Yvette D. Roland practices in the areas of complex civil and commercial litigation, insurance coverage and employment law. Since she began practicing law in 1987, Ms. Roland has been lead trial counsel on diverse types of cases involving copyright infringement, trademark infringement, defamation, premises liability, environmental coverage, products liability and franchisor/franchisee litigation. Ms. Roland has also represented employers against wrongful termination, retaliation, unfair competition, breach of contract, wage and hour, harassment and discrimination claims arising on the basis of race, religion, sexual orientation and national origin. While she is a seasoned litigator in state and federal courts, Ms. Roland has resolved many multimillion-dollar disputes by implementing appropriate alternative dispute resolution measures.

Ms. Roland has served as a board member and officer of the Black Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles since 1995, and is a board member of the Black Women Lawyers Foundation and the California Association of Black Lawyers. She also is member of the American Bar Association, John M. Langston Bar Association, the National Bar Association and the Los Angeles County Bar Association.

Ms. Roland is a 1983 graduate of the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law, where she was a member of the UCLA-Alaska Law Review, and a graduate of Stanford University (M.A.) and the University of California, Riverside (B.A., with honors). She was an Immigration Law Counselor at the UCLA Office of International Students & Scholars from 1983-1986. From 1986-1987, Ms. Roland was a law clerk to the Honorable Terry J. Hatter, Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. She occasionally serves as a UCLA moot court judge.

Representative Matters

• Maldonado v. Consolidated Container Co.
• Castilla v. Consolidated Container Co.
• Alcala v. Consolidated Container Co.
• Martin Marietta et al. v. Aetna Casualty & Surety Co.
• Southern California Gas Co. v. AEGIS, Ltd., et al.
• Four Star Oil & Gas Co. [Texaco], et al. v. Allianz Ins. Co. et al.
• Safety-Kleen Envirosystems Company v. Continental Cas. Ins. Co. et al.
• Leslie Procter and Cos. v. Lockheed Martin Corporation
• Jensen-Kelly Corp. et al. v. Allianz Underwriters.
• Southern California Edison Co. v. American Home Assur. Co.
• USLIC (Safety-Kleen Envirosystems Co. v. Continental Cas. Co.
• Chen v. Todai Restaurant
• Slamma v. Mobil Oil Corporation

Admissions

• California
• U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Education

• University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, J.D., 1983
• Stanford University, M.A., 1974
• University of California, Riverside, B.A., with honors, 1973

Other Experience

• Duane Morris LLP
  - Partner, 2006-present
• Hancock Rothert & Bunshoft LLP
  - Partner, 1996-2005
  - Associate, 1990-1996
• U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
  - Judicial Law Clerk, Honorable Terry J. Hatter, Jr. 1986-87
• University of California at Los Angeles Office of International Students & Scholars
  - Immigration Law Counselor, 1983-1986

Professional Activities

• American Bar Association
• Black Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles
  - President, 2008-2009
• Black Women Lawyers of Los Angeles Foundation
  - Board Member, 2000-present
• California Association of Black Lawyers
  - Chair, Legislation Committee, 2007-present
• John M. Langston Bar Association
• National Bar Association
• Los Angeles County Bar Association
• Duane Morris Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Member

Honors / Awards

• "President's Distinguished Service Award"- California Assn. of Black Lawyers, April 24, 2010
• Named a Southern California Super Lawyer for 2006
• "The Business of Law," sponsored by the Black Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, California, February 19, 2004
• "Women of Distinction in the Business & Legal Community," presented by the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, May 6, 2004

Speaking Engagements

• Moderator, "Town Hall Meeting," California Association of Black Lawyers Conference, Los Angeles, April 27, 2013
• "Client Relations-Best Practice Tips," Los Angeles County Bar Association, Los Angeles, California, March 11, 2010
• "Banking On Our Future," Operation Hope, Morningside High School, Inglewood, California, December 11, 2008
• Chair and Moderator, Duane Morris Diversity Retreat, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 2008
• Speaker, "Phoenix Rising," Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, California, October 2007
• Panelist, Duane Morris Diversity Retreat, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 2007
• "Trying the Business Punitive Damages Case," Association of Business Trial Lawyers' 30th Annual Seminar, Hyatt Tamaya Resort, Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico, October 17-19, 2003
• "Depositions and Difficult Adversaries," Los Angeles County Bar Association Program, April 1999
• "Witness Preparation," Los Angeles County Bar Association Program, April 1999
• "Partnership - Is It A Crystal Stair?" California Association of Black Lawyers, May 1999
• "A Fireside Chat," Black Women Lawyers Education Committee Workshop, November 1997-2002
• "Insurance Updates," California Minority Counsel Program, November 1997
• "Trying the Complex Environmental Insurance Case," Lorman Education Services, 1996