Nick Spear litigates high-stakes and high-profile matters across the United States, representing both plaintiffs and defendants and regularly facing-off against industry titans. Spear has tried cases in federal trial and appellate courts, state courts, and arbitrations across a variety of legal areas including intellectual property, securities, antitrust, entertainment, breach of contract, insurance, oil and gas, bankruptcy, real property, personal injury, false claims, and employment. Spear’s cases have been covered by the Los Angeles Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Hollywood Reporter, and numerous industry publications.
Lawdragon Honors
| Honor | Year | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| The 2026 Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation | 2026 | Commercial Litigation |
| The 2025 Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation | 2025 | Commercial Litigation |
| The 2024 Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation | 2024 | Commercial Litigation |
| Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation | 2023 | Commercial Litigation |
Spear is at the forefront of protecting policyholders from improper insurance charges by the nation’s largest insurers and has secured nearly $300 million to date in recoveries after taking on insurance companies such as Voya, North American, Genworth, Phoenix, Midland, Wilton Re, and John Hancock. For example, in PHT Holding II LLC v. North American Company for Life and Health Insurance (S.D. Iowa), Spear secured a settlement valued at $59 million (before fees and expenses) in a certified class action lawsuit alleging that North American overcharged policy holders for their universal life insurance. Likewise, in Helen Hanks v. Voya Retirement Insurance and Annuity Co. (S.D.N.Y.), Spear secured a deal valued at over $118 million (before fees and expenses), which included a $92.5 million non-reversionary cash settlement fund, for thousands of insurance policy owners against Voya Retirement Insurance and Annuity Company over allegations that Voya improperly raised policyholders’ cost-of-insurance charges. In 37 Besen Parkway LLC v. John Hancock Life Insurance Co. (S.D.N.Y.), Spear helped secure a $91.25 million all-cash, non-reversionary settlement for insurance policy owners against John Hancock Life Insurance Co over allegations that Hancock breached the life insurance contracts of the class (before fees and expenses). Spear also successfully briefed and argued on behalf of the appellee in TVPX Ars, Inc. v. Genworth Life and Annuity Insurance Co. in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
In Sony Pictures Television, et al. v. CBS Studios Inc., (L.A. Super. Ct.), Spear represented Sony in a lawsuit over CBS’s distribution of the iconic game shows Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune. Spear took a central role in the case, deposing key CBS executives and helping draft Sony’s successful opposition to CBS’s motion for a preliminary injunction and Sony’s Respondents’ Brief in the Second Appellate District Court of Appeal. Sony and CBS ultimately settled the dispute.
Spear tries cases at the cutting edges of law, technology, and science. In Jane Doe v. MindGeek USA Inc. (C.D. Cal.), Spear represents a certified class of plaintiffs bringing sex trafficking and child pornography claims against one of the world’s largest pornography companies. Spear is also active in digital assets and cryptocurrency litigation, representing a certified class bringing unregistered securities claims in In re Ripple Labs (N.D. Cal.) and being appointed counsel for the Lead Plaintiffs in Houghton v. Leshner, et al. (N.D. Cal.) and Samuels v. Lido Dao, et al. (N.D. Cal.), both putative unregistered securities class actions. Spear also represents a major research university in trade secret litigation relating to protein degradation.