Wendy J. Ray
Partner
(510) 906-1990 | wray@nortonlaw.com | VCF
Wendy Ray is an experienced trial lawyer with a long track record of successfully litigating the most complicated and challenging cases for some of the world’s top technology, consumer products, and media companies. Often hired to parachute in close to trial, her experience includes representing plaintiffs and defendants in an array of high-stakes business disputes spanning trade secret, patent, trademark, copyright, banking, and employment matters. Wendy was one of the lead lawyers who successfully defended Uber in the high-profile Waymo v. Uber case involving autonomous vehicle technology. She led the trial team that obtained a complete defense verdict in a seminal California Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) case for a major retailer, which was upheld on appeal in a published decision. She obtained a complete defense verdict in an unfair lending case that cut off hundreds of similar claims. And she has obtained numerous other significant victories for clients for over a decade.
In addition to handling trials, clients often call on Wendy to develop pre-trial strategies that dispose of or substantially limit cases early, to work with important fact and expert witnesses, and to effectively negotiate settlements. Wendy draws on her engineering training and background in politics to quickly understand complex issues and to distill them into persuasive trial presentations. Clients appreciate Wendy’s strategic approach, efficient management, and sensitivity to their unique concerns.
Before joining The Norton Law Firm, Wendy was a partner in the litigation group of Morrison & Foerster where she led the Los Angeles litigation department, served on the Board of Directors, and co-founded the firm’s artificial intelligence (AI) group.
Education
- Georgetown University Law Center, J.D., cum laude, 2002
- Yale University, M.P.H., thesis completed with distinction, 1996
- University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business, B.S. Economics, 1994
- University of Pennsylvania, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, B.S. Engineering, 1994
Bar Admissions
- California
- United States District Courts for the Central, Northern, and Southern Districts of California
- United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
Honors and Awards
- Top Women Attorneys in Southern California, Super Lawyers