Biography
David is an equity partner in the firm and is the head of the firm’s litigation department. David was admitted to practice in 1992 and joined the firm in 2014. He is a graduate of California State University, Fresno, where he received a degree in civil engineering. He is a licensed civil engineer. He received his JD from San Joaquin College of Law in 1992, where he served as the Managing Editor of the San Joaquin Agricultural Law Review. David represents clients in complex commercial, construction, real estate, professional liability defense, tort defense, as well as municipal law, business and real estate transactions, and land use matters. Prior to joining the firm, David served as a shareholder, member of the Board of Directors, President and chair of the litigation department of the Fresno firm Dowling Aaron Incorporated. He also serves as a mediator and arbitrator privately and with the American Arbitration Association. He attended the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution for ADR training. David has been named a Super Lawyer® by Thomson Reuters from 2009 to 2019 and holds an AV®-preeminent rating from Martindale Hubbell. David works primarily out of the Firm’s Fresno office.
Practice Areas
- Agricultural Law
- Banking & Finance
- Banking & Finance
- Business Transactions
- Construction Law
- Environmental Law
- Intellectual Property
- Labor & Employment Law
- Litigation
- Real Estate
Education
- San Joaquin College of Law, Fresno, California
- J.D. - 1992
- Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine University
- California State University, Fresno, California
- B.S. - 1972
- Major: Civil Engineering
Bar Admissions
- California, 1992
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of California
- U.S. District Court Northern District of California
- U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit
Professional Associations
- Member: American Bar Association (Advisory Panel and Construction Industry Forum)
- Member: Association of Business Trial Lawyers
- Member: Fresno County Bar Association (Real Estate, Construction, and Litigation Sections)
- Construction Industry Panel, American Arbitration Association
- American Society of Civil Engineers (Life Member)
- Legal Advisory Committee, Associated General Contractors of California
- American Council of Engineering Companies, Affiliate
- Judge Pro Tempore, Fresno County Consolidated Courts and Merced Superior Court
Past Positions
- Dowling Aaron Incorporated, Shareholder, Member of the Board of Directors, President and chair of the litigation department
Pro-Bono Activities
- Judge Pro Tempore, Fresno County and Merced County Consolidated Courts
- Board of Trustees, San Joaquin College of Law
Honors
- Certified Fellow of the Construction Lawyers Society in America
- 2019 Inductee into the San Joaquin College of Law Alumni Association Hall of Fame
- Selected to Super Lawyers: 2009 – 2024
- AV®-Preeminent rating (Martindale Hubbell)
- Board of Trustees, San Joaquin College of Law
- Former member, Board of Trustees and President (1996), Fresno State Bulldog Foundation
- Life Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers
Representative Cases
- Represented a large corporation in defense of a superior court shareholder lawsuit resulting in a complete dismissal
- Represented multiple franchisees in superior court lawsuit against their franchisor resulting in a significant judgment, including attorney’s fees, following a five-week jury trial and subsequent appeal
- Represented a national telecommunications company in defense of a superior court lawsuit by a customer injured in a slip and fall at a shopping mall kiosk resulting in a favorable verdict following a jury trial
- Represented a regional financial institution in a superior court lawsuit against the guarantors of a residential development loan resulting in recovery of significant assets in repayment of the defaulted loan
- Represented an architect in defense of a personal injury lawsuit arising out of the design and construction of an elementary school resulting in a settlement for no liability or indemnity payment on the part of the architect
- Represented an architect in arbitration defending a design defect claim arising out of the design and construction of a school gymnasium resulting in an award of less than 1% of the claimed damages
- Represented over 150 design professionals, realtors and attorneys in defense of professional malpractice claims
- Represented a general contractor in a federal court lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service for the recovery of significant payroll tax penalties resulting in a total recovery of the penalties plus interest
- Represented a public agency in a design liability lawsuit against its engineer and construction manager resulting in a settlement exceeding $1 million
- Represented citrus packing company in a lawsuit against a general contractor resulting in a million dollar settlement