Resume
Hon. Suzanne G. Bruguera (Ret.) joins ADR Services, Inc. after 27 years as a judge of the Los Angeles Superior and former Municipal Courts, with the entirety of her time on the bench spent in civil assignments. Responsible for handling hundreds of cases with unlimited jurisdiction as an independent calendar judge, Judge Bruguera is known for negotiating difficult settlements and for conducting controversial high publicity jury trials. She is a well-respected jurist, known for being firm, fair, and able to settle cases which other settlement officers could not.
Patient, courteous, and respectful, Judge Bruguera’s excellent judicial temperament made her one of the most admired civil trial judges on the bench. Her success as a judge reflects the high regard in which she is held in the legal community, and she has often been recognized for her high level of intellect, sound decision-making, and dedication to each case before her.
Judge Bruguera’s judicial career was preceded by experience as a Deputy Attorney General for the California State Department of Justice, where she handled complex business and tax matters and Medi-Cal fraud for nearly five years. Prior to that, she was a Deputy District Attorney for the County of Los Angeles and spent a year in private practice.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2000 – 2016
Judge, Los Angeles Superior Court
- Presided over an Independent Calendar courtroom, Stanley Mosk Courthouse
- Elevated to Superior Court upon court unification in 2000
1989 – 2000
Judge, Los Angeles Municipal Court
- Appointed by Governor George Deukmejian in July 1989
1984 – 1989
Deputy Attorney General, California State Department of Justice
- Business & Tax Section
- Medi-Cal Fraud Prosecution
1983 – 1984
Deputy District Attorney, County of Los Angeles
- Criminal prosecutor
1982 – 1983
Associate, Voorhees, Knable, & Voorhees
- Private law practice in Torrance, California
EDUCATION
2017 - “STAR: A Systematic Approach to Mediation Strategies”, Straus Institute for Dispute
Resolution, Pepperdine University (18 hours)
1981 - .D., Loyola Law School
1978 - B.S., University of Southern California
AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION
Employment
- Sexual Harassment
- Whistleblower retaliation
- ADA compliance
- FEHA (Fair Employment and Housing Act) and FLSA
- Workplace discrimination, harassment and retaliation based on age, gender, sex, sexual orientation, race, national origin, disability and religion
- Wrongful termination and constructive discharge
- Wage & hour - PAGA
- Hostile Work
Real Estate
- Homeowner Association disputes (HOA)
- Eminent domain
- Construction defect
- Commercial lease disputes
- Residential lease disputes
- Landlord-tenant disputes
- Partition and accounting of real property - Real estate sales commission
- Quiet title
- Foreclosures
- Public and private nuisance
- Property boundary disputes
- CEQA compliance
- Zoning
- Foreclosures
- Conditional Use Permit
- Gas Station/Service Center Litigation
Business & Commercial
- Commercial lease
- Breach of contract
- Breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing
- Contract interpretation
- Non-compete contracts
- Partnership Dissolution
- Breach of fiduciary duty
- Accounting
- Fraud
- Unfair and unlawful business practices (Business & Professions Code § 17200)
- Uniform Trade Secrets Act
- FINRA
- Architecture Services/Breach of Contract
Personal Injury
- Automobile
- Bicycle
- Pedestrian
- Slip & fall
- Negligence
- Defamation (including online internet postings)
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Dog bite
- Dangerous condition of public property
- Public transportation (bus, light rail, train)
- Asbestos
- Civil rights/police misconduct/police excessive force
- Product liability
- Assumption of risk
Entertainment
- Contract disputes
- Royalties
- Breach of fiduciary duty
- Wrongful termination/FEHA
- Licensing agreements
Elder Abuse
- Physical abuse
- Neglect
- Financial abuse
Insurance
- Insurance Coverage
- Insurance Umpire
- Good Faith and Fair Dealing
- Professional Liability Insurance
- UIM/UM