The global law firm Jones Day has announced that Celeste M. Brecht has joined the Firm as a partner in its Business & Tort Litigation Practice and is based in the Los Angeles Office. Brecht joins Jones Day from Venable LLP in Los Angeles.
Ms. Brecht is an experienced litigator focused on complex civil disputes for clients in a wide range of industries, including pharmaceutical, healthcare, consumer products, media and entertainment, and transportation. She has successfully argued before the California Courts of Appeal, tried cases in state and federal courts, and obtained favorable jury verdicts and results in a variety of forums.
At Jones Day, Ms. Brecht joins one of the pre-eminent global litigation practices, where she will serve clients in business and government disputes, torts and civil litigation-from counseling through trial and appeal.
“Celeste’s experience defending clients in class action and product liability litigation is an excellent complement to the strengths of our practice,” said Stephanie Parker, co-leader of Jones Day’s Business & Tort Litigation Practice. “She is also a tireless advocate and a proven winner in the courtroom for matters ranging from employment disputes and environmental lawsuits to pharmaceutical matters and workplace safety complaints. Celeste is an excellent addition to our practice and we are excited to work alongside her on behalf of our clients.”
Ms. Brecht has earned a number of professional recognitions for her work in recent years. She was named to Law360’s Rising Stars for Product Liability in 2020, to the Daily Journal’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2020, and has been included in the Los Angeles Business Journal’s Top Women Attorneys for 2018, 2019, and 2020.
“Celeste is a first-chair trial lawyer with a proven track record of winning dispositive motions in advance of trial, managing commercial business disputes from inception through appeal, and litigating various complex cases for companies of all sizes,” said Karen P. Hewitt, Partner-in-Charge of Jones Day’s California Region. “Our clients will benefit from her experience as an advocate, her knowledge of California courts, and her professional integrity. We are delighted that she has chosen to join Jones Day and look forward to her contributions.”
“In addition to being a terrific trial lawyer, Celeste is a respected member of our local legal community who has provided important pro bono services through the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Domestic Violence Project and the Inner City Law Center,” said David J. DiMeglio, Partner-in-Charge of Jones Day’s Los Angeles Office. “She also has been active in a number of important professional organizations here in L.A. that are committed to supporting the advancement of women lawyers. We are pleased to welcome her to the Los Angeles Office and know she will be a great member of our team.”
Ms. Brecht graduated cum laude from Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles and earned her undergraduate degree with honors from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.
Joining Ms. Brecht as an associate is Ramanda Luper. Ms. Luper has a broad range of experience in resolving complex civil disputes for clients in the pharmaceutical, medical device, media and entertainment, and transportation industries. She has managed all aspects of litigation, from initial briefing, through written discovery and depositions, and ultimately to trial in both state and federal courts.
