David J. Ruderman has joined Colantuono & Levin as an associate in our litigation practice, working from our Penn Valley office in the Sierra Foothills.  David brings broad litigation experience, great skills and integrity to our firm.

David currently works on a number of litigation matters relating to a city or special district’s power to raise taxes, fees or charges under Propositions 13, 218, 62 and 26.  He is handling appeals concerning the island annexation rules under the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act which govern Local Agency Formation Commissions (LAFCOs), and grievances of a public employee’s union under its operative memorandum of understanding.  David is also litigating cases related to land use, utility user taxes and transient occupancy taxes.

David previously worked as an associate at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan in San Francisco.  There David handled a wide range of cases representing both corporate and individual clients in state and federal courts.  His practiced ranged from securities and structured finance litigation to white collar criminal investigations; from trade secret matters to copyright and trademark litigation; and from employment litigation (California Fair Employment and Housing Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Title VII discrimination matters) to general contract disputes.  David also gained experience trying cases and handling appeals on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants.

David received his J.D. from UCLA School of Law in 2006, where he was a member of the UCLA Law Review and a judicial extern for the Honorable Harry Pregerson of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.  David was active in the school’s clinics, including representing Los Angeles County in a juvenile dependency proceeding before the California Court of Appeal.  Before law school, David worked at a San Francisco non-profit agency providing immigration legal services and spent two years as a Peace Corps volunteer teaching English near Vladivostok, Russia.  David graduated with honors from Lewis & Clark College in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in History.

When not working, David enjoys spending time with his family, telling tales to his four-year old son, exploring the historical richness of the Sierra Foothills and playing guitar.   David is proficient in Russian.

David’s experience adds depth to our growing litigation team.   His full profile is available here.  Welcome, David!