Attorney Susan C. Yu specializes in complex civil litigation and criminal defense. She is a partner with the law firm of Mesereau & Yu, LLP in Century City, 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 many awards and recognitions 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.

Ms. Yu's practice spans diverse areas of the law, positioned to support a broad spectrum of her clients' needs. Committed to excellence and delivering high-quality service in the most cost-effective manner, Ms. Yu has consistently obtained favorable results for her clients, both in and out of court. She is recognized for her preventive strategies, creative solutions, constructive resolutions and passion for the law.

Recently, in November and December 2007, two of Ms. Yu’s criminal cases were dismissed on the eve of trial. One case involved abuse of government power, and the other involved four police officers claiming they were eye witnesses to an alleged crime which, upon defense investigation, never occurred.

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 successfully exonerated a prominent Medical Doctor in Beverly Hills from charges of sexual harassment and lack of informed consent after a 2-week trial before the California Medical Board, Los Angeles Division.

In 2006, Ms. Yu vigorously litigated and won a trial for the First Lady of an African nation who was in the process of losing real property worth in excess of $15 million dollars in a fraud scam. Ms. Yu was successful in persuading a trial judge to invalidate various documents, including powers of attorney, due to fraudulent activities.

In 2005, Ms. Yu served as co-counsel for and successfully defended music legend Michael Jackson against conspiracy and child molestation charges in a five-month trial in Santa Maria, California. Mr. Jackson was acquitted and vindicated on all 10 felony and 4 lesser-included misdemeanor counts.

Ms. Yu also has served as co-counsel to actor Robert Blake in a high-profile capital murder case.

In prior years, Ms. Yu has successfully defended Home Depot U.S.A., Inc. in numerous criminal regulatory compliance matters, throughout many different criminal courts in Southern California. In some of these cases, Ms. Yu successfully persuaded the District Attorneys to dismiss the charges in their entirety.

Ms. Yu has successfully prosecuted and defended a wide variety of cases in both state and federal courts on behalf of individuals, mid-size institutions, and major corporations, including Fortune 500 companies. She has extensive experience in complex litigation disputes involving antitrust violations, criminal regulatory compliance, unfair competition, unfair business practices, trade secrets, fraud, business torts, regulatory compliance, breach of contract, wrongful termination (based on race, gender, age and disability discrimination), real estate-related claims, as well as highly contentious divorce, probate, and conservatorship proceedings.

A relentless advocate, 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, trials and appeals.

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

• Successfully prosecuted and defended, on behalf of individual and corporate clients, numerous cases involving unfair competition, unfair business practices, trade libel, trade secret violation, trade mark and trade name infringements, fraud, breach of contract, partnership dissolution, and breach of fiduciary duty, among other claims.
• Obtained numerous favorable settlement resolutions for individual and corporate clients involving lender liability, false imprisonment and mistaken identity (criminal), products liability, breach of contract, antitrust violation, unfair competition, unfair business practices, false advertising, eminent domain, construction defect, environmental liability, and divorce and conservatorship proceedings.
• Obtained numerous dismissals of criminal charges for a Fortune 500 company involving allegations of California Penal Code violations, as well as regulatory compliance and enforcement.
• Successfully defended a brokerage company accused of real estate fraud, breach of contract, professional negligence, and breach of fiduciary duty claims.
• Successfully prosecuted an action involving wrongful termination based on breach of fiduciary duty, breach of partnership, defamation, among other claims, on behalf of a high-ranking medical professional.

Ms. Yu provides volunteer work for a number of community-based organizations in the greater Los Angeles. 

Ms. Yu serves on the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Judicial Appointments Committee, which evaluates individuals under Governor’s consideration for appointment to the Superior Court bench as Judges.

Ms. Yu runs a free legal clinic she opened at her church, St. James’ Episcopal Church in Los Angeles, for low-income persons from all walks of life. 

Ms. Yu 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:

• Harvard University Law School’s 12th Annual National Asian Pacific American Conference (for law students and community leaders);
• Los Angeles Leadership Academy (for middle and high school students);
• 2005 Summer Associate Mixer, hosted by Asian Pacific American Bar Association in Los Angeles (for summer associates, law interns and law students);
• Rotary Club of Los Angeles (for community leaders);
• National Korean American Coalition Convention in Colorado (for community leaders and students); and
• University of Denver (for students and community leaders)

Since 2004, Ms. Yu has participated as a Professor for a Day 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.