Ellen A. Cirangle

Partner
Ellen Cirangle
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(415) 981-0550
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Services
Commercial Litigation, Litigation, Real Estate Litigation, Securities
Commercial Litigation, Litigation, Real Estate Litigation, Securities

Education

  • University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly University of California, Hastings College of the Law) (J.D. 1992)
    • Summa Cum Laude
  • American University (M.A. Psychology, 1987)
  • University of Wisconsin (B.A. 1985)

Admissions

Bar Admissions

  • California
  • Hawaii

Judicial Clerkships

  • Honorable Ann Aldrich, United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio (1992-1993)

Representative Matters

  • Represented a publicly-traded company against broker-dealers in San Francisco Superior Court action for market manipulation arising from intentional naked short selling of the company’s stock. Obtained a reversal of order granting summary judgment against Merrill Lynch Professional Clearing Corporation. Landmark ruling held market manipulation statutes can cover manipulation by clearing firms and prime brokers. Overstock.com, Inc. v. Goldman Sachs & Co., 231 Cal. App. 4th 513, 180 Cal. Rptr. 3d 269 (2014). Case settled for $20 million after remand for trial.
  • Represented a publicly-traded company in defamation and market manipulation action against stock analysts and hedge fund. The company prevailed on an anti-SLAPP motion at the trial court and appellate level. Overstock.com v. Gradient Analytics, et al., 151 C.A. 4th 688 (2007). The case was settled, resulting in both a retraction and a monetary settlement.
  • Represented a cellular telephone insurance provider in class action alleging insurance overcharges on behalf of California consumers. Obtained dismissal at the trial court, which was upheld by the Ninth Circuit.
  • Represented a real estate investment company in nationwide class action alleging violations of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. Obtained summary judgment.
  • Represented a retired couple whose conservative stock portfolio was liquidated and invested in high-tech funds by a Morgan Stanley broker. Won award of full damages sought after week-long arbitration.
  • Represented officer of a Fortune 50 company whose company stock was both mismanaged and embezzled by an account manager at a brokerage firm who was unlicensed. Obtained successful results in suits against introducing brokerage firms and clearing broker.
  • Represented a defendant in a fraud/rescission case concerning a commercial lease. Plaintiff dismissed the case with prejudice after a one-week trial. A full award of attorneys’ fees was granted.

Related News

Ellen A. Cirangle is a partner in Lubin Olson’s Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Real Estate Litigation, and Securities service groups. Ms. Cirangle previously served as the firm’s managing partner and has served as the head of the Litigation group for more than 12 years. She specializes in securities fraud, defamation, defending class actions brought under California’s Unfair Business Practices Act, real estate, partnership disputes, and fiduciary matters. Ms. Cirangle prides herself in client communication and strives to work with each client to meet their needs, whether that be to aggressively negotiate an early settlement or take a case through trial, and, if necessary, appeal.

Ms. Cirangle is an experienced commercial litigator, successfully litigating against some of the biggest law firms in the country. Ms. Cirangle has extensive knowledge of securities trading, including short-selling. In a landmark decision, Ms. Cirangle successfully argued to the California Court of Appeal for the extension of California’s securities fraud statutes to brokers.  In another key ruling by the California Court of Appeal, Ms. Cirangle successfully defeated an anti-SLAPP motion brought by a stock manipulator who had published false information about a public company in order to drive down its stock price. Her recent successes in defending her clients from Section 17200 claims include obtaining a dismissal of a class action, which was upheld by the Ninth Circuit, as well as obtaining summary judgment on behalf of another client. Ms. Cirangle has also negotiated multiple settlements on behalf of her clients.

Ms. Cirangle was selected by her peers for inclusion in the 2018-2024 editions of The Best Lawyers in America© for her work in Securities Litigation. In addition, she has been honored by Thomson Reuters as a Northern California Super Lawyer for the past five years.

Before joining Lubin Olson, Ms. Cirangle practiced with Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott in Denver. Ms. Cirangle served on trial teams with Fred Bartlit, who has been recognized as one of the top 10 trial lawyers in the world. Ms. Cirangle also worked at Goodsill Anderson Quinn & Stifel in Honolulu while her husband was serving as a physician in the Army at Tripler Army Medical Center. Prior to that, she served as a law clerk to the Honorable Ann Aldrich in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.