awards for Administrative Law and Contracts; Moot Court Award, Best BriefB.S., Santa Clara University, 1991
magna cum laude, awarded Phi Beta Kappa in 1990; Michael Shallo Prize Recipient; Dean's List, College of Arts and Science, 1987-1991; Challenges Leadership Conference, 1989; Pi Sigma Alpha, National Political Science Honor Society
Admissions
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California
Courts
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U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California