Cheryl M. Lott represents corporate clients, banks, mortgage companies and other financial institutions in both state and federal court. Her practice focuses on general business and commercial litigation, lender liability litigation, as well as labor and employment litigation, construction defect litigation, and class action defense. She has significant experience in preparing all aspects of a case for trial or arbitration. Ms. Lott co-chairs the Los Angeles office’s litigation department.

Representative litigation matters that Ms. Lott has handled include defending financial institutions against claims asserting aiding and abetting Ponzi schemes or fraud, prosecution of civil bank fraud claims, defending clients in alleged employment discrimination and misclassification related matters, prosecuting trade secret matters on behalf of financial institutions, and prosecuting guarantor collection actions.

Ms. Lott also has extensive experience working on local, state, and federal regulatory matters and government procurement matters. In the regulatory realm, she has significant experience assisting financial institution clients with Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering procedures. Ms. Lott also assists clients in preparing for regulatory examinations, complying with consent decrees, and preparing training modules for CDD and EDD.

In the government procurement realm, Ms. Lott represents contractors and companies in the bid and RFP process and in protest proceedings once contracts are awarded.  Ms. Lott has successfully challenged a public entity’s multi-million dollar contract award, has advocated for clients before sub-committees of the Los Angeles City Council in relation to contract awards, and has advised clients on the legal requirements as they relate to establishing various qualified businesses as defined by the California Government Code.

Awards and Honors

  • Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America – 2025
  • In 2019, Ms. Lott was recognized as an Emerging Leader at the UCLA Law Awards.
  • Aided Financial Institution client in remediating BSA/AML procedures, policies, and practices, close corrective action plans established by a consent order, and created training modules for CDD and EDD
  • Successfully tried a matter involving a multi-million dollar guaranty action
  • Prosecuted a civil multi-million dollar bank fraud matter and obtained judgment and an attorneys’ fees award, and successfully defended the $20 million judgment on appeal
  • Successfully defended lender in federal multi-district litigation involving over 250 separate cases
  • Successfully defended lender in state court litigation involving repurchase obligation of over 300 securitized loans
  • Successfully defend firm clients in discrimination matters
  • Successfully defend firm clients in wage and hour class action matters
  • Obtained favorable settlement in class action matter involving claims against the firm’s client related to alleged misclassification
  • Reached a favorable settlement in an EEOC alleged harassment matter
  • Successfully defended materials suppliers in construction defect litigation
  • Successfully defended a materials supplier in toxic tort/asbestos matters

Ms. Lott earned her J.D. at the UCLA School of Law, with a Concentration in Critical Race Studies and Specialization in Corporate Law. Ms. Lott earned her B.A. in Political Science and African-American Studies, with a minor in Chicano Studies at the University of California at Los Angeles.

  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
  • UC Alumni Regent (designate), July 1, 2020 until June 30, 2021
  • Voting UC Alumni Regent, July 1, 2021 until June 30, 2022
  • Past President of the UCLA Alumni Association
  • Member of the UCLA Foundation Board
  • Member of the UCLA School of Law Alumni Board
  • Founding Member of the UCLA Law Women LEAD Board