Robert Stumpf

Robert J. Stumpf is Of Counsel in the firm’s San Francisco office and serves as leader of the firm’s Financial Institutions Litigation team. Bob’s principal areas of practice are commercial litigation and appellate law.

His commercial litigation practice focuses upon financial institution litigation, real estate litigation, securities litigation, contract and partnership disputes, bankruptcy litigation, and other types of complex commercial litigation. Bob is also a Certified Specialist in Appellate Law.

Education:

• J.D., University of California, Hastings, 1976, Order of the Coif
• M.A., University of California, Berkeley, 1971
• A.B., Harvard College, 1970, magna cum laude

Admissions : California

Experience:

• Represented a Silicon Valley firm in a successful petition to the California Supreme Court establishing the principle that a contracting party cannot be held liable in tort for interfering with its own contract.
• Represented a national bank in a case in the California Supreme Court that clarified the scope of the “litigation privilege” under California law.
• Represented a national commercial brokerage firm in the California Supreme Court in an action that clarified the nature and scope of contractual attorneys fees.
• Represented a major real estate development corporation in the successful resolution of a homeowner/class action dispute involving more than 150 residences.
• Represented The Hillman Company, a major private corporation, in lender liability litigation involving a leveraged buy-out between the two largest dairies in California.
• Represented several commercial brokerage firms in numerous cases involving the alleged misappropriation of trade secrets and “raiding” of employees and clients.
• Represented Cessna Aircraft Company in appellate litigation concerning the scope and interpretation of the General Aviation Revitalization Act of 1994.
• Represented a commercial brokerage firm in the successful reversal of a punitive damage award and other damages on appeal.

Memberships:

• Chair, California State Bar’s Appellate Law Advisory Commission (2013)
• Member, Board of Governors, Association of Business Trial Lawyers (1998-2013)
• Chair, Financial Institutions Committee of The State Bar of California (2012)
• San Francisco Bank Attorneys Association (2010)
• Appellate Practice Section, San Francisco Bar Association (2002-2004)
• Mediator, First District Court of Appeal in San Francisco
• Fellow and Member, American and California Academies of Appellate Lawyers
• Practitioner Advisor, Appellate Advocacy Program at UC Berkeley School of Law (1995-present)
• Arbitrator, Financial Institution Regulatory Authority
• Pro Tempore Judge, San Francisco Superior Court (1993-present)
• Member, California Supreme Court Historical Society (2002-present)