Michelle Doolin

MICHELLE DOOLIN is a nationally recognized class action and commercial litigator who represents leading retail, consumer products, and technology companies in their most high-stakes disputes, and serves as global co-leader of Sidley’s Consumer Class Actions practice. She has a distinguished track record defending companies in consumer protection, privacy, employment, and product-related class actions across the country. Michelle regularly handles high-stakes commercial litigation matters, with particular depth in nationwide and statewide class actions filed in California.

“She’s incredibly knowledgeable, she understands the law, strategic trends, and where are plaintiff counsel trying to push these issues.”
Chambers USA 2025

Michelle is regarded as a go-to strategist for consumer-facing brands navigating bet-the-company class actions. She has defended more than 150 consumer class actions and has secured decisive wins at every stage of litigation, including dismissals with prejudice, denials of class certification, grants of summary judgment, and appellate victories. She has also obtained jury trial wins in commercial litigation cases. Her practice spans false and deceptive advertising claims, product defect and warranty litigation, pricing and promotional practices (including hidden fees), food and beverage advertising and health-related ingredient claims, privacy and data collection-related class actions, and complex wage-and-hour disputes.

A significant portion of Michelle’s work centers on advising prominent retail, consumer electronic, fashion, beauty, fitness, and lifestyle brands, as well as high-profile individuals and emerging companies, on litigation risk tied to advertising, branding, consumer engagement, and employment practices. She successfully represented the Kardashian-Jenner family in a highly publicized celebrity jury trial in Los Angeles, defeating claims of defamation seeking more than US$100 million in alleged damages.

She is known for her leadership in litigation arising under California’s Song-Beverly Credit Card Act, having counseled and represented retailers in more than 50 class actions under the statute. Michelle led teams that achieved landmark victories shaping the scope of the law, including the first published appellate decision holding that the statute does not apply to return transactions and is subject to a one-year limitations period. She has argued before the California Supreme Court on issues of statutory interpretation affecting retailers statewide.

Clients value her pragmatic counsel, courtroom credibility, and ability to shape litigation strategies that align with long-term business objectives. Michelle is consistently recognized by leading legal publications for her class action and commercial litigation work, including Chambers USA for Litigation: General Commercial, California: San Diego (2023–2025), Forbes “America's Top Lawyers” (2025) as one of five selected for class actions, Best Lawyers (2015–present) including “Lawyer of the Year” for Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions-San Diego (2019), Benchmark Litigation (2025), and Lawdragon (2024–2025). The Daily Journal has named her among the “Top 100 Women Litigators” in California (2014).

Consumer Protection, Advertising, and Product

• Nationwide class actions alleging false or deceptive advertising.
• Nationwide class actions involving product defects and claims for breach of express, implied, and statutory warranties.
• Nationwide class actions related to Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recalls.
• Nationwide class actions involving cosmetic, food, and beverage advertising, including health-related ingredient claims.
• Nationwide class actions challenging pricing practices, including hidden fees, across e-commerce platforms and in-store retail.
• Nationwide and California class actions brought under the Consumers Legal Remedies Act, Unfair Competition Law, and False Advertising Law.
• Nationwide gift card class actions under the federal Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act (CARD) and state gift card statutes.

Privacy

• California class actions under the Song-Beverly Credit Card Act relating to the collection of personal information.
• California class actions asserting violations of the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA), California’s Consumer Privacy Act (CPRA), and California’s “Shine the Light” law.
• Nationwide privacy and data-related class actions, including claims under the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA) and the Federal Wiretap Act.
• Nationwide class actions alleging violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).
• State Attorneys General investigations and enforcement actions.

Employment

• Wage-and-hour class actions under federal and state law involving overtime calculations, exempt classification, meal and rest periods, vacation policies, unlawful wage deductions, and Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act compliance.
• Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) actions.

Digital Assets

• Nationwide and state class actions involving cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

Accessibility and Higher Education

• Federal and state class actions brought under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
• Complex nationwide class actions representing higher education institutions.

• Member, San Diego County Bar Association
• Member, New York County Bar Association