Jill M. Manning is a mediator, trial attorney and skilled litigator with nearly 30 years of complex litigation experience. In her mediation practice, Ms. Manning brings a unique blend of skills honed through decades of strategic litigation and innovative problem-solving. She specializes in facilitating resolutions of complex disputes at any stage of the conflict, including those arising before litigation commences. Her approach is marked by a deep commitment to understanding the nuances of each case, fostering constructive dialogue and guiding parties toward mutually agreeable solutions. Ms. Manning’s mediation services are sought after for their effectiveness in providing both facilitative and evaluative mediation in areas where she has subject matter expertise. Courts regularly trust her to resolve complex litigation in her role as a neutral for the Northern District of California’s Early Neutral Evaluation program; a mediator for the Northern and Central Districts of California; and a settlement conference facilitator for the Sonoma County Superior Court.

In her litigation practice, Ms. Manning focused on antitrust and unfair competition law and represented clients in class action and complex litigation matters. With extensive knowledge of state and federal competition laws, she successfully litigated cases involving price fixing, tying, monopolies and unfair competition. She is one of the top-rated antitrust attorneys in Northern California and has met the stringent “Super Lawyers” selection criteria each year since 2020. Further separating her from her peers, she has tried two antitrust class action cases to verdict in the past three years.

In addition to her legal and mediation practices, Ms. Manning has demonstrated leadership in her professional life and community. She is currently serving a three-year term on the Board of Representatives of the California Lawyers Association. She served as chair of the Executive Committee of the Antitrust and Unfair Competition Law Section of the California Lawyers Association during the 2017-2018 term and presently serves as an advisor. She served as an editor of The California Antitrust and Unfair Competition Law Treatise, Chapter 22, “Indirect-Purchaser Class Actions,” from 2014 to 2022. She is the co-creator and co-chair of the annual Celebrating Women in Competition Law in California event, now in its eighth year. She is an elected official, serving on the Marin County Board of Education since 2024 and on the Shoreline Unified School District Board of Trustees from 2009 to 2024.

ADR Experience

• Mediator, Arbitrator, Court-Appointed Neutral (Special Master/Referee), Neutral Evaluator; JAMS; 2025
• Mediator, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, 2024–2025
• Settlement Conference Facilitator, Sonoma County Superior Court, 2024–2025
• Mediator, U.S. District Court, Central District of California, 2023–2025
• Early Neutral Evaluator, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, 2020–2025

Representative Matters

All matters below were handled by Ms. Manning as an advocate except as indicated otherwise.

• Antitrust & Competition
• Trial counsel in an antitrust class action between a certified class of over 3,000 small and midsize business and an agricultural company in a seven-week jury trial involving claims under the Sherman Act
• Trial counsel in an antitrust class action between a certified class of over 3 million California employers and consumers and a hospital network in a four-week jury trial involving tying and unreasonable course of conduct claims brought under the Sherman Act, the California Cartwright Act and California’s Unfair Competition Law (Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §§ 17200) (UCL)
• Antitrust case between opt-out companies and financial institutions for price fixing under the Sherman Act
• Antitrust class action case between a certified direct purchaser class and agricultural companies involving claims of coordinated supply reductions under the Sherman Act
• Antitrust class action case between a certified class and financial institutions involving claims for price fixing in foreign exchange markets under the Sherman Act
• Antitrust case between merchants and merchant trade associations and credit card companies brought under the Sherman Act
• Multiple class action cases between indirect purchaser classes and electronics manufacturers in horizontal price fixing cases under the Sherman Act
• Multistate class action case between consumers and a large high-tech company for monopolization and tying under state antitrust laws
• Putative class action cases involving the real estate industry in a horizontal price fixing case under the Sherman Act
• Putative class action case involving consumers and a major car manufacturer for monopolization and attempted monopolization under the Sherman Act
• Business Commercial

• Early neutral evaluator and mediator in multiple cases alleging violations of California’s Lemon Law (Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act) related to the purchase of allegedly defective vehicles
• Early neutral evaluator in an insurance dispute regarding defective construction of condominiums
• Early neutral evaluator in a contract dispute related to a public construction project in San Francisco
• Mediator in a dispute between business partners related to a construction project, alleging breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duties
• Dispute between founders of a social media company for breach of fiduciary duty
• Mediator in a putative class action case alleging violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) involving several financial institutions
• Mediator in a breach of contract and negligence case against an airline involving the transportation of perishable goods internationally
• Class Action & Mass Tort

• Unfair business practices class action case involving a high-tech company and a class of California consumers under California’s UCL
• Putative class action between consumers and high-tech companies involving RICO claims related to social casino apps
• False advertising case between a multistate certified class of consumers and a large food manufacturer under California’s False Advertising Law (Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §§ 17500) (FAL)
• False advertising case between a multistate certified class of consumers and a manufacturer of baby products under state false advertising laws
• Early neutral evaluator and mediator in a case alleging violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and breach of express warranty
• Cybersecurity & Privacy
• Data breach class action case between a certified class of consumers and an online pharmacy regarding the alleged disclosure of personally identifiable information (PII)
• Mediator in a cybersecurity case between consumers and medical care facilities stemming from an alleged ransomware attack affecting over 100,000 individuals, alleging violations of California Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (Cal. Civ. Code § 56) and California’s UCL.
• Education Law

• Multiple cases bought by students under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
• Case between an employee and a school district regarding allegations of retaliation
• Case between an employee and a school district regarding allegations of improper demotion
• Case between a former employee and a school district regarding allegations of negligence and vicarious liability
• Employment Law

• Mediator in a case brought by an employee alleging violations of the California Labor Code and for wrongful termination for alleged failure to comply with company’s vaccine mandate
• Case by a union member against the union for violation of the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 and the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947
• Mediator in multiple putative wage and hour class action cases alleging violations of the California Labor Code for failure pay regular and overtime wages, provide compliant meal and rest breaks, pay waiting time penalties and failure to provide accurate wage statements
• Mediator in a sexual harassment and gender discrimination case brought by a student against a private college
• Several class action wage and hour cases brought by employees against retail companies alleging failure to pay regular and overtime wages and provide meal and rest breaks
• Entertainment & Sports
• Negligence and personal injury case between college athletes and a sports organization, colleges and universities
• Antitrust case between one sports league against another involving allegations of monopolization and conspiracy in violation of the Sherman Act
• Class action case involving professional athletes and a sports league involving allegations of violation of state minimum wage laws
• Securities

• Class action case brought by investors against an aerospace company for violations of federal securities laws
• Class action case brought by investors against financial institutions for alleged violations of federal securities laws

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

Bar Admissions

• State of California, 1995–2025
• United States Court of Appeal, Ninth Circuit, 1998–2025
• United States District Court, Northern District of California, 1998–2025
• United States District Court, Central District of California, 1999–2025
• United States District Court, Southern District of California, 1999–2025
• United States District Court, Eastern District of California, 1999–2025
• United States Court of Appeal, Second Circuit, 2017–2025
• United States Supreme Court, 2017–2025

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Member, Academy of Court-Appointed Neutrals, 2024–2025
• California Lawyers Association
  • Board of Representatives, 2021–2025
  • Treasurer, 2023–2024
• California Lawyers Association, Antitrust and Unfair Competition Law Section
  • Member, Executive Committee, 2012–2016
  • Chair, Executive Committee, 2017–2018
  • Advisor, Executive Committee, 2018–2025
• Member, Antitrust Section, San Francisco Bar Association, 2012–2025
• Member, Antitrust Section, American Bar Association, 2014–2025

Recent Events/Speaking Engagements

• Co-Creator and Co-Chair, Eighth Annual “Celebrating Women in Competition Law in California” panel and networking event, moderated by the Honorable Trina L Thompon, March 2025
• Roundtable Discussion Leader, Cambridge Forum on Antitrust Litigation, October 2024
• Panelist, “Class Action Focus: Manageability Considerations at the Certification Stage,” 50th ABTL Annual Seminar, October 2024
• Master of Ceremonies, 34th Annual Golden State Antitrust Institute & Antitrust Lawyer of the Year Ceremony, October 2024
• Panelist, “Litigator vs. Trial Lawyer: Preparing for a Class Action Trial Starts With Your Litigation Strategy,” A Class of Our Own Women’s Conference, May 2024
• Lecturer, “Sports and Antitrust Law,” CSU Long Beach, Sports Management, May 2024
• Panelist, “Don’t Try Them Until You Mock Them,” ABA Antitrust Spring Meeting, April 2024
• Co-Creator and Co-Chair, Seventh Annual “Celebrating Women in Competition Law in California” panel and networking event, moderated by the Honorable Rita F. Lin, March 2024
• Panelist, “Mediating UCL Cases,” California Lawyers Association’s Consumer and Unfair Competition Law Institute, January 2024

Selected Awards and Honors 

• Northern California Super Lawyer, 2020–2025

Background and Education

• Founder, The Manning Law Firm, November 2024 – 2025
• Partner; Pearson Warshaw, LLP; February 2022 – October 2024
• Partner; Steyer Lowenthal Boodrookas Alvarez & Smith, LLP; January 2015 – January 2022
• Of Counsel; Steyer Lowenthal Boodrookas Alvarez & Smith, LLP; November 2008 – December 2014
• Associate; Kirby McInerney & Squire, LLP; July 1996 – August 2004
• J.D., University of San Francisco School of Law, 1995
  • Articles Editor, USF Law Review, 1994–1995
  • Member, USF Law Review, 1993–1995
• B.A., Political Science, University of California at Davis, 1991
• Summer Study, Cambridge University, Pembroke College, 1990