Professional Experience

Mr. Zipser is a partner in our Litigation Department and is the co-chair of the firm’s Class Actions practice group and Financial Services Litigation practice group.  He is a recognized leader in the Orange County legal community and, among other things, is a Past President of the Orange County Bar Association and the Orange County Chapter of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers.

Mr. Zipser has a civil business litigation practice encompassing complex actions in intellectual property, consumer class actions, contract, business torts, real estate, construction, and lender liability. He also regularly counsels clients in connection with efforts to avoid or minimize the risks of litigation and has extensive experience in alternative dispute resolution procedures.

Mr. Zipser was honored to be named as one of the 176 lawyers nationwide on the BTI Consulting 2009 Client All-Star Team.  The survey was the result of interviews with more than 270 general counsels at Fortune 1000 and other companies.  BTI sought the attorneys who stand for leveraging knowledge of their clients’ businesses to deliver strategic advice, who keep their clients' interests top of mind through the efficient use of time and resources, and who provide responsive and timely answers to clients’ most precious needs.

Mr. Zipser has taken a leadership role in bar associations and other professional organizations, including: 

• As the President of the Orange County Bar Association in 2005, he led the second-largest bar association in California and the eighth-largest voluntary bar association in the United States. Previously, he was elected to and served as its Secretary, Treasurer, and President-elect, and on its Board of Directors. He has been and continues to be called on to lead and serve on key committees and task forces.  Over the last few years, for example, Mr. Zipser has chaired the Leadership Task Force, and co-chaired the Mentoring Committee and Mentoring on Demand Committee.
• Mr. Zipser also served for many years on the Board of Directors of the Orange County Bar Association Charitable Fund – the charitable arm of the Bar Association – and served as the Fund’s President in 2006.
• In 2004 Mr. Zipser served as the President of the Orange County Chapter of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers. He previously served as the Chapter’s Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer and as a member of its Board of Governors. He was instrumental in launching and was the first editor of the Chapter’s quarterly report.  
• Currently, Mr. Zipser is a member of the Board of Directors of the Orange County Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, the Constitutional Rights Foundation of Orange County, and the Orange County Bar Foundation.  
• Mr. Zipser also has served as a lawyer representative to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference.

In 2003 Mr. Zipser received the Jurisprudence Award given by the Anti-Defamation League. The award is given annually for individual commitment to the highest ideals of the legal profession and dedicated service to the community. 

Mr. Zipser has been chosen as a “Super Lawyer” for Southern California yearly since 2005, a recognition limited to only five percent of lawyers in Southern California. In addition, for the past four years, he has been listed as one of the “Best Lawyers in America” in the fields of Commercial Litigation, Intellectual Property, and most recently Bet-the-Company Litigation.

Mr. Zipser also regularly supervises a number of pro bono matters, and has served on the Board of the Public Law Center, Orange County’s provider of pro bono legal services.

Prior to joining Manatt, Mr. Zipser was the managing partner and head of the Litigation Department at the Orange County office of Morrison & Foerster LLP.

Education

Stanford Law School, J.D., 1980.
Member, Stanford Law Review.

University of California, Los Angeles, B.A., summa cum laude, 1977.

Representative Matters

• Representation of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., in various consumer class actions.
• Representation of Shea Homes and Mission Viejo Company in real estate, construction, contract, and class-action disputes.
• Representation of Target Corp., Ralphs Grocery Co., El Torito Restaurants, Inc., Flight Test Historical Foundation, and Playmates Toys, among others, in intellectual property matters.

Memberships & Activities

Honors & Awards

Publications

Speaking Engagements