Our record settlement in the Household case after a jury verdict and 14 years of litigation reflects the tenacity and skill of our team of lawyers.
Overview
Spencer Burkholz is a partner in Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP’s San Diego office and a member of the Firm’s Executive and Management Committees. He has 25 years of experience in prosecuting securities class actions and private actions on behalf of large institutional investors. Spence was one of the lead trial attorneys in Jaffe v. Household International in the Northern District of Illinois, a securities class action that obtained a record-breaking $1.575 billion settlement after 14 years of litigation, including a six-week jury trial in 2009 that resulted in a verdict for plaintiffs. Spence has also recovered billions of dollars for injured shareholders in cases such as Enron ($7.2 billion), WorldCom ($657 million), Countrywide ($500 million), and Qwest ($445 million).
Spence has received the AV Preeminent certification by Martindale-Hubbell (the highest rating available). He has also been named a Leading Lawyer in America and a Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyer by Lawdragon, a Plaintiffs’ Lawyer Trailblazer by The National Law Journal, a Top Plaintiff Lawyer by the Daily Journal, a Recommended Lawyer by The Legal 500, a Super Lawyer by Super Lawyers Magazine, and a Southern California Best Lawyer, a Best Lawyer in America, and a Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers®. Additionally, Spence has been named Plaintiff Attorney of the Year, a National Practice Area Star, a Local Litigation Star, a State Litigation Star, a California Star, a Top 20 Trial Lawyer in California, and a Top 100 Trial Lawyer by Benchmark Litigation. He has also been recognized as a Top Lawyer in San Diego by San Diego Magazine every year since 2013.
Spence earned his Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, from Clark University, and received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.
Awards
- Rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell
- Leading Lawyer in America, Lawdragon, 2018-2021
- Best Lawyer in America, Best Lawyers®, 2018-2021
- Southern California Best Lawyer, Best Lawyers®, 2018-2021
- Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyer, Lawdragon, 2019-2020
- Plaintiffs’ Lawyer Trailblazer, The National Law Journal, 2020
- Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers Magazine, 2015-2016, 2020
- Top 100 Trial Lawyer, Benchmark Litigation, 2018-2020
- National Practice Area Star, Benchmark Litigation, 2020
- Local Litigation Star, Benchmark Litigation, 2015-2018, 2020
- Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers®, 2020
- Top Lawyer in San Diego, San Diego Magazine, 2013-2020
- Recommended Lawyer, The Legal 500, 2017-2019
- Top 20 Trial Lawyer in California, Benchmark Litigation, 2019
- California Star, Benchmark Litigation, 2019
- State Litigation Star, Benchmark Litigation, 2019
- Plaintiff Attorney of the Year, Benchmark Litigation, 2018
- Top Plaintiff Lawyer, Daily Journal, 2017
Practice Areas
- Litigation Services
- Securities Fraud
Education
University of Virginia School of Law, J.D., 1989
Clark University, B.A., 1985, cum laude
- Phi Beta Kappa
Admissions
- California
- United States Courts of Appeals for the Third, Seventh, and Ninth Circuits
- United States District Courts for the Northern, Central, and Southern Districts of California
- United States District Court for the District of Colorado
Notable Cases
News
- January 28, 2021
- December 18, 2020
- November 16, 2020
- November 16, 2020
- November 6, 2020
- August 25, 2020
- August 20, 2020
- April 27, 2020
- April 8, 2020
- April 6, 2020
- March 20, 2020
- January 24, 2020
- January 21, 2020
- January 17, 2020
- January 14, 2020
- January 7, 2020
- November 20, 2019
- November 15, 2019
- November 1, 2019
- Robbins Geller Defeats Motion to Dismiss in McKesson Generic Drug Price-Fixing Securities Fraud SuitOctober 31, 2019
- September 30, 2019
- September 19, 2019
- August 15, 2019
- May 30, 2019
- April 10, 2019
- March 22, 2019
- March 15, 2019
- February 22, 2019
- October 30, 2018
- September 5, 2018
- August 16, 2018
- August 15, 2018
- August 14, 2018
- June 13, 2018
- May 30, 2018
- March 19, 2018
- March 1, 2018
- Robbins Geller Partner Spencer Burkholz Named Plaintiff Attorney of the Year by Benchmark LitigationFebruary 23, 2018
- January 12, 2018
- November 1, 2017
- Robbins Geller Named a Top Ten Plaintiffs Firm and Nine Attorneys Recognized by Benchmark LitigationOctober 31, 2017
- September 12, 2017
- August 15, 2017
- June 30, 2017
- June 14, 2017
- May 31, 2017
- March 21, 2017
- January 24, 2017
- October 28, 2016
- October 21, 2016
- August 16, 2016
- June 16, 2016
- January 20, 2016
- November 9, 2015
- October 16, 2015
- September 25, 2015
- February 27, 2015
- February 2, 2015
- October 30, 2014
- February 18, 2014
- January 17, 2014
- December 6, 2013
- October 17, 2013
- July 12, 2013
- April 17, 2013
- March 1, 2013
- November 15, 2012
- July 11, 2012
- June 21, 2012