Simona Agnolucci

Bio

Simona Agnolucci was appointed to the Board of Directors in December 2015. She was elected its Vice Chair in 2019 and its Chair in 2022 serving in that role through 2024. She is the Managing Partner of the San Francisco office of Willkie, Farr & Gallagher, where she specializes in high-stakes complex litigation, including class actions and other bet-the-company commercial disputes. Her clients include “sharing economy” technology companies, medical device manufacturers, brokerage companies, investment advisors, smartphone manufacturers, and leading law firms. Ms. Agnolucci has tried cases in state, federal and administrative court, including several as first chair.  She also represents clients in complex investigations brought by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Ms. Agnolucci has defended corporate and individual clients from allegations of economic espionage, trade-secret theft, tax evasion, accounting and revenue recognition fraud, insider trading, witness tampering, obstruction of justice, and violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Ms. Agnolucci has an active pro bono practice, in which she primary represents women seeking asylum from gender-based persecution and unaccompanied immigrant children. Her groundbreaking pro bono work has been recognized by national media, including The New York Times.

Ms. Agnolucci graduated magna cum laude from UC Law SF in 2006 and obtained her Bachelor of Arts, with honors, from Stanford University. Prior to entering private practice, she was law clerk to the Honorable William C. Canby, Jr. of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and an extern to the Honorable John T. Noonan, Jr. of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Honorable J. Anthony Kline of the California Court of Appeal.

Ms. Agnolucci also serves on the Board of Directors of Legal Services for Children and on the Advisory Board of the Center for Gender and Refugee Studies. She has received numerous professional awards, including the National Law Journal’s 2019 Winning Litigators award for her trial work; the Recorder’s 2019 California Trailblazers award; the Daily Journal’s 2016 Top 40 Under 40 Award; the Recorder’s 2013 Lawyer on the Fast Track award; the 2013 UC Law SF Rising Alumna of the Year award; and the 2011 Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Father Cuchulain Moriarty Award for her extraordinary pro bono contribution to the Lawyers’ Committee’s Asylum Project.

She lives in San Francisco with her husband, Elias Batchelder ’06, and their two children.

Education

• UC Law SF
  J.D. magna cum laude 2006

• Stanford University
  Bachelor of Arts, with honors

Accomplishments

• National Law Journal’s Winning Litigators Award
  Recognizing attorneys prevailing in a jury or bench trial when substantial damages were at stake, setting a legal precedent or overcoming an unfriendly jurisdiction. 2019

• Recorder's 2019 California Trailblazers Award
  Recognizing individuals that are truly agents of change and who have made significant marks on the practice, policy and technological advancement of their practice. 2019

• Daily Journal’s Top 40 Under 40 Award
  Celebrating the achievements of lawyers under the age of 40 and barred in California. 2016

• Recorder’s Lawyer on the Fast Track Award
  Recognizing California attorneys whose early accomplishments indicate they will be tomorrow's top lawyers. 2013

• Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Father Cuchulain Moriarty Award
  For extraordinary pro bono contribution to the Lawyers’ Committee’s Asylum Project. 2011