Rob Cutbirth is a partner serving as the Office Chair for the Firm’s San Francisco-Downtown and Sacramento offices. Mr. Cutbirth brings more than 30 years of counseling and trial and appellate experience to his roles as general counsel, insurance coverage and specialty employment counsel, and first chair trial and appellate litigator for local, regional, national, and international companies, insurers, and public entities.

Mr. Cutbirth has been recognized as a multi-disciplinary insurance expert, having drafted policies and endorsements for nearly every coverage line.  He oversees and manages claims complex and challenging claims arising under D&O/E&O, employment practices, cyber, and general liability product lines, and as needed has defense claims involving coverage and “bad faith” issues in many jurisdictions throughout the United States.  Rob served as an interim Claims Manager on a Financial Institutions/Directors and Officers desk for a London Syndicate, and serves as trusted coverage and monitoring counsel for a both London-based and domestic insurance programs that promote positive relationship with insureds and their broker representatives, while also properly evaluating and addressing coverage limitations and relationships arising in first-party and third-party claims.  Mr. Cutbirth also regularly provides training on California’s Insurance Claims Practices Act, as well as requested updates on the handling of claim investigations, defense and defense fee auditing standards, and evaluation and participation in settlements and negotiations.

Rob’s commercial litigation practice includes the defense of local, regional and national companies with respect to employment (discrimination, harassment, wage and hour, whether class action or individual plaintiff), intellectual property (including trademark and copyright), unfair business practices (false advertising, improper pricing, trade libel, deceptive bargaining and contracting), and professional liability (attorney, broker, accountant, and miscellaneous professional liability exposures) claims.  Rob has first chair trial and appellate experience within many federal and state jurisdictions, including the defense of law firms, insurance and real estate brokers, and homeowners associations, and as well as in administrative hearings and binding arbitrations.

Mr. Cutbirth also regularly serves as general counsel and corporate advisor to private companies and public agencies, providing strategic guidance and risk management/risk avoidance services in the areas of corporate and Board of Director governance and compliance, appropriate employment, cyber, and other internal policies and practices, and the negotiation and management of contracts involving goods, services, leases, and specialty agreements.  He is also frequently called upon to provide internal trainings on proper business practices and standards, including recent trainings in the areas of corporate compliance with cyber security and safety protocols, and sexual harassment and anti-discrimination practices required by law.