Leslie V. Pope

Ms. Pope represents plaintiffs and defendants in complex, commercial litigation and has substantial experience trying high-stakes matters for clients in both federal and state courts.  Ms. Pope was part of trial teams that successfully represented a client in Texas state court in a case involving high-yield debt and that achieved the first-ever royalty rate decrease from the Copyright Royalty Board for broadcasters that offer online radio services.  Ms. Pope  also represented the National Credit Union Administration in a series of lawsuits regarding the sale of residential mortgage-backed securities.

Ms. Pope joined Kellogg Hansen in 2012 after serving as a law clerk to the Honorable Judith W. Rogers on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.  Ms. Pope graduated from the Yale Law School, where she was Managing Editor of the Yale Law Journal and participated in the Supreme Court Litigation Clinic.  She graduated cum laude from Harvard College and received a MPhil in Philosophy from Cambridge University.

Noteworthy Representations

iHeart Communications, Inc. v. Benefit Street Partners
Ms. Pope represented iHeart Communications, Inc. in a dispute with noteholders who had issued notices of default to iHeart on more than $6 billion in debt.  After an expedited trial on the merits, iHeart won a declaratory judgment that the indentures governing iHeart’s notes permitted the challenged transaction. 

Webcasting IV
Ms. Pope represented iHeartRadio in a six week hearing before the Copyright Royalty Board that resulted in the first‑ever royalty rate reduction for Broadcasters.  The victory was hailed as a “big win” for iHeartRadio.  Billboard, Inside the CRB’s New Streaming, http://www.billboard.com/articles/business/6812938/crb-webcasting-rates-labels-digital-services-reactions (Dec. 17, 2015).

National Credit Union Administration
Ms. Pope represented the National Credit Union Administration as liquidating agent in a series of lawsuits against major financial institutions regarding the sale of residential mortgage-backed securities.  Ms. Pope was involved in all aspects of the litigation, including briefing dispositive motions, taking and defending depositions, and managing discovery.  During this litigation, the trial court partially excluded the opinions of an expert economist, citing concessions made during a deposition taken by Ms. Pope.  Each suit was resolved prior to trial, with defendants in three suits offering judgment for the full damage demand plus attorneys’ fees.  More than $5.1 billion has been recovered.

Publications

Comment, Hubbert v. City of Pittsburg: The Contested Status of Police Officers’ Subpoenaed Testimony After Garcetti v. Ceballos, 119 Yale L.J. 2143 (2010)