Craig Jennings Lavoie

Mr. Lavoie served as trial counsel for Vanessa Bryant in her landmark civil rights victory against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s and Fire Departments for their improper sharing of photos from the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, Gianna Bryant and seven others. Following Mr. Lavoie’s closing argument—covered by the New York Times, CNN, Bloomberg, People, Rolling Stone and the Los Angeles Times—the jury awarded Mrs. Bryant and her co-plaintiff $30 million in damages for emotional distress. Mr. Lavoie received the Daily Journal’s California Lawyer Attorney of the Year (CLAY) Award for his work on the matter.

Mr. Lavoie’s other significant representations include:

• Berkshire Hathaway: Lead counsel in a billion-dollar dispute with Pilot Corporation over the Pilot Flying J truck stop chain. Just two days before trial in Delaware Chancery Court, the parties reached a settlement under which Berkshire acquired 100% ownership of the company.
• LA Clippers: Represented the Clippers in litigation against Madison Square Garden Company, which sought to block development of the team’s new arena in Inglewood, California. Shortly after MTO moved for summary judgment, the parties reached a settlement ending MSG’s opposition, clearing the way for the arena to open on schedule in 2024.
• Phoenix Suns: Representing the team in a collection of employment-related lawsuits pending in federal court in Arizona.
• NCAA: Counsel for the NCAA in a series of antitrust lawsuits challenging player eligibility rulings.
• Justin Timberlake: Represented Mr. Timberlake in litigation over behind-the-scenes footage from the making of The 20/20 Experience
• BlackSand Capital: Lead counsel for BlackSand Capital LLC, owner of the Waikiki Galleria Tower in Honolulu, in filing suit against its primary tenant, DFS Group. Eight months after suit was filed, the parties reached a $150 million agreement to resolve the dispute.

Before joining MTO, Mr. Lavoie served as a law clerk for the Honorable Michelle T. Friedland of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He earned his J.D. from Stanford Law School, where he and his teammate won the school’s annual moot court competition, and he was recognized for presenting the best oral argument in the final round. He also received the Judge Thelton E. Henderson Prize for outstanding performance in Stanford’s Supreme Court Litigation Clinic.