Speaker
Don Rushing is an experienced law firm leader, trial lawyer, and recognized authority on bet-the-company litigation.
Mr. Rushing has served in many roles as a law firm leader over his long career, including Managing Partner of Gray, Cary, Ames & Frye, Co-Chair and CEO of Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich, Chair of Gray Cary’s litigation department, Co-Chair of Morrison & Foerster’s global litigation department, and Chair of Morrison & Foerster’s chairperson selection committee.
As an experienced trial lawyer who is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, Associate of the American Board of Trial Advocates, and Certified Civil Trial Advocate of the National Board of Trial Advocacy, Mr. Rushing enjoys a well-deserved reputation for successfully trying complex cases for his clients. Equipped with an M.B.A. in Business Economics and Finance, Mr. Rushing understands the business realities that companies face. This enables him to develop case strategies that align with clients’ business goals. As an Air Force Academy graduate, pilot, and former Air Force officer who served in the Air Force Systems Command research and development community, he provides technically informed legal advice in complex litigation.
Mr. Rushing has served as national coordinating and trial counsel for companies in mass disaster, serial tort, toxic tort, and consumer product matters that involved class action, multi-jurisdiction, and multi-district proceedings in more than 25 states and five foreign jurisdictions. His varied industry experience spans companies in the aerospace, technology, transportation, chemical and applied materials, consumer products, financial services, and mining sectors. He has tried or arbitrated over 70 cases to conclusion in his 45-year career.
Mr. Rushing has been recognized by several top publications for his expertise in commercial litigation, with particular emphasis on aviation and product liability litigation. Mr. Rushing has been ranked as a leading aviation lawyer by Chambers, Legal 500 US, Benchmark Litigation, and Euromoney’s Expert Guides. Mr. Rushing also has received recognition from The Best Lawyers in America in the fields of bet-the-company, commercial, and product liability litigation and from Southern California Super Lawyers in class action and mass tort litigation. In 2010, Daily Journal recognized him as one of California’s “Top 100” leading lawyers. Best Lawyers named him “San Diego Product Liability Lawyer of the Year” in 2013 and “San Diego Bet-the-Company Litigator of the Year” in 2015, and SD Metro Magazine named him one of San Diego’s Top 25 Attorneys. For 35 years, Martindale- Hubbell has rated him “AV Preeminent.”
Mr. Rushing received his B.S. in 1970 from the U.S. Air Force Academy, his M.B.A. in 1973 from the University of Southern California, and his J.D. in 1978 from the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law. During law school, Mr. Rushing was a member of the UCLA Law Review editorial board.
From 1970 to 1975, Mr. Rushing served as an officer with the U.S. Air Force Systems Command’s Space and Missile Systems Organization, where he was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal for work in the Advanced Ballistic Reentry Systems program. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Airborne School, and holds an Airborne rating.
