J. David Darroch

J. David Darroch

Pronouns: he, him, his

A partner with Burke, Williams & Sorensen LLP, David Darroch practices in the area of construction disputes, litigation and alternative dispute resolution.  For the past 20 years, David has focused his practice primarily in the specialized field of construction law, construction litigation and construction-related issues.  He represents public and private entities in the area of power engineering, infrastructure, transportation, wastewater, and industrial process engineering.  David has extensive expertise counseling owners, construction firms, designers, contractors, subcontractors and suppliers regarding construction change management and project disputes.  He has experience assisting clients with dispute resolution boards, mediations, and other informal dispute resolution methods and has extensive experience in prosecuting and defending claims and trying cases to verdict, including jury trials, court trials, arbitrations and appeals in construction matters large and small.

David is admitted to practice in the State and Federal courts of California, and has been admitted pro hac vice in various other jurisdictions in the United States.

  • Counsel for public owner in wastewater treatment plant rehabilitation, replacement and upgrade disputes among several stakeholders, and co-lead on months-long bench trial.
  • Counsel for public owner in micro tunneling dispute and claims of differing site conditions.
  • Counsel for public owner on a civil construction dispute and co-lead on California Office of Administrative Hearings / JAMS arbitration, including more than two months of hearings.
  • Counsel for private contractor on public-private partnership (P3) civil construction matter and assistant trial counsel for months-long JAMS arbitration defending substantial claims.
  • Counsel for private contractor on dispute arising from brownfield construction of a new power generation and gas processing facility, and assistant trial counsel for AAA arbitration, spanning several months of hearings.
  • Counsel for public health care district through mediation on construction dispute arising from new hospital construction.
  • Co-Counsel and advisor for private engineering firm on defense of Federal Mine Safety Health Administration violations and State of California Occupational Safety and Health Administration citations arising out of mining operations in California.

  • J.D., with honors, San Francisco Law School, 1996
  • B.A., Mount Allison University, Canada, 1988
  • State Bar of California
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of California
  • United States District Court for the Northern District of California
  • United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of California
  • American Bar Association
  • Alameda County Bar Association
  • Bar Association of San Francisco