July 2025 – Kendall Brill & Kelly LLP (KBK) Partners Robert E. Dugdale and Nary Kim secured the early dismissal of a high-profile fraud suit on behalf of the University of Southern California (USC) on July 29, 2025. The lawsuit was brought by John B. Wilson, a private equity executive indicted in the “Varsity Blues” college admissions scandal, and his wife Leslie Q. Wilson.
Mr. Dugdale and Ms. Kim successfully represented USC as lead counsel in the lawsuit filed in September 2024 by the Wilsons, who alleged they were defrauded into making a donation under the belief it would support their son’s legitimate admission as a water polo recruit.
In her order sustaining USC’s demurrer without leave to amend, Judge Holly J. Fujie found that the Wilsons’ fraud claims were time-barred by the statute of limitations, noting that, “Although plaintiffs assert that their inquiry ‘did not uncover that USC had lied about its admissions practices,’ the fact that they were investigating the charges and scrutinizing USC’s admissions practices demonstrates that plaintiffs were objectively aware of potential impropriety concerning their son’s admission in 2019.”
The Daily Journal cited KBK’s defense of the university, quoting Mr. Dugdale as saying, “They had three years to bring their case. It wasn’t impossible, or they weren’t prevented from discovering facts they could have used to bring their claim.”
To read the Daily Journal cover story about the case, please click here.