Statewide Legal
Counseling and
Representation
Practice Areas
Public Entity
DGR’s attorneys specialize in representing a wide range of California public entities including cities, counties, the State of California, water districts, transit systems, and joint powers authorities.
Our skilled and experienced attorneys provide litigation defense services as well as assert affirmative claims on our client's behalf. Our public entity representation spans the spectrum of issues such as dangerous condition of public property, police misconduct, civil rights, paramedic and firefighter defense, employment and wrongful termination, inverse condemnation, eminent domain, Brown Act and Public Records Act.
We are uniquely positioned to assist our public entity clients at all stages. From pre-claim and post-claim analysis and investigation through litigation and appeal, our attorneys provide direct and sound advice and representation.
Our Specialties
- Defense of Government Claims
- Dangerous Condition of Public Property
- Civil Rights
- Writs and Appeals
- Police Misconduct
- Employment
- Inverse Condemnation
Representation Experience
DGR has represented, among others, the following public entities:
- Cities: San Diego, Vista, San Marcos, Santee, Carlsbad, Poway, Chula Vista, El Cajon, La Mesa, Del Mar, Encinitas, Escondido, Calexico, National City, Solana Beach, Highland, Twenty-Nine Palms, Laguna Hills, Rancho Santa Margarita, Beaumont, Placentia, Brawley, El Centro, Adelanto, Banning, Barstow, Big Bear Lake, Cathedral City, Dana Point, Desert Hot Springs, Highland, Hesperia, Imperial, La Habra Heights, Lemon Grove, Menifee, Murrieta, National City, Pico Rivera, Placentia, Sacramento, San Clemente, and San Buenaventura
- Counties: San Diego, Riverside, Imperial
- Other Public Entities and TPAs: Port of San Diego; San Diego County Water Authority; Tri-City Health Care District; Padre Dam Municipal Water District, Imperial Irrigation District; California Highway Patrol, California Department of State Hospitals, and California Board of Registered Nursing; Bay Area Air Quality Management District; San Diego Metropolitan Transit System, PERMA, California JPIA, PRISM (formerly CSAC), Carl Warren and Co., George Hills Company, Sedgewick, League of California Cities, California Association, California State Association of Counites and International Municipal Lawyers Association
Tort & Business
DGR is first and foremost a trial and appellate oriented law firm. All our attorneys have substantial litigation experience in general civil litigation defense from pre-litigation through law and motion, discovery, trial, and appeal.
Our general civil practice covers the spectrum of tort and business litigation areas including: personal injury, civil rights, premises liability, development and construction, products liability, labor and employment, professional malpractice, wine import and distribution, bad faith, commercial, supply chain, and agricultural claims, hospitality, elder abuse, non-profit and religious institutions, transportation, real estate, complex civil and class action litigation, and, general insurance defense.
Our attorneys are well known in courtrooms throughout California and highly respected in the community for our professionalism and consistently outstanding results.
Appellate
Appellate work is significantly different from trial work. It is extremely detail oriented and requires an intimate knowledge of appellate procedure and practice. Appellate briefs are not the same as trial level points and authorities and receive greater judicial scrutiny. Appellate judges have more time to study the attorney’s work product and will have more staff to help them identify errors in counsel’s reasoning, misstatements of law and inaccurate citations of authority, and to do original research to uncover ideas and authorities that counsel may have missed.
In addition to handling the actual writ or appeal, or assisting in the preparing of substantive briefs, DGR is available to assist other attorneys during litigation to ensure the client’s best chance of success. The firm is also available to handle writs of mandamus and other forms of extraordinary relief filed in both the superior and appellate courts. This includes responding to administrative writs of mandamus in public employment and public works matters as well as requests for injunctive relief in civil actions
DGR maintains a well-respected appellate practice handling writs and appeals throughout California for clients and as amicus curiae, in both California and federal appellate courts. Our appellate practice is led by Lee H. Roistacher, an appellate specialist certified by the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization. Attorneys in our firm have been involved in hundreds of appellate matters including numerous published decisions, many of which have helped shape the law in various areas.
Employment
We understand business success requires strategic, sound labor and employment policies and practices. We represent public and private sector employers across a wide range of industries. We minimize our clients’ litigation risk by offering insightful, tailored solutions, guiding our clients through the intricacies of California labor and employment laws and regularly updating our clients about ever-changing provisions of the law.
When litigation becomes necessary, our attorneys have the experience and expertise necessary to successfully defend our clients in employment-related lawsuits through motion, trial, and appeal.
Our firm represents public and private entities in employment litigation, including claims of wrongful termination, harassment, retaliatory discharge, whistleblower, disability and all types of discrimination under California Fair Employment and Housing Act, and Title VII. We also represent public entities at the administrative hearing level of adjudication.
Civil Rights
DGR’s Civil Rights practice involves the defense of public entities, typically their police officers, in lawsuits alleging excessive force, false arrest, and violations of state and federal civil rights.
Representative cases involve police shootings, lethal and uses of less than lethal force such as tasers, batons and pepper spray, unreasonable search and seizure, and other constitutional claims such as free speech violations.
DGR litigates Civil Rights cases in both state and federal courts, and at all appellate levels. We have a depth of knowledge and trial experience to provide our public entity clients with the absolute best representation possible.
Construction
DGR has extensive experience in development and construction litigation. Our firm’s attorneys represent developers, general contractors, engineers, architects, subcontractors, and specialty subcontractors across the range of construction related claims and disputes, and in excess of nine figures. When trial or arbitration is necessary, our attorneys consistently achieve phenomenal results for our developer and contractor clients.
Informed by our broad construction litigation experience, we can quickly assess construction claims and develop the most effective strategy for early resolution, if possible.
We are also adept in analyzing and resolving complex insurance coverage and contractual indemnity issues that inevitably arise from development and construction disputes.
Class Action
DGR represents public entities and businesses in various types of class action litigation in both federal and California courts. Applying highly effective litigation strategies developed over three decades, our attorneys efficiently litigate large complex class action cases.
DGR has a winning track record in actions with multi-million-dollar risk exposure which includes defeat of class certification motions, pleading stage challenges resulting in judgment of dismissal, and published California appellate opinions establishing new law.
Experienced
Comprehensive
Results Oriented
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