Sanford Svetcov

Sandy Svetcov has been an appellate lawyer for 45 years, and has briefed and argued more than 300 appeals in state and federal court, including the U.S. Supreme Court.

Sanford Svetcov has been a partner in the Appellate Practice Group at Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP's San Francisco office since joining the Firm in July 2000. Mr. Svetcov has briefed and argued more than 300 appeals in state and federal court, including Braxton v. Mun. Court, 10 Cal.3d 138 (1973) (First Amendment); Procunier v. Navarette, 434 U.S. 555 (1977) (Civil Rights); Parker Plaza v. UNUM Ins., 941 F.2d 349 (5th Cir. 1991) (Real Estate); Catellus v. United States, 34 F.3d 748 (9th Cir. 1994) (CERCLA); United States v. Hove, 52 F.3d 233 (9th Cir. 1995) (Criminal Law); Kelly v. City of Oakland, 198 F.3d 779 (9th Cir. 1999) (Employment Law); United States v. Henke, 222 F.3d 633 (9th Cir. 2000) (Securities Fraud); Moore v. Liberty Nat'l Life Ins. Co., 267 F.3d 1209 (11th Cir. 2001) (Civil Rights); In re Cavanaugh, 306 F.3d 726 (9th Cir. 2002) (Securities Fraud); Dehoyos v. Allstate Corp., 345 F.3d 290 (5th Cir. 2003) (Civil Rights); In re Monumental Life Ins. Co., 343 F.3d 331 (5th Cir. 2003) (Class Certification); Nursing Home Pension Fund v. Oracle Corp., 380 F.3d 1226 (9th Cir. 2004) (Securities Fraud); Inst. Investors v. Avaya, Inc., 564 F.3d 242 (3d Cir. 2009) (Securities Fraud); Lormand v. United States Unwired, Inc., 565 F.3d 228 (5th Cir. 2009) (Securities Fraud); and Alaska Elec. Pension Fund v. Flowserve Corp., 572 F.3d 221 (5th Cir. 2009) (Securities Fraud).

Mr. Svetcov was a partner with the firm of Landels Ripley & Diamond, LLP, in San Francisco, from 1989 to 2000. His extensive legal experience includes service as: Chief, Appellate Section, United States Attorney’s Office, San Francisco, 1984-1989; Attorney-in-Charge, Organized Crime Strike Force, San Francisco, 1981-1984; Chief Assistant United States Attorney, San Francisco, 1978-1981; Deputy Attorney General, State of California, 1969-1977; Legal Officer, United States Navy, VT-25, Chase Field, Beeville, Texas, 1966-1969; and Deputy Legislative Counsel, Legislature of California, Sacramento, 1965-1966.

Mr. Svetcov is certified as a Specialist in Appellate practice by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. He was selected by the Attorney General for the Department of Justice’s John Marshall Award for Excellence in Appellate Advocacy in 1986 and is a member and past President of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers (1998), and a member of the California Academy of Appellate Lawyers.

In 1999 and 2002, Chief Justice Rehnquist appointed Mr. Svetcov to three-year terms on the Federal Appellate Rules Advisory Committee. He is also an ex officio member of the Ninth Circuit Rules Advisory Committee on Rules and Internal Operating Procedures. His other memberships and service commitments to the legal profession include: American Academy of Appellate Lawyers; Ninth Circuit Advisory Committee on Rules and Internal Operating Procedures; Federal Appellate Rules Advisory Committee; the California Academy of Appellate Lawyers; the Bar Association of San Francisco (Appellate Courts section); the American Bar Association (Appellate Judges Conference) Committee on Appellate Practice; and the Northern California Federal Bar Association, Board of Directors.

Mr. Svetcov earned his Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, from Brooklyn College in 1961 and his Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1964. He is a member of the Bars of the State of California, the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the First through Eleventh Circuits and the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. 

For two decades, he as been active as a teacher and lecturer at continuing legal education programs, including those of the ABA Appellate Practice Institutes (1990-2000), Fifth Circuit Bar Association Appellate Practice Seminars (1991-2003), the Ninth Circuit Federal Bar Association Appellate Practice Seminar, and the N.I.T.A. Appellate Advocacy Seminar and Fifth Circuit Bar Association Appellate Practice Seminars (1991-1999). He has served as an adjunct professor at Hastings College of Law and an instructor in Appellate Advocacy at the United States Attorney General’s Advocacy Institute (1980-1989).

Mr. Svetcov is also active in community affairs.

Professional Affiliations

San Francisco Jewish Community Relations Council, Member, 1982-2000; President, 1991-1992

Northern California Hillel Council, 1993-1995