David Scott Secrest

Attorney David Secrest is admitted to practice in all state courts in California, the United States District Court of California, Northern District, and Central District. Mr. Secrest received a BA in Political Science from Denison University in Granville, Ohio, and a Juris Doctor from the University of San Francisco.

After several years in the trenches as an insurance defense litigator primarily in the Bay Area, Mr. Secrest started his own firm focusing on employment litigation. In 2011, Mr. Secrest relocated his firm and family to Santa Barbara, California. Mr. Secrest continues to practice employment litigation across the Central Coast and Southland, as well as the Bay Area.

Mr. Secrest is a member of the American Bar Association, and a number of County Bar associations, including Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. Mr. Secrest has a Peer Rating of 4.4/5.0 (“BV- Distinguished”), according to Martindale-Hubbell. Mr. Secrest has been a member of the California Employment Lawyers Association for 20 years.

For the past 30 years, Mr. Secrest’s practice has been exclusively dedicated to the representation of employees in discrimination and related employment claims and civil actions. Mr. Secrest has 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. By way of brief 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 3d 9, jury verdict of $368,000, including $200,000 in punitive damages, Santa Clara County (constructive termination, $9,000 unpaid commissions). Mr. Secrest recently settled a discrimination case against a major financial institution on behalf of a disabled employee for $5,000,000, and has achieved multiple settlements in excess of 7 figures.

Mr. Secrest also represents clients on appeal, and has 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.