Attorney Susan Yu | civil litigation and criminal defense

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Attorney Susan C. Yu specializes in complex civil and criminal trials in State and Federal courts. 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.

Susan Yu with Michael Jackson on June 13 2005 verdict Day Over the years, Ms. Yu has successfully defended prominent clients in high-stakes cases, including: the late music legend, Michael Jackson; a publicly traded, Texas-based Oil Pipeline Company; 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; the former First Lady of Gabon, Africa (also the mother of the country's current president, President Ali Bongo); 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; and actor Robert Blake.

Committed to excellence and strong dedication to her clients, Ms. Yu has consistently obtained outstanding results, both in and out of the court:

Recently, 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 agreed to dismiss 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. They have also agreed to recommend no jail time and to waive the government's 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 not retry the case.

In February 2009, Ms. Yu, as lead trial counsel, obtained a Hung Jury in a document-intensive felony financial embezzlement case for her client, an executive assistant. The prosecution has agreed to not retry the case.

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:

Successfully defended, as co-lead trial counsel, a boat manufacturer involving multi-million dollar products liability and negligence claims. The case settled for a nuisance amount.
Successfully defended and prosecuted, as lead trial counsel, on behalf of a prominent businessman, who came to her after having lost 9 separate civil business lawsuits. He was the target victim of a massive fraud scam. He had lost a bench trial, had several default judgments entered against him, and had a case dismissed against him. In a short period of only 2 months, Ms. Yu expeditiously and successfully Won a Motion for New Trial (setting aside the bench trial judgment); Won multiple Motions to Set Aside Default Judgments; Won a Motion to Set Aside the Dismissal and Reinstate the Action; and Won a bench trial for her client.
Successfully defended, as lead counsel, a top real estate brokerage company involving a multi-million dollar real estate fraud claim. The case settled for a nuisance amount on the eve of a summary judgment motion hearing.

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:

Harvard University Law School’s 12th Annual National Asian Pacific American Conference (for law students and community leaders);
University of Denver (for 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);
National Korean American Coalition Convention in Colorado (for community leaders and students); and
Rotary Club of Los Angeles (for community leaders);

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.

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