David W. Fermino

About David W. Fermino

David’s previous practice focused on white collar criminal defense and complex civil and corporate litigation. Before going into private practice, David was a Supervising Deputy Federal Public Defender in Los Angeles and an Assistant Federal Public Defender in San Francisco. He served as the 20••••19 Chair of the Judicial Nominee Evaluation Committee of the State Bar of California. In addition to his work on the JNE Commission, he is a member of the Board of Directors of Death Penalty Focus. David previously served as a member of the Board of Directors of the ACLU of Northern California, the Board of Governors of the California Attorneys for Criminal Justice and as a member of the Board of Directors of California Poets in Schools. David received the 2019 “Loren Miller Attorney of the Year Award” from the California Association of Black Attorneys in recognition of his commitment to public service. David has written articles for Law 360, The Daily Journal, the Recorder, and the Marijuana Industry News. He is a yearly contributing author to the CEB book “Scientific Evidence and Expert Testimony in California” for which he co-authors a chapter on “Digital Forensics in Corporate Environments”. David received his B.A. in Anthropology in from Carleton College in Northfield, MN and his J.D. from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis. Following graduation, he served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable George N. Leighton, United States District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois.David has argued before the United States Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (en banc) as well as numerous three-judge panels, the California Supreme Court, and the California Courts of Appeal resulting in many significant published opinions.

Experience

1. Attorney

   California Public Utilities Commission

   May 2021 — Present · San Francisco, CA, US

   The Division provides legal advice for a variety of clients: the Commission, ALJ Division, Energy Division, Division of Water and Audits, Office of Ratepayer Advocates, Communications Division, Safety and Enforcement Division, Consumer Protection and Enforcement Division, the Office of Governmental Affairs and handles Public Record Act Requests and Subpoenas.

Education

• Washington University in St. Louis

  Juris Doctor

  1984 — 1987

• Carleton College

  Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

  1978 — 1982

Skills

• Criminal Defense Lawyer
• White Collar Criminal Defense
• Appellate Practice
• Trials
• Motions
• Legal Issues
• Constitutional Law
• Hearings
• Litigation
• Criminal Defense
• Jury Trials
• Appeals
• Arbitration
• Commercial Litigation
• Civil Litigation
• Courts
• Dispute Resolution
• Employment Law
• Intellectual Property
• Fraud
• Legal Assistance
• Legal Research
• Legal Writing
• Litigation Support
• Westlaw