Lisa Demsky is a litigation partner at Munger, Tolles & Olson whose practice is focused on internal investigations, white collar defense, crisis management, and complex commercial litigation.
Ms. Demsky conducts internal investigations and interfaces with government agencies for a broad range of clients, including public companies and government contractors. She has vast experience in these areas and is the co-editor of Internal Corporate Investigations (ABA, 4th Ed., 2017).
She is recognized in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. In 2023, she was recognized for the third consecutive year by the Daily Journal as one of the Top 25 White Collar Lawyers in California, as well as one of the Top Women Lawyers in the state in 2022. Companies often turn to Ms. Demsky for crisis management and investigations relating to their high-stakes matters. Representative areas of investigation include issues and allegations involving the False Claims Act, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, sanctions, time-charging fraud, accounting irregularities and disclosure obligations. Ms. Demsky has handled cases in federal and state courts throughout the country in the areas of intellectual property, fraud, breach of contract, professional negligence, unfair competition and business practices, entertainment law and other business torts. She was recognized by the Daily Journal for achieving one of the top defense verdicts of 2016.
Ms. Demsky also has significant experience representing law firms and has successfully litigated and defended a number of lawsuits for professional negligence and malicious prosecution in jurisdictions throughout the country.
Ms. Demsky joined the firm in 1998 after receiving her J.D. from Yale Law School in 1996, serving as a law clerk to the Honorable Cynthia H. Hall in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 1996-1997 and teaching as a visiting lecturer in law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1997-1998.
An active member of the community, Ms. Demsky serves on the board of directors for Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles and has served on the boards of a leading breast cancer awareness organization and the Los Angeles Alumnae Panhellenic Association. Within the legal community, she has served as a member of the Central District Pro Bono Panel, and as a member of the Section Leadership of the ABA Section of Litigation and for several years organized the Los Angeles Judicial Intern Opportunity Program, which places minority and financially disadvantaged law students in judicial internships. She also serves as a member of the firm’s policy committee and has served as co-chair of the firm’s hiring committee.
Experience
Investigations
Clients often turn to Ms. Demsky to guide them through internal corporate investigations and white collar criminal defense matters. Representative engagements include:
- PG&E in connection with wildfire investigations and criminal defense, including the 2021 Dixie Fire, the 2020 Zogg Fire, the 2018 Camp Fire, and the 2017 North Bay Fires.
- A publicly traded company with overseas operations in a multi-agency, international government investigation.
- Northrop Grumman in a multi-agency government investigation into alleged time-charging issues.
- Aerospace companies in crash investigations.
- Internal investigations and advice relating to FCPA and sanctions issues.
- Multiple civil litigation matters with parallel government investigations or proceedings.
- A multi-national company in connection with an oil spill investigation.
Trials
Ms. Demsky is an experienced trial lawyer who has handled a number of civil and criminal jury trials, as well as arbitrations. Representative trial and arbitration experience includes:
- Obtained for Fortress Investment Group a complete defense verdict as trial counsel in a five-week bench trial in a lawsuit filed by a life settlement investment fund seeking more than $200 million in damages and bringing claims of breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, unfair competition, breach of contract and misappropriation of trade secrets.
- Obtained a unanimous jury verdict in her client’s favor following a five-week jury trial in which she defended her client against claims of fraud and unjust enrichment relating to a billion-dollar condominium development.
- Successfully arbitrated a breach of contract and malpractice dispute, resulting in a defense judgment on the claims brought against her client and a multimillion-dollar award in her client’s favor on her client’s counter-claims and for attorneys’ fees.
- Successfully defended a major Los Angeles law firm in a three-week jury trial, obtaining a unanimous defense verdict for her client, which had been sued for professional negligence.
- Successfully arbitrated a business fraud dispute, obtaining a defense judgment in her client’s favor, as well as an award of attorneys’ fees.
Community Involvement
Ms. Demsky currently serves on the Boards of Directors for Make-A-Wish, Greater Los Angeles, and for the Los Angeles Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. She also has served as a member of the Section Leadership of the ABA Section of Litigation, on the Board of the Los Angeles Alumnae Panhellenic Association, and as a member of the Central District Pro Bono Panel. She also has served as a member of the Firm’s Policy Committee and as Co-Chair of the firm’s Hiring Committee.
Education
-
Yale Law School (J.D., 1996)
-
Stanford University (B.A., with honors, 1993)
Clerkships
- Judge Cynthia H. Hall, U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, 1996-1997
Bar Admissions
- California
Experience
Investigations
Clients often turn to Ms. Demsky to guide them through internal corporate investigations and white collar criminal defense matters. Representative engagements include:
- PG&E in connection with wildfire investigations and criminal defense, including the 2021 Dixie Fire, the 2020 Zogg Fire, the 2018 Camp Fire, and the 2017 North Bay Fires.
- A publicly traded company with overseas operations in a multi-agency, international government investigation.
- Northrop Grumman in a multi-agency government investigation into alleged time-charging issues.
- Aerospace companies in crash investigations.
- Internal investigations and advice relating to FCPA and sanctions issues.
- Multiple civil litigation matters with parallel government investigations or proceedings.
- A multi-national company in connection with an oil spill investigation.
Trials
Ms. Demsky is an experienced trial lawyer who has handled a number of civil and criminal jury trials, as well as arbitrations. Representative trial and arbitration experience includes:
- Obtained for Fortress Investment Group a complete defense verdict as trial counsel in a five-week bench trial in a lawsuit filed by a life settlement investment fund seeking more than $200 million in damages and bringing claims of breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, unfair competition, breach of contract and misappropriation of trade secrets.
- Obtained a unanimous jury verdict in her client’s favor following a five-week jury trial in which she defended her client against claims of fraud and unjust enrichment relating to a billion-dollar condominium development.
- Successfully arbitrated a breach of contract and malpractice dispute, resulting in a defense judgment on the claims brought against her client and a multimillion-dollar award in her client’s favor on her client’s counter-claims and for attorneys’ fees.
- Successfully defended a major Los Angeles law firm in a three-week jury trial, obtaining a unanimous defense verdict for her client, which had been sued for professional negligence.
- Successfully arbitrated a business fraud dispute, obtaining a defense judgment in her client’s favor, as well as an award of attorneys’ fees.
News
Community Involvement
Ms. Demsky currently serves on the Boards of Directors for Make-A-Wish, Greater Los Angeles, and for the Los Angeles Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. She also has served as a member of the Section Leadership of the ABA Section of Litigation, on the Board of the Los Angeles Alumnae Panhellenic Association, and as a member of the Central District Pro Bono Panel. She also has served as a member of the Firm’s Policy Committee and as Co-Chair of the firm’s Hiring Committee.
Education
-
Yale Law School (J.D., 1996)
-
Stanford University (B.A., with honors, 1993)
Clerkships
- Judge Cynthia H. Hall, U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, 1996-1997
Bar Admissions
- California