David L. Jordan

David L. Jordan is a Partner who practices out of the San Francisco, Los Angeles and Orange County offices of GRSM. He maintains a broad-based practice focusing on providing his clients counseling and advice with respect to employment, corporate, real estate, commercial, and risk management matters. David also actively litigates complex employment, commercial, corporate and real estate matters on behalf of his clients. He is a member of the firm’s Commercial Litigation, Employment Law, Real Estate, and Business Transactions practice groups.

David’s litigation practice regularly involves employment disputes involving wage & hour, discrimination, harassment, and disability claims. With respect to corporate and commercial disputes, he regularly handles matters involving officer/director/shareholder liability, corporate dissolutions, unfair business practices, non-competition agreements, general business torts, breach of contract, commercial leasing and real property disputes, as well as general and product liability claims, among others.

David’s corporate and real estate transactional experience has involved advising companies with respect to the acquisition or divestiture of business assets and real estate; venture capital investments and commercial financing; the formation and organization of corporate entities, including the preparation of organizational documents such as bylaws, operating and shareholder agreements; commercial leases; and property management agreements.

Representative clients include franchisees; commercial (retail/office) and multi-unit residential property owners and managers; manufacturers; retailers; and technology companies. David often acts as outside general counsel to smaller and mid-sized businesses that do not have in-house general counsel.

Admissions

• California
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
• U.S. District Court, Northern and Eastern Districts of California

Memberships

• California Bar Association, Business Law and Labor & Employment Sections
• International Council of Shopping Centers

Community Involvement

• Current Coach and Board Member – Pleasanton Junior Football League (PJFL)
• Past Assistant Coach – Pleasanton National Little League (PNLL)

Representative Matters

• Represented a defendant retailer in a jury trial in Alameda County Superior Court involving a complex commercial lease dispute that resulted in favorable settlement for client during trial;
• Obtained favorable resolution of dispute involving claims of alleged breach of fiduciary duty of corporate officer/director that included an attempt to involuntary dissolve the client’s business;
• Researched and drafted the prevailing appellate briefs to the Illinois First Appellate District and to the Illinois Supreme Court in a complex products liability action involving the death of a child, resulting in a 7-0 decision by the Illinois Supreme Court in favor of the client;
• Obtained favorable pre-litigation mediated settlement on behalf of distributor against a large, well-known, local clothing company in case involving breach of contract and fraud claims;
• Obtained summary judgments for publicly traded commercial property owner in a premises liability lawsuit;
• Favorably resolved ADA, HUD, and FEHA claims on behalf of commercial and multi-unit residential property owners;
• Advised clients with respect to business transactions, including corporate formation and organization; purchases/sales of assets; private placement and traditional commercial financing; buy-sell agreements; management agreements; and commercial leases.

Presentations

Regularly presents to various franchisee groups on the topics of employment law, business transactions, and risk avoidance & management.

• Class Action Litigation Employers-Brace Yourselves, GRSM Legal Education Conference, San Francisco (October 2018)

Education

J.D., University of California, Hastings College of the Law, 1999

• Top 25 percent of graduating class
• Senior Articles Editor, Hastings Constitutional Law Quarterly
• Member, Wagner Labor Law Moot Court Competition Team
• Assistant Instructor, Legal Research and Writing

B.A., magna cum laude, Political Science, University of California, Los Angeles, 1996

Judicial Clerkships

Honorable Maxine M. Chesney, U.S. District Court

What do you enjoy most about your practice?

Helping clients understand and resolve complex legal issues and disputes.

What is the key to a successful transaction?

Understanding the client’s motivations and goals in order to effectively structure the transaction to meet those goals in a cost effective and efficient way.

What is the secret to obtaining successful trial results?

Understanding the facts of the case better than opposing counsel and rigorous preparation for trial.

What are your favorite pastimes when you are not practicing law?

Coaching youth sports; hiking/backpacking; camping/fishing; cooking; traveling; and just spending time with my children.