Susman Godfrey partner Brian Melton spearheaded a team that won a $25 million verdict on Wednesday in a royalty dispute with music executive Jimmy Iovine and rapper/producer Andre “Dr. Dre” Young over Beats, the ubiquitous high-end, celebrity-endorsed headphones now owned by Apple Inc.

Melton and his team handled the case on contingency against a Morrison & Foerster defense team led by trial heavyweight Arturo González, whom Melton called “a great trial lawyer … one of the best ones in the world.” Melton spoke with The Recorder on Thursday about the trial and the challenge of handling a case against celebrity defendants in front of a Los Angeles state court jury. What follows has been edited for length and clarity.