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Attorney Susan C. Yu specializes in complex criminal and civil trials in Federal and State courts, as well as Medical Board trials. She is the co-founder of the law firm of Mesereau & Yu, LLP in Los Angeles, California. She received her B.A. in Political Science with a concentration in Soviet Politics from the University of California at Berkeley and her J.D., cum laude, from Syracuse University College of Law, where she was a Dana Hinman Scholar. Her strong academic performance in law school also earned her a place on the College of Law’s Dean’s Honor List and a membership in the Justinian Honorary Law Society. She also served as Editor of the Syracuse Journal of International Law and Commerce. In addition to English, Ms. Yu speaks Korean, Russian and Japanese.

Ms. Yu has received recognition and awards for her contributions to various community-based organizations and has been listed as one of the “Top 75 Women Litigators in California” by the Los Angeles Daily Journal, the leading legal newspaper in California.

Over the years, Ms. Yu has successfully defended prominent clients in high-stakes cases, including: the late music legend, Michael Jackson; the former First Lady of Gabon, Africa (also the mother of the country’s current president, President Ali Bongo); actor Robert Blake; a prominent Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon before the California Medical board; a well-respected Radiologist; a successful Orthopedic Surgeon in Beverly Hills; a highly accomplished Corporate Lawyer in Los Angeles; the world’s largest home improvement retailer, Home Depot U.S.A., Inc.; the founder and former CEO of women’s knitwear, St. John Knits International, Inc.; the country’s highest grossing Real Estate Agent; one of the country’s top real estate companies, Coldwell Banker Realty; and a publicly traded, Texas-based Oil Pipeline Company.

Committed to excellence and strong dedication to her clients, Ms. Yu has consistently obtained outstanding results as a medical board lawyer, as a federal and state civil trial lawyer, and as a federal and state criminal lawyer in Los Angeles and in other venues:

Recently, in December 2011, a capital murder case, in which Ms. Yu’s client was facing the death penalty, was dismissed prior to trial.

In December 2010, after approximately a year of litigation, Ms. Yu, as co-lead trial counsel, obtained a complete Dismissal for a billionaire client, who was accused of criminal threats and battery. The alleged victim was a former girlfriend who had been a Playboy Magazine centerfold and Playmate of the Year.

In April 2010, on the first day of a jury trial, Ms. Yu, as lead trial counsel, obtained a Dismissal of a multi-count felony sexual assault case for her client, a well-known local celebrity race car driver.

In August 2009, Ms. Yu, as co-lead trial counsel, obtained a Not Guilty jury verdict on all 13 federal felony counts of mortgage fraud (i.e., allegations of $40 million loan fraud, bank fraud, conspiracy, money laundering, aiding and abetting, and criminal forfeiture) in the United States District Court, Central District of California (Los Angeles) for Joe Babajian, a highly-respected, top real estate agent in the country. This was a highly publicized, complex, document and fact intensive federal real estate fraud case involving 11 co-defendants. The United States Attorney’s Office, the F.B.I., and the I.R.S. conducted a 6-year investigation. 8 co-defendants pleaded guilty before trial. The remaining 3 co-defendants, including Mr. Babajian, pleaded not guilty and went to trial. Over 200 potential witnesses, hundreds of thousands of pages of discovery and thousands of Federal Grand Jury and Trial Exhibits were involved. After 6 weeks of jury trial, Mr. Babajian was the only defendant that was Acquitted. He was found not guilty on 13 felony counts of mortgage fraud, and the jury hung on the remaining 8 felony counts. The United States Attorney’s Office has dismissed the remaining 8 felony counts, in exchange for Mr. Babajian’s plea of guilty to a newly-created, 1 misdemeanor count of receiving improper referral fees from his brokerage company with no jail time. In addition, the United States Attorney’s Office has waived any potential civil claims against him.

In May 2009, Ms. Yu, as lead trial counsel, obtained a Hung Jury in a felony sexual assault case for her client, a highly-respected corporate executive. The prosecution has agreed to dismiss the entire case in return for the client performing community service and completing certain prescribed courses.

In February 2009, Ms. Yu, as lead trial counsel, obtained a Hung Jury in a document-intensive felony financial embezzlement case, in which her client, an executive assistant, was accused of embezzling over $800,000.00. The prosecution has agreed to end the case with a plea agreement and no jail time.

In November 2008, as lead trial counsel, Ms. Yu successfully defended on behalf of a highly-respected philanthropist and businessman in Los Angeles, a civil lawsuit involving unfair business practices under the California Business and Professions Code §§ 17200, et seq. After Ms. Yu successfully defeated plaintiff’s Anti-SLAPP Motion under C.C.P. § 425.16 and Demurrer, the plaintiff agreed to Dismiss the complaint in its entirety.

In October 2008, Ms. Yu, as lead trial counsel, obtained a Dismissal of a document-intensive oil pollution environmental criminal case on behalf of a publicly-traded, Texas-based oil pipeline company.

In September 2008, on the first day of a jury trial, Ms. Yu, as co-lead trial counsel, obtained a Dismissal on behalf of her client, a school board official, who was accused of engaging in lewd conduct.

In July 2008, Ms. Yu, as co-lead trial counsel obtained a Hung Jury on behalf of her client, a prominent member of a Catholic Church, who was accused of child molestation. The case was subsequently Dismissed because the prosecutor decided to not retry the case.

In December 2007, Ms. Yu, as lead trial counsel, obtained a Dismissal of a criminal case in which four police officers accused Ms. Yu’s client, a former military officer, of battery, assault and resisting arrest.

In November, 2007, on the eve of trial, Ms. Yu, as lead trial counsel, obtained a Dismissal of a criminal case involving domestic violence and abuse of governmental power for her client, an employee of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

In June 2007, on the first day of a murder trial before a jury, Ms. Yu’s client, who was facing life in prison, was offered a Settlement of voluntary manslaughter with significantly less jail time. The client accepted the offer and will be released from prison in approximately 4 years.

In April 2007, Ms. Yu, as lead trial counsel, successfully won and Acquitted a prominent Plastic Surgeon in Beverly Hills, who was facing a permanent suspension of his medical license from charges of sexual harassment and lack of informed consent for surgery. After a 2-week trial before the California Medical Board, Los Angeles Division, Ms. Yu’s client was exonerated.

In April 2006, Ms. Yu, as sole lead trial counsel, vigorously litigated and Won a bench trial for the former First Lady of Gabon, Africa, who almost lost her real estate properties in Beverly Hills, worth in excess of $15 million dollars, in a real estate fraud scam.

In October 2005, Ms. Yu, as co-lead trial counsel, successfully obtained a dismissal of a high-stakes civil lawsuit for a nuisance amount on behalf of the founder and former CEO of St. John Knits.

From April 2004 – June 2005, Ms. Yu served as co-trial counsel to her law partner and a legendary trial lawyer, Tom Mesereau, in their successful Acquittal of the late music legend Michael Jackson in a high-profile 5-month jury trial in Santa Maria, California. This case was the most televised and publicized criminal trial in American history, in which over 2,200 media outlets from all over the world covered the case. After countless hours of trial strategies, preparation of over 300 potential witnesses and scrutiny of hundreds of thousands of documentary, audio and video discovery, Mr. Mesereau and Ms. Yu obtained a sweeping Not Guilty jury verdict on all 10 felony and 4 lesser-included misdemeanor counts.

Ms. Yu also served as co-counsel for actor Robert Blake in a high-profile, murder with special circumstances case.

In prior years, Ms. Yu, as lead counsel, successfully defended Home Depot U.S.A., Inc. in numerous white-collar, regulatory compliance and enforcement proceedings in criminal courts throughout Los Angeles County, Ventura County, Orange County, San Bernardino County and Riverside County. In many of these cases, Ms. Yu was successful in obtaining a favorable settlement and a Dismissal.

A relentless advocate, Ms. Yu has successfully defended and prosecuted a wide-variety of criminal and civil cases in both Federal and State courts on behalf of individuals, mid-size institutions, and major corporations, including Fortune 500 companies. She has extensive experience in highly complex, document and fact intensive Federal and State criminal and civil cases.

She has also obtained many favorable settlements for her corporate clients involving antitrust violations, unfair competition, business torts, trade secret violations, trade mark and trade name infringements, copyright infringements, fraud, breach of contract, unfair business practices, eminent domain, construction defects, toxic torts, environmental liability, products liability, and wrongful termination (based on race, gender, age and disability discrimination).

Ms. Yu represents her clients in all phases of civil and criminal proceedings, including pre-lawsuit counseling, pleadings, law and motion, discovery, settlement negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and trial.

Some of Ms. Yu’s other noteworthy victories are as follows:

Carrying on the firm’s commitment to helping the underprivileged, Ms. Yu donates her time to the poor in criminal and civil cases pro bono. She previously funded and opened a free legal clinic at St. James’ Episcopal Church in Los Angeles for low-income persons from all walks of life.

In addition, Ms. Yu is an active member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Judicial Appointments Committee, which investigates and evaluates lawyers and commissioners who have applied to the Governor’s Office to become Judges of the Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Ms. Yu also serves as legal counsel to the National Association for Asian American Studies, headquartered in Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. Comprised of professors, academic administrators, graduate and undergraduate students, and community leaders from North America, the Association seeks to advance the highest professional standard of excellence in teaching and research in the field of Asian American Studies.

Ms. Yu frequently speaks to various organizations and groups about social, political, legal and civil rights issues, including the need for a community dialogue on race, integration, equality and justice.

Ms. Yu was the featured Keynote Speaker at the:

Since 2004, Ms. Yu has participated in the California Polytechnic State University at Pomona‘s Professor for a Day program. She has lectured in the Department of Sociology in the areas of community and urban sociology, criminal justice, and sociology of culture. In 2009, Ms. Yu was a panel speaker at the Pepperdine Law School on the issue of women and the law.

Ms. Yu has also served as a Judge for the semi-final and final rounds of the annual National Civil Trial Competition at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles and for the semi-final round of the annual National Criminal Trial Competition at Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles.

Ms. Yu is a member of the Litigation Counsel of America, American Inns of Court, the Federal Bar Association, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, the Asian Pacific American Women Lawyers Alliance, and the Association of Business Trial lawyers.