Crystal Mothershead Gaudette started her legal career in 2006 at the prestigious Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in Palo Alto, CA. There, she handled complex commercial and securities cases involving allegations of fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, and various business-related torts; assisted clients in responding to inquiries and investigations by the Securities & Exchange Commission and the Department of Justice; and conducted internal investigations based upon whistleblower and shareholder complaints. Representative matters include:
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Successfully defeating multiple securities fraud and shareholder derivative lawsuits at motion to dismiss stage;
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Pursuing earnout payment on behalf of company executive in complex accounting matter;
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Obtaining "No Action" letter from the Securities & Exchange Commission on behalf of public technology company facing scrutiny for social media posts; and
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Conducting internal investigation on behalf of the board of directors of one of the country's oldest and largest public companies based upon shareholder allegations of executive misconduct.
In 2014, Crystal transitioned her practice to the Monterey Peninsula, where she continued representing companies, individuals and public entities in civil litigation matters. Her practice on the Peninsula broadened to include breach of contract cases, personal injury matters, real estate disputes, and employment litigation. She also began counseling business clients through lease transitions, documenting employment issues, drafting waivers and releases, drafting contracts, and the like. Representative matters include:​​
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Defending grower in product liability action involving contaminated produce;
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Drafting waiver and release and assumption of liability forms for local non-profit to use in connection with major fundraising drive;
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Representing grower in dispute against compost supplier who misrepresented the nature of its product;
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Defending technology company in breach of contract and fraud trial, obtaining favorable outcome in the form of a damages award substantially below what Defendant had offered to settle the case;
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Pursuing favorable severance agreement for employee who experienced discrimination and retaliation;
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Defending company in dispute involving allegation of wrongful termination and retaliation, and wage and hour violations; and
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Conducting employment investigation regarding allegations of hostile work environment.
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Crystal has been mediating cases since 2021, drawing upon her wealth of experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants, working in broad litigation subject matters, and participating on behalf of litigants in hundreds of mediations. She provides a no-nonsense, practical approach to resolving even the most complex situations.
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Crystal earned her law degree from the University of California, Davis, School of Law, where she received the Order of the Coif, and was Senior Articles Editor for the U.C. Davis Law Review. Prior to attending law school, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications, with a Spanish minor, from the University of California, Santa Barbara, during which time she also studied abroad at the University of Córdoba, Spain.