Rosemary Rivas Named to 2024 “Top Women Lawyers” in California by Daily Journal

Gibbs Law Group is proud to announce that Rosemary Rivas has been named to the Daily Journal‘s 2024 list of “Top Women Lawyers” in California.

Rosemary was lauded for her recent work as lead counsel in Reyes v. Chilton, a case alleging that voters with Latino surnames had their ballots rejected at higher rather than voters with non-Latino surnames in three Washington state counties, Chelan, Benton and Yakima. Washington is a state that conducts it elections entirely by mail-in voting, adding to the impact of the issue. Plaintiffs alleged violations of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and the First, Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution.

After nearly three years of intense litigation, including motions for summary judgment and Daubert motion, a settlement was reached with Benton and Chelan counties requiring crucial reforms, including a signature verification for training for county auditor election staff to reduce bias. Yakima county settled on similar terms soon after a judge denied their motion for summary judgment in part.

Rosemary explained to the Daily Journal, “This was one of my most significant matters because we were able to achieve meaningful relief that was not only beneficial to the Latino communities but to the communities at large in those counties.”

Rosemary was also celebrated for her work representing pet owners whose pets died or became seriously ill after ingesting pet food tainted with aflatoxin in In re: Midwestern Pet Foods. “It was a very sad case because pets are like family members,” she said to the Daily Journal. Rosemary negotiated a settlement that paid people back for any costs spent on medical treatment for their pets, among other things.

Looking back on her over 20 years representing consumers in class actions and complex litigation, Rosemary reflected on how her family background drew her to her area of practice. Her parents, immigrants from Mexico, sometimes purchased products for the family that turned out to malfunction, or experienced unfair treatment at work.

“I wanted to represent people like my parents – everyday people who work hard and are just trying to do their best,” Rosemary said to the Daily Journal.

Established in 1893, Daily Journal is known as one of the foremost legal publications in the U.S. The publication is widely respected by California attorneys in all practice areas for its extensive coverage and profiles of judges, appellate decisions, and other notable legal information.

About Rosemary Rivas

Rosemary has dedicated her legal career to representing consumers in complex class action litigation involving a wide variety of claims, from false advertising and defective products to privacy violations. She serves in leadership positions in a number of large-scale complex class action cases and multi-district litigation, and has recovered billions of dollars for her clients and the classes they represent. In a highly competitive appointment process, the Honorable Charles R. Breyer appointed Rosemary to the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in the Volkswagen Clean Diesel Litigation, which resulted in a record-breaking settlement totaling more than $14 billion.

Rosemary is currently a Lawyer Representative for the Northern District of California and to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference. She has received numerous awards and honors for the quality of her legal work, including the Bay Area Legal Aid Guardian of Justice Award for her achievements in the law and her role in helping direct cy pres (remaining settlement) funds to promote equal access to the legal system. She has been recognized as a Northern California Super Lawyer since 2019, and was previously named a Rising Star by Super Lawyers Magazine.

About Gibbs Law Group

Gibbs Law Group is a California-based law firm committed to protecting the rights of clients nationwide who have been harmed by corporate misconduct. We represent individuals, whistleblowers, employees, and small businesses across the U.S. against the world’s largest corporations. Our award-winning lawyers have achieved landmark recoveries and over a billion dollars for our clients in high-stakes class action and individual cases involving consumer protection, data breach, digital privacy, and federal and California employment lawsuits. Our attorneys have received numerous honors for their work, including “Top Plaintiff Lawyers in California,” “Top Class Action Attorneys Under 40,” “Consumer Protection MVP,” “Best Lawyers in America,” and “Top Cybersecurity/ Privacy Attorneys Under 40.”