University of San Diego School of Law (J.D., 2005) cum laude
University of California, Los Angeles (B.A. Political Science, 2002)
Provost’s Honors List
State Bar of California
U.S. District Court for Central District of California
U.S. District Court for Northern District of California
U.S. District Court for Southern District of California
U.S. District Court for Eastern District of California
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Previously Admitted Pro Hac Vice in Utah, Texas, Washington, Nevada, Ohio, New York, Louisiana, Kentucky, Michigan, South Carolina, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania.
Orange Coast Magazine 2024 Power Attorney
“Legal Visionaries” by Los Angeles Times B2B (2023)
“Southern California Super Lawyer” by Super Lawyers® (2017-2024)
“Southern California Rising Star” by Super Lawyers® (2015)
“Top Court Verdict” by Top Verdict™ (Texas 2015)
Los Angeles County Bar Trial Advocacy Program (“TAP Program”)
Firm-Wide Pro Bono Award at Bingham McCutchen LLP
Roe v. Rivian Automotive, LLC (C.D. Cal.) – Successfully defended Rivian Automotive against class action claims, obtaining dismissal of all claims at the pleading stage on motion to dismiss.
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport Board v. Inet Airport Systems (N.D. Tex. and 5th Cir.) –Won complete defense jury trial verdict, won jury verdict on counterclaims, and recovered attorneys’ fees as prevailing party for California manufacturer in lawsuit against the Dallas-Forth Worth International Airport Board in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas.
Gonzalez v. Ford Motor Co. (C.D. Cal.) – Prevailed on all claims against Ford Motor Company in lawsuit brought in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, obtaining dismissal at the pleading stage of CLRA and UCL claims and then winning summary judgment on the remaining Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act claims.
Nunez v. Ford Motor Co. (C.D. Cal.) – Prevailed on all claims against Ford Motor Company in lawsuit brought in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California by winning summary judgment on the Plaintiff’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act claims.
Garza v. Ford Motor Co. (C.D. Cal.) – Won summary judgment for Ford Motor Company in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California based on argument that the plaintiff should be judicially estopped from pursuing her claims.
Velasco, et al. v. PACCAR, et al. (C.D. Cal.) – Successfully represented manufacturer in class action lawsuit pending in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
Ruiz v. Abbott Medical Optics (Orange County Sup. Ct.) – Defeated class certification in consumer class action brought against contact lens manufacturer for false advertising and mislabeling.
Stephenson v. El-Batrawi (8th Cir.) – Obtained reversal of $67.5 million default judgment on appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
Children’s Hospital and Medical Center Foundation of Omaha, et al. v. Countrywide Fin. Corp., et al. (9th Cir.) – Obtained dismissal of all securities and state law claims against accounting firm in class action opt-out lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
California Alliance of Child and Family Services v. Allenby (9th Cir.) – Obtained “precedent setting” ruling following appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in litigation brought against the State of California by California foster group homes arising out of the underfunding of foster care group homes under the Child Welfare Act
Securities & Exchange Commission v. Smith (C.D. Cal.) – Successfully represented financial commentator at jury trial in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, obtaining complete defense verdict on three out of four claims and a hung jury on the fourth claim.
RJG Consultants, Inc. v. Force Protection, Inc. ( C.D. Cal. and 9th Cir.) – Prevailed on motion to dismiss as to all claims brought against client, an international arms manufacturer, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and prevailed on subsequent appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
MGA v. Mattel (C.D. Cal.) – Successfully obtained dismissal of RICO claims brought against senior secured lender of international toy manufacturer in U.S. District Court for Central District of California.
Craig Taggart is an experienced trial attorney and class action litigator who has handled high-profile and high-stakes litigation matters throughout the United States for a diverse set of clients, including automotive manufacturers, medical device companies, accounting firms, and financial institutions. Craig has been recognized as a “Southern California Super Lawyer” by Super Lawyers® for 2017-2024, and Craig, along with MTA co-founder Michael Mortenson, were recently recognized as “Legal Visionaries” in the Business of Law by the Los Angeles Times B2B. Craig also has received recognition in Top Verdict™ for his trial success.
Craig has litigated some of the biggest cases in Southern California history, including the Bratz doll litigation, Countrywide Securities Litigation, and litigation arising out of one of the largest Securities Investor Protection Corporation bailouts in history. Craig has defended companies in nationwide consumer and securities class actions, and he has argued cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth and Ninth Circuits. Recently, Craig was lead counsel in a jury trial against the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport Board in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas where he obtained a complete defense verdict on all claims, prevailed on his client’s counterclaims, and was awarded a seven figure attorneys’ fees award.
Craig devotes a considerable amount of his practice to representing automotive manufacturers in class action and consumer litigation in state and federal courts. Craig’s experience includes defending automotive clients in cases involving fraud-based claims; warranty claims under the Commercial Code, California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act and Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act; and claims under California’s Consumer Legal Remedies Act and Unfair Competition Law. Craig’s representation of manufacturers includes defending against product liability claims for strict liability and wrongful death.
Craig also represents clients in high-stakes securities litigation. His experience includes successfully representing clients in securities class actions and cases involving claims under the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, various state blue sky laws and RICO. These matters have involved alleged accounting fraud, structured investment vehicles, auction rate securities, mortgage-backed securities, stock loans, insider trading, stock option backdating and Chinese reverse-mergers. Craig has successfully argued cases before the Delaware Chancery Court.
Like all of Mortenson Taggart Adams LLP’s attorneys, Craig is dedicated to pro-bono work, and he has spent a large part of his career advocating for foster care children in California. Craig obtained several victories for California foster care group homes in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit based on California’s failure to comply with the federal Child Welfare Act and cover the cost for basic necessities for children living foster care group homes. California Lawyer Magazinerecognized those victories “precedent-setting,” and those decisions have resulted in significant funding to foster care group homes that has allowed them to stay open and continue to operate.
Before starting Mortenson Taggart Adams, Craig was an equity partner at Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth and practiced at Bingham McCutchen LLP.