Add a bookmark to get started

Gregory Sperla

Greg Sperla

Of Counsel
About

Greg Sperla is a litigator and regulatory attorney protecting clients in complex litigation and regulatory enforcement matters. He is focused on the science of consumer products, food and beverages, and is broadly experienced in domestic and global regulation of consumer goods and disputes. On behalf of manufacturers, distributors and retailers, Mr. Sperla has conducted trials and appeals and defended matters against local, state, and federal agencies.

Mr. Sperla has advised companies of all sizes, including startups and Fortune 500s in dozens of industries, on matters involving California's Proposition 65, consumer class actions, administrative proceedings, permitting and licensure, hazardous waste, regulatory enforcement, and product labeling and marketing rules, among other issues. He has also advised major trade associations on critical legislative and regulatory matters.

Mr. Sperla is an active litigator with significant experience in federal and state court, including the state's busiest complex litigation departments. He is one of the few attorneys to have obtained a post-trial judgment requiring a Proposition 65 "bounty hunter" to pay costs to a defendant. His passion for both science and civil procedure is reflected in multiple publications, presentations, and panels on cutting-edge issues affecting California litigants and a wide array of companies. 

Bar admissionsCalifornia

EXPERIENCE

  • Represented a Fortune 500 consumer product company at trial and on appeal in a Proposition 65 lawsuit that resulted in a judgment for the company and an award of costs from the plaintiff, a Proposition 65 "bounty hunter."
  • Obtained a non-prosecution commitment for an industrial equipment manufacturer from the Enforcement Division of the California Air Resources Board
  • Persuaded multiple state agencies, including the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment and California Department of Agricultural to adopt regulations or modify policies for manufacturer or trade association clients
  • Obtained the withdrawal of or agreement not to prosecute dozens of pre-litigation notices of violations of Proposition 65 and the California Consumer Legal Remedies Act
  • Negotiated the record lowest settlement of a Proposition 65 matter with prolific Proposition 65 bounty hunter Shefa LMV
  • Negotiated numerous unique, industry-leading Proposition 65 settlements for Fortune 500 companies, including a novel settlement for the tea industry approved over the objections of the California Attorney General
  • Advised both upstream and downstream companies in contract negotiations and indemnity disputes, and prepared dozens of client-tailored supplier agreements and other documents
  • Assisted both startups and multinational corporations on the preparation, drafting, and implementation of compliance programs for a wide variety of regulatory schemes and the investigation and assessment of potential regulatory violations
  • Assisted in the successful development of hundreds of new consumer products, including advise as to state and federal marketing and labeling, formulations, supply chain, and packaging issues, among many others
  • Coordinated the simultaneous transfer of over 100 licenses and permits in several states involving over a dozen regulatory agencies on behalf of the purchaser of a West Coast pest control and pesticide business
Education
  • J.D., University of California, Berkeley, School of Law 2011
  • B.A., San Francisco State University 2007

Awards

  • The Legal 500 United States
    • Recommended, Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action: Consumer Products (including Tobacco) (2022)
    • Recommended, Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Actions: Toxic Tort - Defense (2022)

Fellowship

  • Senate Fellow, Capital Fellows Program, Class of 2007-2008

Connect