Stacey Garrett

Stacey Garrett joined Keesal, Young & Logan in 1991 and currently is a shareholder in the Long Beach office.  Ms. Garrett’s practice focuses on the defense of financial services firms, with particular emphasis on securities brokers and their employees.  She has handled hundreds of cases before securities arbitration forums such as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the New York Stock Exchange, the Pacific Stock Exchange, and the American Arbitration Association.
Ms. Garrett also has defended a number of firms and registered representatives in regulatory inquiries and in testimony requested by securities regulators.

In addition to securities litigation, Ms. Garrett regularly handles a wide range of general business litigation.  She has handled numerous cases in federal and state court, including several class actions involving both securities issues and disputes arising out of California’s consumer protection and unfair competition laws.  Ms. Garrett also handles employment litigation in state and federal court.  Ms. Garrett has tried or arbitrated nearly 50 cases.  She also has handled a number of appeals on behalf of the firm, and has argued cases before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, California Courts of Appeal, and the Bankruptcy Appellate Panel for the Ninth Circuit.  Ms. Garrett also has disposed of a number of cases by way of demurrer, summary judgment, and interpleader.  She has successfully obtained several awards of attorneys’ fees and sanctions on behalf of the firm’s clients, including a $1 million sanctions award against the claimant in a FINRA arbitration, which was confirmed to judgment by the Superior Court of California.

Ms. Garrett also handles bankruptcy matters on behalf of clients and advises creditors in bankruptcy.  Ms. Garrett has filed and obtained payment on proofs of claim and administrative priority claims, and opposed objections to claims.  She has successfully objected to debtors’ claims of “exempt” property and insufficient repayment plans, and filed and prosecuted claims for non-dischargeability and to deny a debtor’s discharge entirely.  Ms. Garrett also has defended turnover, preference, and fraudulent conveyance actions initiated by the debtor or trustee to recover property paid to satisfy a debt prior to the bankruptcy, and advised clients with respect to safely structuring ongoing business relationships with customers or vendors who are near or in bankruptcy.

Ms. Garrett’s bankruptcy practice has resulted in two opinions published by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit:  In re Weisberg, 136 F.3d 655 (9th Cir. 1998) (holding that securities broker’s liquidation of securities in account of bankrupt client for the purpose of meeting margin calls did not violate the automatic stay and margin payments could not be recovered by trustee), and In re Superior Stamp & Coin Co., 223 F.3d 1004 (9th Cir. 2000) (holding that earmarking doctrine provided defense to debtor’s preference action and did not allow debtor to avoid portion of payments funded by bank loans specifically made for purpose of paying specific creditor).  Ms. Garrett also has handled a number of appeals to the California Court of Appeal and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.  These appeals have involved issues of securities law, business contracts, and employment.  Two of the decisions that have published in official reporters are Dale Burns, et al. v. Prudential Securities, Inc., 145 Ohio App. 3d 424 (2001) (in a securities case alleging unauthorized trading by 250 putative class members, defendant appealed a trial court order certifying the plaintiff class; court of appeal affirmed the order granting class certification); Steven Clark v. Prudential Securities, et al., 44 Cal. App. 4th 1498 (1995), (court reversed trial court order denying securities brokerage firm’s motion to compel arbitration), rev. granted, 50 Cal. Rptr. 2d 74 (1996), rev. dismissed, 56 Cal. Rptr. 2d 49 (1996).

At Keesal, Young & Logan, Ms. Garrett devotes a significant amount of time to the firm’s use, development, and implementation of hosted platforms and case management software to efficiently manage, review, and evaluate electronically-stored information.  Ms. Garrett’s and Keesal, Young & Logan’s use of the LexisNexis CaseMap® software tool to electronically manage evidence, evaluate issues, and collaborate in case development has been featured in a recent case study published by LexisNexis (click here for full case study).  Ms. Garrett also spends time consulting with the firm’s attorneys regarding recent developments in the fields of electronic discovery and presenting continuing education seminars on issues relating to electronic discovery and the effective use of electronic tools to manage cases and enhance service to the clients.

Ms. Garrett received her B.S. degree in journalism from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, in 1987 and graduated summa cum laude.  Ms. Garrett obtained her J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 1991, where she graduated magna cum laude.  While in law school, Ms. Garrett was a member of the Hastings Law Journal and was elected to the Order of the Coif.  Ms. Garrett also serves as a judge pro tem resolving small claims court cases for the Los Angeles County court system.  Ms. Garrett was named in Los Angeles Magazine as a Southern California “Rising Star” for 2004 and has been recognized as a Southern California “Super Lawyer” since 2005 (a designation limited to 5% of the attorneys practicing in California).  In addition, in February 2012, Ms. Garrett was recognized in Los Angeles Magazine as being one of the “Top Attorneys in Southern California” in the field of securities litigation.  Ms. Garrett is a member of the State Bar of California (1991) and the State Bar of Nevada (1991).  She also is admitted to practice before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and all of the United States District Courts in California and Nevada.  She is “AV” rated by Martindale-Hubbell.

Practice Areas

• Bankruptcy
• Business Litigation
• Class Actions
• Securities
• Unfair Business Practices