April 1, 2026
Laura Geist, Co-Managing Partner of Willkie's San Francisco office, has been named to Daily Journal’s "Leading Commercial Litigators 2026," an annual series honoring the top attorneys nationwide for bet-the-company cases.
With more than 30 years of experience, Laura has built one of the most formidable practices in the Bay Area representing Fortune 500 companies in high-stakes disputes, Daily Journal reported. Her practice focuses on consumer class actions in insurance and financial services, particularly in matters involving unfair competition, false advertising, privacy, RICO and antitrust.
The profile highlighted Laura's ability to translate technically complex concepts, often involving actuarial practices behind the pricing of financial products, into an accessible and compelling scenario for the court. Laura described her approach: "I focus instead on the philosophy of the actuary (e.g., was this a holistic exercise, what were the choices, were there tradeoffs) and the why behind the numbers."
Daily Journal noted that these talents recently helped her defeat class certification in a closely watched class action seeking death benefits under terminated life insurance policies, one of a wave of such cases in California.
In addition, the profile highlighted Laura's dedication to her clients and her personal approach to practicing law. "When you know what everyone cares about, what they are worried about, and what they need, you get to a solution a lot sooner," she said. "I increasingly see an attempt to make the practice of law transactional. But law is relational."
View Laura Geist's profile in Daily Journal's "Leading Commercial Litigators 2026" here (subscription may be required).
