Rebecca G. Powell
Associate - Los Angeles Office
How Rebecca Helps Clients
Rebecca helps clients by drawing on a broad base of appellate and trial litigation experience. She has taken the lead on a variety of civil litigation matters through the lifecycle of complex cases, from initial pleadings and dispositive motions, to serving as embedded appellate counsel during trials, through appellate briefing and oral argument. She has experience representing a wide range of clients and issues, including working as national coordinating counsel for a pharmaceutical company in opioid litigation across the country, handling products liability and breach of warranty matters for auto manufacturers, and representing media and entertainment clients in commercial suits. Rebecca has served as the principal attorney for numerous appeals, including in breach of contract, personal injury, class action, and business dispute cases.
Rebecca maintains an active pro bono practice, including as the co-director of the Pepperdine Caruso School of Law’s Ninth Circuit Appellate Advocacy Clinic.
Before joining the firm, Rebecca practiced as a commercial litigation and government investigations associate at Covington & Burling LLP in Los Angeles, and as a litigation associate at Durham Jones & Pinegar in Salt Lake City.
Representative Matters
Long v. Sugai (2024)
Ninth Circuit issues published opinion in favor of H&L pro bono client in civil rights case.
Urick v. Urick III (2022)
California Court of Appeal holds that the trial court abused its discretion in denying a continuance after a party’s attorney was hospitalized days before trial.
Mitchell v. Moses (2022)
California Court of Appeal reversed order striking the defamation suit brought by H&L’s client, holding that they presented sufficient circumstantial evidence showing that defendants acted with malice when they accused plaintiffs of misappropriating union funds.
Urick v. Urick III (2022)
California Court of Appeal holds that the trial court abused its discretion in denying a continuance after a party’s attorney was hospitalized days before trial.
Mitchell v. Moses (2022)
California Court of Appeal reversed order striking the defamation suit brought by H&L’s client, holding that they presented sufficient circumstantial evidence showing that defendants acted with malice when they accused plaintiffs of misappropriating union funds.
Carradine v. iDrip Vape LLC (2021)
California Court of Appeal affirmed summary judgment in favor of H&L’s client, holding the “going-and-coming” rule precludes vicarious liability against a business for a car accident that occurred during the business owner’s commute.
Jogani v. Jogani (2021)
California Court of Appeal affirmed judgment in favor of H&L’s client in partnership dispute, holding all of plaintiff’s claims were time-barred.
Rodriguez v. Diaz (2021)
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals allowed incarcerated plaintiff’s suit for religious access to sacramental cannabis to proceed in district court, correcting district court’s dismissal with prejudice.
Little Cottage Caregivers v. Meiri (2020)
California Court of Appeal reversed judgment that stripped our client of his ownership interest in a medical marijuana collective.
Education
- Brigham Young University, J. Reuben Clark Law School
J.D., Lead Articles Editor, BYU Law Review. Graduated summa cum laude, Order of the Coif, 2013 - University of Utah
B.A., 2010
Clerkships
- Hon. Milan D. Smith, Jr., U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit (2015-2016)
- Hon. Thomas R. Lee, Utah Supreme Court (2013-2014)
Bar Admissions
- California
- U.S. District Court, Central District of California
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California
- U.S. District Court, District of Utah
- U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
- Utah
Professional Associations
- Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), Fellow (2023)
- American Constitution Society, Los Angeles Chapter Board of Directors, Co-Chair (2023)
- Los Angeles County Bar Association
- California Women Lawyers Association
- Womens Lawyers Association of Los Angeles
Awards
- Best Lawyers "Ones to Watch" (2022 - 2023)
- Super Lawyers "Rising Stars" (2023)
Publications
- Of Burdens and Baselines: Hobby Lobby’s Puzzling Footnote 37, The Rise of Corporate Religious Liberty 323-41 (Oxford University Press, Chad Flanders, Zoe Robinson & Micah Schwartzman, eds. 2015) (co-authored with Frederick M. Gedicks as Rebecca Van Tassell)
- RFRA Exemptions from the Contraception Mandate: An Unconstitutional Accommodation of Religion, 49 Harv. CR.-C.L. L. Rev. 1 (2014) (co-authored with Frederick M. Gedicks as Rebecca Van Tassell)
- Walking a Thin Blue Line: Balancing the Citizen’s Right to Record Police Officers Against Officer Privacy, 2013 BYU L. Rev. 183 (2013) (as Rebecca Van Tassell)
