High-Stakes Commercial Litigation Attorney for Business-Critical Disputes
When the dispute threatens the company itself — a fraud claim in the millions, a fight for control, a case the business cannot afford to lose — outcomes turn on trial judgment, not just briefing. Astraea Counsel litigates business-critical disputes, led by Brandon Orewyler: trained at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, first-chair experience in the Delaware Court of Chancery, and three years inside California's busiest complex-litigation department.
The cases we take
- A contract or fraud dispute large enough to threaten the business
- A fight for control of a company, fund, or joint venture
- Securities or investor fraud claims — bringing them or defending them
- A multi-party dispute sprawling across courts and jurisdictions
- A case that is actually going to trial, or up on appeal
How we litigate when the stakes are real
- Securities and business-fraud litigation on both sides of the v — Brandon's background includes defense and plaintiff-side securities matters in federal court, including class actions and individual fraud claims
- A complex-court perspective: three years drafting rulings on dispositive motions, class certifications, and discovery disputes in the LA Superior Court's Complex Division shapes how we build a case judges credit
- Trial and appellate capability under one roof — a first-chaired Delaware Chancery bench trial and a unanimous Ninth Circuit reversal are on the record
- Large-scale discovery and deposition practice from multi-party, high-stakes disputes — managed for leverage
- A candid exposure assessment before strategy hardens: what the case is worth, what it will cost, and where it actually ends
Recognition
- Astraea Counsel ranked in Chambers USA: Spotlight 2026 — Fintech (Los Angeles)
- Lawdragon 500 X — The Next Generation: Crypto Regulation, Disputes, Blockchain (2026), Chanté Eliaszadeh
- 2024 Law360 Distinguished Legal Writing Award, The Burton Awards — Chanté Eliaszadeh, co-author (White & Case)
- Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America — Commercial Litigation (2026), Brandon Orewyler (recognized during his tenure at Ervin Cohen & Jessup)
- Recognized in The Legal 500 USA — Chanté Eliaszadeh (White & Case LLP, 2023)
- SEC Honors Program, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (honors intern, Cyber Unit, 2018)
- Invited speaker: American Bar Association Business Law Section, Korea Blockchain Week (BIF25), ETHDenver, GRR Live, Blockchain Law for Social Good Conference, Art Basel Miami, and Berkeley Law; keynote, Computational Law & Blockchain Festival
Common Questions
What makes a case 'complex,' and why does it matter?
Courts designate cases complex when they involve many parties, large discovery, novel issues, or coordinated proceedings — and complex cases are managed differently, with active judicial case management from day one. Brandon Orewyler spent three years as a law clerk in the Los Angeles Superior Court's Complex Division, the busiest complex-litigation department in California, seeing exactly how those cases are decided.
Do you handle plaintiff-side cases or only defense?
Both. The practice spans prosecution and defense of commercial, securities, and fraud claims — experience on both sides of the same dispute types is an advantage, because you know the other playbook before opposing counsel opens it.
When should we bring in trial counsel?
Earlier than most companies do. The record that wins or loses at trial is built in the first year of the case — in the pleadings, the discovery plan, and the depositions — not in the month before trial. Bringing trial judgment in early is cheaper than repairing a record later.
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Talk to an AttorneyAttorney advertising. Case results described on this page depend on the specific facts and law of each matter and do not predict or guarantee a similar outcome in any other matter. No attorney-client relationship is formed by visiting this page or submitting the contact form.