Attorneys

Dawn C. Sweatt

Associate

Business Litigation

Ms. Sweatt is in the business litigation group at Berliner Cohen.  As a litigation attorney, she has had several jury and bench trial successes involving complex business transactions, trade secrets, real estate, contracts, employment, insurance bad faith, professional negligence, and criminal law matters.  Prior to joining Berliner Cohen, she worked as a litigation associate for law firms in the Silicon Valley and Sacramento.  During law school Ms. Sweatt was a law clerk in the Sacramento and Placer Counties District Attorney’s Offices, the California Attorney General’s Office and a legal intern in the California Governor’s Office of Legal Affairs.

Outside the legal arena, Ms. Sweatt was a software and management consultant for Entergi and business development manager for Regus in Sacramento, California, and a software consultant for Bi-Tech Software, Inc. in Chico, California.

In 2011 and 2012, Ms. Sweatt was recognized as a Northern California Super Lawyers “Rising Star” by Law & Politics in Business Litigation.

Education/Honors

  • University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law (with distinction), J.D., 2005
    • Witkin Award for Academic Excellence
    • Dean’s Honor List
    • Traynor Honor Society
    • National Order of the Barristers
    • Inns of Court
    • Public Legal Services Society
  • California State University, Chico, B.A. in economics (with honors), 1999
    • International Champion for Students in Free Enterprise(SIFE)

Representative Cases

  • Obtained arbitration award for breach of contract relating to environmental contamination matters
  • Defended against a temporary restraining order and negotiated to obtain dismissal of suit alleging misappropriation of trade secrets
  • Successfully opposed several motions and settled breach of contract case for large venture capitalist resulting in repayment of money and retention of valuable patents
  • Obtained dismissal through dispositive motions relieving client of liability for breach of contract relating to real property and obtained award of attorney fees
  • Obtained dismissal through dispositive motions of a case against a national insurance company for bad faith and fraud; upheld upon appeal to the Ninth Circuit

Professional Admissions

  • State Bar of California
  • United States District Court, Northern & Eastern Districts of California
  • United States Bankruptcy Court of Northern California

Activities/Memberships

  • Santa Clara County Bar Association
  • University of the Pacific McGeorge Alumni Association, Board of Directors

Personal

  • Born in Sacramento, California
  • Interests include outdoor activities, sports and spending time with my family