Among a sea of dull gray suits, Alston & Bird partner Cari Dawson stood out in the California courtroom. Not only because she was a woman in a cheerful skirt or one of the very few minorities, but because Dawson is leading the charge for Toyota Motor Corp. in one of the biggest fights of the decade.

Her argument that day prevailed. The judge in April consolidated more than 200 sudden-acceleration lawsuits in Toyota’s jurisdictional preference, the Central District of California.