David Secrest

After several years as an insurance defense litigator, primarily in the Bay Area, I started my own firm focusing on employment litigation, relocating to Santa Barbara, California in 2011. I continue to practice employment litigation across the California Central Coast, Southern California and the Bay Area. I've been a member of the California Employment Lawyers Association (www.cela.org) for 20 years. For the past 30 years, my practice has been exclusively dedicated to the representation of employees in discrimination and related employment claims and civil actions. I've tried at least 15 cases to a jury verdict, conducted 1,000+ depositions, and litigated well over 2,000 cases to completion, either through settlement, arbitration or judgment. For example: Saccio v. Romasanta, 49 Trials Digest 19th 13, jury verdict of $545,777, including $400,000 in punitive damages, Santa Barbara (age discrimination, hostile work environment, $35,000 wage loss, judgment of $920,000); Conrad v. Montgomery-Sansome Ltd. LP, 11 Trials Digest 11th, 14, jury verdict of $930,000, including $350,000 in punitive damages, San Mateo County (constructive termination, $50,000 unpaid commissions); and Nichols v. Goodyear, 8 Trials Digest 3rd 9, jury verdict of $368,000, including $200,000 in punitive damages, Santa Clara County (constructive termination, $9,000 unpaid commissions). I recently settled a discrimination case against a major financial institution on behalf of a disabled (blind) employee for $5,000,000, a health care company on behalf of another disabled (ALS) employee for $3,000,000, and I have reached dozens of settlements in excess of 7 figures. I also represent clients on appeal and have completed such representation in 14 appellate cases to conclusion in the First District Court of Appeal, State of California; 3 cases in the Second Appellate District; 2 cases in the Fourth Appellate District; 12 cases in the Sixth Appellate District; and 3 cases before the California Supreme Court. I love what I do.