Polly Towill

Polly Towill is a partner in the Business Trial Practice Group in the firm’s Los Angeles office, where she is also the Office Managing Partner. She is the Leader of the firm's Toxic Tort and Product Liability Team. Polly is recognized by the Daily Journal as one of the “Top Women Lawyers.”

Areas of Practice

Polly has extensive experience in litigating complex business disputes in state, federal courts and administrative hearings. She also regularly advises clients on preventative measures and risk management. Her varied practice includes representing clients in commercial transaction disputes, corporate compliance matters, regulatory matters, whistleblower retaliation claims, toxic tort and product liability litigation, product recalls and real estate disputes. In addition, she performs internal investigations for her clients. Polly represents clients in numerous industries including: financial institutions and services, real estate, manufacturing and fabrication, aerospace and defense, oil and gas, technology and healthcare.

Polly defends class action matters in state and federal courts alleging securities violations, business torts, false advertising, violations of telephone recording statutes, and other claims. She specializes in whistleblower retaliation lawsuits brought under various federal and state statutes, including the Sarbanes-Oxley and Dodd-Frank Acts.

Polly devotes substantial time to pro bono work and mentoring young attorneys. She is currently leading a class action lawsuit filed on behalf of foster care children in California and successfully obtained asylum for a LGBTQ woman from Uganda.  

Polly is the former law clerk to United States District Court Judge Manuel L. Real. While with the firm, she also worked as in-house counsel for Northrop Grumman Corporation, where she managed litigation and supervised outside counsel.

Experience

Obtained dismissal with prejudice of multiple securities class action and shareholder derivative suits brought against major financial institution and its top executives.

Successfully defeated in arbitration on behalf of a major publicly traded company a whistleblower retaliation action under federal and state law.

Represented real estate developer in several actions for fraud and breach of contract involving 100,000 acre ranch located in Central California.

Achieved complete victory for federal savings bank in state court action filed against it seeking over $400 million in damages for alleged breaches of acquisition, technology and consulting contracts; fraud; violations of banking regulations, security, and labor laws. After over three years of litigation, all causes of action were dismissed and client made no monetary payment and no modifications of business practices was required.

Handled investigation brought by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (“OCC”) based on consumer allegations of undercapitalization, faulty mortgage loans, and other alleged violations. 

Investigated alleged bank employee theft, resulting in discovery of hundreds of thousands of dollars in false reimbursements.

Conduct investigations for Board of Directors concerning company’s compliance with applicable regulations.

Represented client in International Chamber of Commerce (“ICC”) arbitration against major United Kingdom defense contractor.

Primary role in successfully arbitrating the first False Claims Act action decided by two federal judges in a unique baseball arbitration brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice.

Defeated on the eve of trial a headline-making mass toxic tort action spearheaded by Erin Brockovich alleging that client’s oil facility caused cancer in Beverly Hills High School students.

Successfully terminated product recall by Consumer Product Safety Commission against international manufacturer of electronic products.

Represented major toy manufacturer in numerous complaints alleging injuries from exposure to chemicals.

Represented numerous clients in actions for alleged exposure to chemicals used in manufacturing facilities.

Representation of auto dealership in product liability action alleging catastrophic personal injuries of multiple plaintiffs.

Represented Parsons in disputes with the Southern California Regional Rail Authority and subcontractors for negligence and indemnity claims arising out of the Metrolink and Caltrans positive train control project.

Obtained dismissal of federal class action alleging violations of the California telephone recording statutes.

Obtained dismissal of three product recall actions brought by the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration (“NHSTA”) acquitting client bus window manufacturer of all claims.

Represented owner of a valuable Picasso painting in Nazi stolen art case in action simultaneously pursued in state and federal courts in California and Illinois by private parties and the United States government. After successfully defeating personal jurisdiction in California trial and appellate courts, matter settled after review granted by California Supreme Court.

Achieved a jury verdict on behalf of one of the state’s largest commercial printers in a case against another commercial printer, its president and one of its sales people. Client was awarded damages for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, misappropriation of trade secrets and unfair competition. A jury also found in favor of client on cross-complaints for slander, libel and interference with prospective business advantage.

Representative Clients

Ms. Towill has represented such clients as: Axos Financial, Inc.; Silvergate Capital Corporation; Dale Poe Development Company; Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco; Scott Robinson Honda; FAT Brands Inc.; Venoco, Inc.; MassMutual; Discount Tires; Parsons Corporation (and affiliates); Herbalife International of America, Inc.; The Inception Companies, LLC; Einstök Beer Company; H.C. Duke & Son LLC; Hehr International; Avalon Glass and Mirror Co.; GlassWerks LA, Inc.; PR Glass; Consolidated Graphics, Inc.; Mattel, Inc.; Northrop Grumman Corporation; Raytheon Systems Company; and Jacobs Engineering Group Inc.

Honors

Named one of the Daily Journal's Top Women Lawyers, 2024, 2007

Named a California Litigation Star by Benchmark Litigation, 2020-2025

Southern California Super Lawyer

Leaders of Influence: Top Litigators and Trial Lawyers, Los Angeles Business Journal, 2023

Named one of the Los Angeles Times’ Banking and Finance Visionaries, 2022

Named one of the Los Angeles Business Journal's Most Influential Women Lawyers, 2017 and 2018

Named one of the Los Angeles Business Journal's Leading Environmental Lawyers in Los Angeles

Finalist, Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers In America, Lawdragon Magazine

Received an AV® rating from Martindale-Hubbell®, highest rating an attorney can receive for legal quality and ethics

Articles

• Ten Tips For Defeating SOX and Dodd-Frank Whistleblower Claims, Corporate Counsel, January 7, 2020.

Media Mentions

Memberships

Los Angeles Bar Association

United States Law Firm Group, Litigation Committee

Toxic Torts and Environmental Law Committee, Defense Research Institute (DRI)

American Bar Association

Digital Media