Rouda Feder Tietjen & McGuinn continues to build out its wildfire litigation practice with the addition of Associate Attorney Em Feder Cooper, who joins Director of Wildfire Litigation Bradford Bowen on the firm's Eaton Fire caseload. The hire marks the second significant addition to the practice in recent months as the firm deepens its commitment to representing fire victims. Feder Cooper has no relation to Partner John Feder.
Feder Cooper brings a distinctive combination of plaintiff-side litigation experience, academic rigor, and civic engagement to her role. A graduate of Johns Hopkins University and New York University School of Law, she came to plaintiff-side work through years of research focused on employment discrimination. While at NYU, she served on the Moot Court Board and authored an award-winning casebook problem on the circuit court split over whether volunteers are classified as employees under Title VII and entitled to federal protections from workplace discrimination. Feder Cooper launched her legal career as a Public Interest Fellow at a class action firm based in Washington, D.C., where she worked out of the firm's Oakland office. Her research on the harms perpetrated by the cosmetics industry and membership in the American Association for Justice exposed her to the growing wave of mass tort cases against corporate entities. She was motivated to switch from class actions to mass torts so that she could work more closely with clients and advocate for families and individuals.
“As I searched for the right firm to join, RFTM's care for their clients was consistent from every person I spoke to," said Feder Cooper, “People didn't just say the firm does great work, they said the attorneys are genuinely good people. I became a lawyer to advocate for people, and to do that well, you have to truly care. It was essential to me to join a team of attorneys that displays this care day in and day out. I’m confident I have.”
Feder Cooper is exclusively focused on the firm's Eaton Fire caseload. She manages client relationships, develops damages strategies, and helps build and train the team supporting the firm's expanding wildfire practice.
"Em's energy, attention to clients, and background in organizing large-scale advocacy make her a natural fit for this work," said Partner John Feder. "We're glad to have her on the team as we continue to grow our wildfire practice."
Before law school, Feder Cooper worked as a product manager at a mission-driven stock exchange and was deeply involved in civic organizing in New York. She also worked with the New York City Council and the 2020 Census campaign. Feder Cooper is also an active participant in legal organizations focused on plaintiff-side and public interest law. She is a performer with improv and stand-up comedy backgrounds and, fluent in Spanish, has traveled extensively and adventurously throughout Latin American and Spain.
