David deRubertis

David M. deRubertis is the principal in The deRubertis Law Firm, APC, where he focuses on trying employment cases of all types for employees, catastrophic personal injury or wrongful death matters for the injured party, and contingency business-litigation matters.  A substantial part of Mr. deRubertis’ practice consists of serving as last-minute, “eve of trial” lead trial counsel.

            Mr. deRubertis’ honors include: “Trial Lawyer of the Year” by the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA) (2014 and Nominee in 2008 & 2022); “Best Lawyers - Lawyer of the Year - Employment Law - Individuals” (Los Angeles) (2014 & 2018); California Lawyer of the Year - Employment Law (CLAY Award) (2024 & 2014); Law 360: Titans of the Plaintiff’s Bar (2023); Law 360: Employment Law MVP (2022 & 2024); Law 360: Employment Practice Group of the Year (2022 & 2023); National Law Journal Employment Law Trailblazers (2021 & 2023); National Law Journal Plaintiffs’ Lawyers Trailblazer (2023); National Law Journal: Elite Trial Lawyers – Employment (Finalist) (2023 & 2024); Joseph Posner Award from the California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA) (2011) (youngest-ever recipient); Am Law Litigation Daily’s “Litigator of the Week” (June 2022 & November 2024); Top 100 Southern California Super Lawyer from (2011 - 2024); Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journal: Top 100 Lawyers (2023, 2024); Top Labor & Employment Lawyer (2009 - 2024) (only plaintiff-side attorney to make list every year since inaugural year); Top Verdicts (2023 [2 verdicts]; 2022 [#1 largest verdict]; 2016; 2014); Consumer Attorney of the Year Finalist by Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC) (2023); two-time Finalist for “Street Fighter of the Year” by CAOC (2014, 2015 & 2024); finalist for National Law Journal Winning Litigator (2024); two-time Finalist for National Law Journal Elite Trial Lawyers – Employment (2022 and 2024); California’s Top 100 Trial Lawyers - National Trial Lawyers (2008 - 2024).

            Mr. deRubertis is an Associate member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) and has participated in its annual “Masters in Trial” program.  Having tried dozens of cases with experience in both state and federal courts, Mr. deRubertis has secured multiple record-setting employment jury verdicts as lead trial counsel, including in Martinez/Page vs. Southern California Edison, et al., which is the largest contested employment-related jury verdict in U.S. history.  As lead trial counsel, he achieved the largest employment-related jury verdicts in the country in both 2022 and 2023.  In a two-and-a half year stretch in 2022-2024, he achieved six consecutive employment verdicts with punitive damages all of which were eight- or nine-figure results.  Demonstrating his versatility, in addition to his trial work deRubertis has personally briefed and argued many appeals in both state and federal courts, including serving as lead appellate counsel for briefing and oral argument in four separate matters before the California Supreme Court: (1) Williams v. City of Chino (2015) 61 Ca.4th 97 [prevailing FEHA defendant cannot recover costs in non-frivolous FEHA action]; (2) Harris v. City of Santa Monica (2013) 56 Cal.4th 203 [rejection of “but for” test for FEHA cases and applicability of “mixed motive” defense]; (3) Roby v. McKesson HBOC (2009) 47 Cal.4th 686 [landmark employment harassment and punitive damages case]; and (4) Lonicki v. Sutter Health Central (2008) 43 Cal.4th 201 [first case decided by the Court Supreme Court under the California Family Rights Act].

            Mr. deRubertis is currently an Emeritus member of the Board of Governors of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA) and he was previously a member of the Executive Board of the California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA), the Board of Governors of the Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC) and was a Founding Director of the Los Angeles Trial Lawyers’ Charities.