Hogan Lovells hired consumer products trial attorney Trenton Norris in Northern California on Thursday.
Norris, a partner at Arnold & Porter for more than a decade, joined Hogan Lovells in San Francisco to continue to build a bank serving clients’ technology, intellectual property, environmental and commercial litigation needs.
“California is one of the country’s most important consumer litigation markets, and Trent has emerged as one of the premier litigators in this highly competitive space,” said Patrick Michael, managing partner of Hogan Lovells’ San Francisco office in a statement.
“He and his team are following in the footsteps of partners Megan Nishikawa and Amber Trincado who joined us last fall,” added Michael. “Together, this group has significantly strengthened our capacity to conduct trade disputes in Northern California.”
Norris declined to comment on whether other members of Arnold & Porter will join him at Hogan Lovells. However, he quipped, “You can’t do this kind of work without an experienced team.”
Norris, who has advised McDonald’s and PepsiCo, among others, focuses on representing companies in consumer or activist lawsuits alleging violations of regulatory standards. He has defended hundreds of companies in disputes related to Proposition 65 and California consumer protection laws.
“Hogan Lovells’ regulatory depth in consumer products was a draw,” said Norris, noting the strength of its food regulatory practice.
Norris declined to comment on clients, but said he will continue to work with several he has in common with Hogan Lovells.
Demand is “booming,” he said, noting that he’s observed more plaintiff attorneys in the consumer goods space in recent years. Advanced analytical techniques that can detect levels of chemicals in different products have also fueled more controversy, he said.
“There’s always something going on in the area of consumer product regulation,” added Norris.
Norris cited the Federal Trade Commission’s ongoing review of green marketing claims, as well as proposed changes regarding the federal government’s assessment of auto-renewable subscription programs, as two areas to keep an eye on.
Norris joined Arnold & Porter in 2008 as a founding partner of Arnold & Porter’s San Francisco office and has served on the firm’s policy, compensation and lateral committees over the years.
Previously, he worked for the now defunct Bingham McCutchen and its predecessor McCutchen Doyle Brown & Enersen for around 15 years before it merged with Bingham Dana in 2002.
Norris maintains an active pro bono practice with a focus on the LGBTQ+ community and is a registered lobbyist with the California Environmental Protection Agency.
