Mayra de Aguiar

Of Counsel
Biography
  • Bio
  • Honors
  • Winning Matters
  • Cases
  • Professional Affiliations
  • News

Mayra de Aguiar is an experienced trial attorney who over her twenty years of practice has honed the ability to efficiently compose winning narratives and craft innovative, effective trial plans. As a result, she is particularly skilled in last-minute trial preparation.

A seasoned litigator at both the trial and appellate levels, Mayra’s practice focuses on real estate and contract disputes, complex commercial litigation, class action defense, and product liability. She has represented every side of litigation—plaintiff, defense, and in-house counsel—with clients ranging from individual plaintiffs, to mom-and-pop shops, to Fortune 500 companies.

Mayra’s clients span a wide range of industries, including real estate, consumer goods, accounting and finance, technology, film and entertainment, and food and hospitality. She has particular experience representing Fortune 500 companies and global corporations in real estate disputes and national product liability lawsuits. Mayra has developed extensive experience in product liability disputes during her time as in-house counsel for The Wonderful Company, a multibillion-dollar food industry giant. Mayra helped defeat over a dozen class action lawsuits filed across the U.S. alleging product food contamination. She also handled matters involving water rights and employment disputes. The food and hospitality industry presents a unique field that is constantly evolving. Mayra’s experience both at The Wonderful Company and in her representation of McDonald’s has helped her develop the skills necessary to be an effective litigator in this area of the law.

Early in her career, Mayra practiced in a large law firm where she was fortunate to fall under the tutelage of a renowned trial lawyer who allowed Mayra to develop her trial skills early on, both in jury trial and arbitration. She covered many facets of the entertainment industry, representing celebrities including Robert Wagner, Alan Alda, and David Duchovny in royalty disputes. She also represented Blockbuster, Inc. in major litigation against The Walt Disney Company, obtaining a favorable post-arbitration settlement which allowed the parties to continue their business relationship for years to follow. After practicing in a large firm, Mayra followed her entrepreneurial spirit and opened her own firm. As a solo practitioner, she gained critical trial experience in cases ranging from personal injury, medical malpractice, real estate, and disability discrimination; in fact, Mayra was first chair on the majority of those trials. This time spent in private practice gave Mayra a keen understanding of the resourcefulness, preparation, and strategy it takes to be a successful trial lawyer.

Mayra spends her spare time with her two adult children and a house full of four-legged creatures. Tapping into her creative side, Mayra enjoys reading, painting, cooking, and playing the guitar.

  • Super Lawyers, “Rising Star” (2005)
Willenken’s Trade Secrets Team Achieves Settlement and Stipulated Injunction on the Eve of Trial
Willenken Vigorously Defends Electric Vehicle Start-Up Team Against Aggressive Opponent

The following is a representative sample of Mayra’s casework:

  • Individual Consumers v. National Discount Tool and Equipment Retailer. Aided in motion work and trial preparation on behalf of a national discount tool and equipment retailer in a product liability lawsuit in which three plaintiffs alleged that our client sold a defective product that caused permanent, disfiguring injuries.
  • Major Automotive Lighting Manufacturer v. Former Executives. Obtained a favorable settlement for a major manufacturer of automotive lighting and accessories against a former officer and director for conversion and breach of fiduciary duty, wherein the client was able to obtain full restoration.
  • Major Banking Institution v. Individual. Obtained a favorable settlement of a case against a major banking institution accusing our client of fraudulent conveyance, managing to negotiate a $400,000 payment on behalf of our client for a close to $10 million claim.
  • Nascent Electric Vehicle Company v. Former Employees. Represented nine executives and employees, and helped successfully resolve allegations of trade secret misappropriation, violation of non-solicitation obligations, and breach of fiduciary duties relating to the formation of a new electric vehicle start-up after they resigned from a competitor company.
  • Freight Forwarding Company v. Former Executive. Represented a successful player in the freight forwarding industry against his former employer in a misappropriation of trade secrets case, in which we uncovered illegal hacking of our clients’ emails and have successfully moved to amend our claims to add causes of action for violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, the Stored Communications Act, and California Penal Code section 502.
  • Leading Manufacturer of Insulated Water Bottles v. Product Distributor. Represented a leading manufacturer of insulated water bottles in a breach of contract and misappropriation of trade secret dispute with Lindsay Hatcher Co. and individual defendants with respect to its misappropriated product.
Willenken Earned Inaugural “Best Law Firms” Ranking from Best Lawyers

November 3, 2023

Willenken Recognized As Top Firm to Work for by Los Angeles Business Journal for the Fourth Consecutive Year

September 18, 2023

Willenken Shortlisted for 2023 Benchmark Litigation Award

February 6, 2023

Biography

Mayra de Aguiar is an experienced trial attorney who over her twenty years of practice has honed the ability to efficiently compose winning narratives and craft innovative, effective trial plans. As a result, she is particularly skilled in last-minute trial preparation.

A seasoned litigator at both the trial and appellate levels, Mayra’s practice focuses on real estate and contract disputes, complex commercial litigation, class action defense, and product liability. She has represented every side of litigation—plaintiff, defense, and in-house counsel—with clients ranging from individual plaintiffs, to mom-and-pop shops, to Fortune 500 companies.

Mayra’s clients span a wide range of industries, including real estate, consumer goods, accounting and finance, technology, film and entertainment, and food and hospitality. She has particular experience representing Fortune 500 companies and global corporations in real estate disputes and national product liability lawsuits. Mayra has developed extensive experience in product liability disputes during her time as in-house counsel for The Wonderful Company, a multibillion-dollar food industry giant. Mayra helped defeat over a dozen class action lawsuits filed across the U.S. alleging product food contamination. She also handled matters involving water rights and employment disputes. The food and hospitality industry presents a unique field that is constantly evolving. Mayra’s experience both at The Wonderful Company and in her representation of McDonald’s has helped her develop the skills necessary to be an effective litigator in this area of the law.

Early in her career, Mayra practiced in a large law firm where she was fortunate to fall under the tutelage of a renowned trial lawyer who allowed Mayra to develop her trial skills early on, both in jury trial and arbitration. She covered many facets of the entertainment industry, representing celebrities including Robert Wagner, Alan Alda, and David Duchovny in royalty disputes. She also represented Blockbuster, Inc. in major litigation against The Walt Disney Company, obtaining a favorable post-arbitration settlement which allowed the parties to continue their business relationship for years to follow. After practicing in a large firm, Mayra followed her entrepreneurial spirit and opened her own firm. As a solo practitioner, she gained critical trial experience in cases ranging from personal injury, medical malpractice, real estate, and disability discrimination; in fact, Mayra was first chair on the majority of those trials. This time spent in private practice gave Mayra a keen understanding of the resourcefulness, preparation, and strategy it takes to be a successful trial lawyer.

Mayra spends her spare time with her two adult children and a house full of four-legged creatures. Tapping into her creative side, Mayra enjoys reading, painting, cooking, and playing the guitar.

Honors

  • Super Lawyers, “Rising Star” (2005)

Winning Matters

Willenken’s Trade Secrets Team Achieves Settlement and Stipulated Injunction on the Eve of Trial
Willenken Vigorously Defends Electric Vehicle Start-Up Team Against Aggressive Opponent

Cases

The following is a representative sample of Mayra’s casework:

  • Individual Consumers v. National Discount Tool and Equipment Retailer. Aided in motion work and trial preparation on behalf of a national discount tool and equipment retailer in a product liability lawsuit in which three plaintiffs alleged that our client sold a defective product that caused permanent, disfiguring injuries.
  • Major Automotive Lighting Manufacturer v. Former Executives. Obtained a favorable settlement for a major manufacturer of automotive lighting and accessories against a former officer and director for conversion and breach of fiduciary duty, wherein the client was able to obtain full restoration.
  • Major Banking Institution v. Individual. Obtained a favorable settlement of a case against a major banking institution accusing our client of fraudulent conveyance, managing to negotiate a $400,000 payment on behalf of our client for a close to $10 million claim.
  • Nascent Electric Vehicle Company v. Former Employees. Represented nine executives and employees, and helped successfully resolve allegations of trade secret misappropriation, violation of non-solicitation obligations, and breach of fiduciary duties relating to the formation of a new electric vehicle start-up after they resigned from a competitor company.
  • Freight Forwarding Company v. Former Executive. Represented a successful player in the freight forwarding industry against his former employer in a misappropriation of trade secrets case, in which we uncovered illegal hacking of our clients’ emails and have successfully moved to amend our claims to add causes of action for violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, the Stored Communications Act, and California Penal Code section 502.
  • Leading Manufacturer of Insulated Water Bottles v. Product Distributor. Represented a leading manufacturer of insulated water bottles in a breach of contract and misappropriation of trade secret dispute with Lindsay Hatcher Co. and individual defendants with respect to its misappropriated product.

Professional Affiliations

  • University of Chicago Law School, J.D., 1999
  • University of California, Los Angeles, B.A., 1995
  • Admitted to the State Bar of California
  • United States District Court for the Central District of California
  • United States District Court for the Northern District of California
  • United States District Court for the Southern District of California

latest news about mayra

Willenken Earned Inaugural “Best Law Firms” Ranking from Best Lawyers

November 3, 2023

Willenken Recognized As Top Firm to Work for by Los Angeles Business Journal for the Fourth Consecutive Year

September 18, 2023

Willenken Shortlisted for 2023 Benchmark Litigation Award

February 6, 2023

latest news about mayra

Willenken Earned Inaugural “Best Law Firms” Ranking from Best Lawyers

November 3, 2023

Willenken Recognized As Top Firm to Work for by Los Angeles Business Journal for the Fourth Consecutive Year

September 18, 2023

Willenken Shortlisted for 2023 Benchmark Litigation Award

February 6, 2023