Theodore Derk Poppinga

I was born and raised in Colusa, California.  Colusa is a small farming community.  When I was growing up, my father was the only veterinarian in the entire county. As a child my Dad took me with him on large animal calls to treat cattle and horses.  I also helped him with the small animal practice.  I always had an interest in medicine but knew as a young man in college that I wanted to be an attorney.

In 1983 I graduated with highest honors from the University of California at Santa Barbara.  I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. I then went to law school at the University of the Pacific, Mc George School of Law and received my Juris Doctorate degree in 1987.  The primary focus of my practice has always been medical malpractice defense.  I love the work and feel privileged to represent physicians and hospitals.  

I am married to my beautiful wife, Sheila.  We have three adult chidren; two daughters and a son.  We also have an eight year old grandson who is a true joy in our lives. Not surprisingly, our family includes a lot of cats and dogs. 

In my spare time I enjoy golf, yoga and swimming.  I also enjoy singing.  I am the lead vocalist in a Sacramento based rock and roll band called the Q-Balls. The genre is classic rock. Singing is a lot of fun and over the years we have performed at many concerts but I'll definitely keep my day job.