Clayton Hix is an accomplished trial attorney who represents clients involved in business disputes. He has secured numerous favorable outcomes in both state and federal court jury trials, as well as arbitration proceedings.

• Litigation
• Commercial Landlord/Tenant
• Intellectual Property Litigation

• Loyola Law School – J.D. 2004
• University of Southern California – B.A. 2001

Trade Secret Litigation

• Prosecuted and defended dozens of state and federal cases involving claims for misappropriation of trade secrets by employers against former employees. These cases often involve seeking or resisting temporary restraining orders and injunctions.
• Obtained a complete defense verdict after a 10-day jury trial for a former employee sued for trade secret misappropriation and breach of fiduciary duty in connection with the formation of a competing business.
• Recovered attorney fee awards for numerous defendants sued for trade secret misappropriation in bad faith.

Contract Disputes

• Obtained a multimillion-dollar jury verdict, which included punitive damages, against a landlord who blocked a tenant from selling its business so the landlord could personally gain from the transaction.
• Obtained a six-figure damages award in a federal court jury trial against a celebrity defendant who failed to appear for a live performance.
• Represented plaintiffs in a federal case involving claims for breach of contract in connection with the sale of a bushing manufacturer to a large, publicly traded company. Defeated an eight-figure counterclaim on summary judgment and obtained a seven-figure judgment, including attorneys’ fees. Successfully defended the judgment in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Prosecution of Federal RICO Case

• Represented a staffing company in the prosecution of a federal RICO case involving claims for fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, misappropriation of trade secrets, Lanham Act violations, etc. Defeated an eight-figure counterclaim on summary judgment and obtained a favorable settlement.

Employment Litigation

• Obtained a complete defense verdict after a jury trial for a hospital accused of defaming a doctor.
• Obtained a complete defense verdict at trial for apartment complex owner against wage claims brought by the apartment manager.

Negligence

• Obtained summary judgement for a university against person injured at a fraternity party. (University of Southern California v. Superior Court (2018) 30 Cal.App 5th 429.)

Probate and Trust Matters

• Represented executors and trustees in probate court in various matters involving creditor claims and trust administration.
• Obtained a seven-figure damages award in a case involving financial elder abuse, and successfully upheld the award on appeal. (Kerley v. Weber (2018) 27 Cal.App 5th 1187.)