The deRubertis Law Firm

View the profile as it appeared in Southern California Rising Stars 2009 (PDF)

The deRubertis Law Firm handles employee rights cases, both as individual and class actions. The firm’s principal, David deRubertis, is passionately committed to righting corporate wrongs committed against dedicated employees. “Too often,” deRubertis says, “companies trample over their employees’ rights—as if they forget that the company is what it is because of the people who do its work.” deRubertis views a lawsuit and eventually a jury trial as an opportunity to both remind the company of the importance of its workers and to restore dignity and self-worth to the employee whose life was shattered by the company’s wrongdoing.

DEDICATED ADVOCATE

In addition to his passion and commitment, deRubertis offers clients a rare combination of both a successful trial lawyer and a lawyer who is at the cutting edge of the development of the law. As a trial lawyer, deRubertis consistently tries multiple cases a year. At the same time, he regularly handles important appellate cases, including a number of cases in the California Supreme Court. This unique combination brings results for his clients. In 2008 alone, deRubertis’ recovered verdicts and settlements of over $10 million in individual plaintiff cases, in addition to a $15 million discrimination class action settlement. One of his significant victories that year was a seven-figure verdict in a reasonable accommodation case involving a 75-year-old client against a nonprofit defendant. The highest pretrial offer in the case: a mere $50,000.

ALWAYS AT THE READY

A major portion of the firm’s practice is stepping in to try employment cases on short notice. “Jumping into a case shortly before trial can offer a huge advantage,” says deRubertis. “A fresh set of eyes can focus on the key issues and help simplify the story for the jury.”

COMMITTED PROFESSIONAL

deRubertis is committed to his clients, but also to his profession and community. He currently serves on the executive board of the California Employment Lawyers Association, is a contributing editor to the Rutter Guide’s California employment law treatise, and routinely delivers continuing education lectures and drafts amicus briefs on issues affecting employee or consumer rights. He is also a founding director of the Los Angeles Trial Lawyers’ Charities—a nonprofit organization created by trial lawyers to help local communities.