In 1992, with the U.S. financial system rebounding from a recession, a number of of the nation’s largest airways sued one another over a value struggle. On one aspect was Continental and Northwest, which claimed bigger rival American Airways had illegally lowered fares to monopolize sure markets.
With American staring down upward of $3 billion in penalties, the case went to a federal jury, which deliberated for lower than three hours earlier than returning an acquittal.
After the favorable end result for his shoppers was introduced, Los Angeles legal professional Bob Cooper quipped to a New York Instances reporter that it was the authorized equal of hitting “a gap in a single.”
For Cooper, a large within the antitrust authorized protection world, the American Airways case turned out to be one in every of many aces. He defended a number of the nation’s largest and most recognizable firms from antitrust and patent lawsuits, utilizing his Midwestern allure and knowledgeable technique to win over juries and judges all through the Eighties and ’90s.
Cooper died June 27 at his residence in Indian Wells, Calif., his longtime regulation agency Gibson Dunn & Crutcher stated. He was 85.
He served as lead trial counsel for high-profile firm shoppers corresponding to Allergan, Callaway, Hewlett-Packard, Honeywell, Intel, Northrop Grumman, Sempra Vitality and Ticketmaster.
Beginning at 32, he efficiently defended Pfizer in antibiotics antitrust trials in Minneapolis, Philadelphia, New York and North Carolina, on the time the most important patent instances within the nation.
“He was clearly one in every of our greatest trial attorneys, and I believe grew to become among the best trial attorneys within the nation,” former Gibson Dunn chair and managing associate Ken Doran stated. “He has a method of speaking that was genuine, plausible, credible and persuasive.”
That expertise — to not simply argue a case, but additionally make a jury consider him — earned Cooper a prolonged listing of authorized victories. Colleagues stated his successes propelled his L.A. agency to change into a white-shoe powerhouse, with workplaces across the globe.
“Remarkably, Bob misplaced just one case over all these years — and even that end result may need been reversed had the events chosen to pursue an attraction quite than settle,” stated a memo to Gibson Dunn companions after his passing. His reason behind demise was listed as acute myeloid leukemia, which he was identified with in 2023.
“Bob Cooper’s story is a metaphor for the story of Los Angeles and California regulation companies going nationwide and international on the middle of the most important instances on this planet,” stated Ted Boutrous, a Gibson Dunn associate.
Robert Elliott Cooper was born Sept. 6, 1939, and raised in Kansas Metropolis. He attended Northwestern College after which Yale Legislation Faculty, the place he was editor of the Yale Legislation Journal. After graduating he joined Gibson Dunn, the place he would work for practically half a century.
On the agency in his later years he was often known as a mentor who shared instances that helped youthful litigators launch their careers. He lacked the bravado and ego of stereotypical trial attorneys, all the time even-keeled, calm and fast to unfold the credit score to others on his crew, colleagues stated.
“One of many earliest classes that he taught me was, if you happen to’re good at one thing, folks will discover. You don’t have to inform them,” Cooper’s son Jeff stated of his father.
He was simply as a lot himself within the courtroom as he was outdoors of it, usually on a golf course cracking jokes with a Coca-Cola — he had one in his hand morning, midday or evening, mates stated. He would sometimes delight mates with an impromptu serenade on the violin, which he’d performed since grade college.
Cooper additionally served as president of the Los Angeles Nation Membership after he retired, the place he in 2017 hosted the Walker Cup, a preferred newbie golf match.
Cooper is survived by his spouse, Elaine; youngsters Jeff, Greg and Kathy; and three grandchildren, Amanda, Eli and Robert.
