Author: Nick Riseman

October 9, 2025 A case waiting for a ruling from the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit asks a controversial question: Should judges award smaller fees to lawyers working at small law firms than those working at large firms? Read more

A U.S. appeals court is weighing whether law firm size should factor into attorney fee awards, after a judge refused to grant Big Law-caliber rates to lawyers at a small firm for fear of setting a precedent for other cases. The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments this summer and may…

September 9, 2025 Two former University of San Francisco women’s basketball players won their appeal of an earlier court ruling in their lawsuit against head coach Molly Goodenbour and the school, reinstating $500,000 in punitive damages to Marija Galic. Read more

September 4, 2025 A California appeals court has reinstated $500,000 in punitive damages for former University of San Francisco women’s basketball player Marija Galic and ordered a new trial for her twin sister, Marta, in a case alleging years of verbal and emotional abuse by head coach Molly Goodenbour. Read more

August 5th, 2025 Gaw | Poe Partner Randolph Gaw appeared before the 1st District Court of Appeals in a case that has drawn media attention. In his opening statement, Randy argued that when Marija prevailed at trial, the court wrongly set aside her punitive damages verdict — and that the decision should be reversed. Watch…

July 16th, 2025 Our Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals work continues with Mark Poe’s oral argument in LA International Corp. v. Prestige Brands Holdings. This appeal involves the first plaintiff-side jury verdict under the Robinson-Patman Act in over 20 years, marking a significant moment in antitrust law. Watch the argument here.

SAN FRANCISCO – June 30, 2025 – Gaw | Poe LLP announced today that for the fifth straight year, partners Randolph Gaw and Mark Poe were both selected as Northern California Super Lawyers by Super Lawyers.  Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer…

Randy recently had the opportunity to join Khurram’s Quorum podcast, where he discusses the following: – Why case selection is about narrative, not just legal theory– How poker and parenting made him a better litigator– What he learned from jury consultants that changed how he prepares for trial https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/1OeuAAQjiUHDSGIBcv3f8c?utm_source=generator

March 14, 2025 Our co-founder, Mark Poe, presented an oral argument earlier this week before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in Pasadena, California, in the long-running case of Trendsettah v. Swisher. Watch the video recording below and judge our appellate skills for yourself!

February 18, 2025 PepsiCo and Frito-Lay are illegally favoring Walmart, Target, and other chain grocery stores by charging them much lower prices for snack chips than independently owned businesses… Read more