Judge William F. Highberger

Judge William F. Highberger has served on the Los Angeles County Superior Court since his appointment by Governor Gray Davis on January 10, 2001. Before joining the bench, he was a litigation partner at Morrison & Foerster LLP, a major national law firm known for complex civil litigation. His undergraduate degree is in Political Science from UC Berkeley (1974), and he earned his law degree from Boalt Hall School of Law (UC Berkeley). Judge Highberger's docket reflects sustained engagement with high-stakes, complex civil matters. His notable cases include Reed v. State of California, a landmark ACLU of Southern California matter that resulted in a settlement approved in January 2011; a $2.5 million California unpaid wages class action settlement in 2017; Woolsey Fire victims litigation in 2019; and involvement in the Cuyama Valley water rights case in 2026. This case history demonstrates a consistent assignment to, and management of, complex and public-interest civil litigation over more than two decades on the bench. In 2025, Judge Highberger was featured in an American Law Institute podcast titled 'Streamlining Justice,' focused on judicial efficiency and procedural reform. This public engagement signals an active interest in procedural economy and case management. Attorneys appearing before him should expect a judge with deep litigation experience from his pre-bench career at a sophisticated law firm, familiarity with class action procedure, and a demonstrated orientation toward efficient resolution of complex civil disputes.

Given Judge Highberger's background as a litigation partner at Morrison & Foerster LLP, attorneys should expect a judge who is conversant with sophisticated litigation tactics, complex procedural arguments, and the mechanics of large-scale civil cases. Substantive arguments should be precise and well-organized; this is not a judge who will be unfamiliar with the strategic dimensions of motion practice or settlement dynamics in complex cases. Judge Highberger's 2025 participation in an American Law Institute podcast on 'Streamlining Justice' is a concrete indicator that he values procedural efficiency and disfavors unnecessary delay or redundancy in litigation. Attorneys should front-load their key arguments, avoid repetitive briefing, and come to hearings prepared to address case management and scheduling directly. In class action and public interest matters — areas where his case history is documented — counsel should be prepared for active judicial engagement on settlement terms, class certification standards, and the adequacy of proposed resolutions. His track record across diverse complex matters (civil rights, wage-and-hour class actions, mass tort, and water rights) indicates broad substantive range. Attorneys should not assume he is unfamiliar with any area of complex civil law. Preparation should include thorough briefing on both procedural and substantive issues, with clear citations to controlling authority.

• critical

  Prepare Concise, Efficient Briefing

  Given his documented interest in judicial efficiency and streamlining justice, ensure all briefs are tightly organized, avoid redundancy, and lead with the strongest arguments. Padding or repetition is inconsistent with his stated judicial priorities.

• critical

  Anticipate Rigorous Class Action Scrutiny

  His documented history with class action settlements — including wage-and-hour and civil rights matters — means class certification motions and settlement approval papers must address adequacy, fairness, and procedural compliance with precision.

• important

  Research His Handling of Analogous Complex Cases

  Review publicly available records from Reed v. State of California, the 2017 wage-and-hour settlement, and the Woolsey Fire litigation to understand how he has managed case timelines, settlement hearings, and procedural disputes in complex matters.

• important

  Prepare for Substantive Judicial Engagement

  His Morrison & Foerster litigation background means he will engage substantively with legal arguments. Counsel should be prepared to answer pointed questions on both procedural and merits issues without relying on surface-level advocacy.

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  Address Case Management Proactively

  Come to hearings with a clear proposed case management plan. His efficiency orientation suggests he values counsel who have thought through scheduling, discovery scope, and litigation milestones in advance.

• Nice

  Review ALI Streamlining Justice Podcast

  The 2025 American Law Institute podcast featuring Judge Highberger on 'Streamlining Justice' is a publicly available resource that may provide direct insight into his current views on procedural reform and case management priorities.

• ›Respect the court's time by arriving prepared with concise oral arguments; his documented interest in judicial efficiency signals that meandering or unprepared presentations are disfavored.
• ›Be prepared to engage substantively on procedural and merits questions; his litigation background at Morrison & Foerster means he will ask informed, specific questions.
• ›In class action or settlement proceedings, be ready to address the adequacy and fairness of proposed terms directly, as his case history reflects active judicial review of settlement details.
• ›Present complex factual records in an organized, accessible manner; his experience with multi-party, high-stakes litigation means he expects counsel to manage complexity, not add to it.