Robert G. Retana

Robert G. Retana is an accomplished litigator, with both civil and criminal experience and a long history of community involvement. After graduating from law school, Mr. Retana worked as a civil litigator at the Heller Ehrman firm in San Francisco, where he handled large, complex litigation as well as several pro bono matters. From 1994-1998, he served as an Assistant District Attorney for the City and County of San Francisco, where he was the Assistant Supervisor of the Misdemeanor Trial Division and a member of the Felony Domestic Violence Unit. As an Assistant District Attorney, Mr. Retana tried dozens of cases and handled hundreds of hearings. He then worked as a litigator at Cotchett Pitre & Simon, where he handled complex cases, including class actions, securities and antitrust cases, on the plaintiff’s side. Mr. Retana next worked as an attorney for the Administrative Office of the Courts, in the Litigation Management Unit, where he handled litigation for and gave legal advice to judges, courts and court staff. Before joining Pearson, Simon & Warshaw, LLP, Mr. Retana was a named partner at Oliver, Sabec & Retana, where he handled litigation and intellectual property matters. Mr. Retana has also served as a Judge Pro Tem in San Mateo County. At Pearson, Simon & Warshaw, LLP, Mr. Retana was a member of the trial team in In re TFT-LCD (Flat Panel) Antitrust Litigation. He worked extensively on the briefing of summary judgment motions and on the motions for preliminary and final approval of the settlements reached therein. He was actively involved in the trial of that case, including the examination of witnesses. As part of that trial team, Mr. Retana was nominated along with other lawyers from the firm by the Consumer Attorneys of California as a finalist for the Consumer Attorney of the Year Award. Mr. Retana is currently counsel in two proposed class actions involving complex allegations of aiding and abetting Ponzi schemes. One involves primarily Latinos in Los Angeles who invested in a company known as “Financial Plus” that targeted members of the Latino community. A substantial settlement was reached in that matter with a national bank that is alleged to have aided and abetted the Ponzi scheme operator. The other is brought on behalf of the trustee of an investment company whose assets were looted by its managers with the knowledge and assistance of its bank. Mr. Retana has been featured as a speaker at events related to educating the public about investment scams. For example, in March of 2013, he spoke about avoiding Ponzi schemes and financial fraud at Univision’s Feria Financiera, Plan Prosperidad 2013, held at the University of Southern California. In the Fall of 2013, he was featured as a legal expert in a video produced by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) regarding investment fraud in the Latino community. Current Cases: • In re Lithium Ion Batteries Antitrust Litigation (N.D. Cal.) • Arreola v. Bank of America, N.A., et al. (C.D. Cal.) • Uecker v. Wells Fargo Capital Finance, LLC (Bankr. N.D. Cal.)

• Of Counsel

• Oliver, Sabec & Retana, Partner, 2010 - 2011
• Administrative Office of the Court, Attorney, 2007 - 2010
• Languages
• Spanish

• La Raza Centro Legal, 1991 - 2011

• California, 1990
• U.S. District Court Northern District of California, 1990
• U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 1991
• U.S. Supreme Court, 2001
• U.S. District Court Central District of California
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of California
• U.S. District Court Southern District of California

• Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights of the SF Bay Area, 1990 - 2011 (Member)
• La Raza Lawyers Association, 2002 - 2005 (Board Member)
• La Raza Centro Legal (Former Board Member and former Board President)
• BALIF (Member)
• American Bar Association
• San Mateo County Bar Association
• Association of Business Trial Lawyers