Spencer A. Burkholz

Spence 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 21 years of experience in prosecuting securities class actions and private actions on behalf of large institutional investors. Burkholz 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. Burkholz 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). 

Burkholz has been named a Leading Lawyer in America by Lawdragon, a Top Plaintiff Lawyer by the Daily Journal, a Recommended Lawyer by The Legal 500, a Super Lawyer by Super Lawyers Magazine for two consecutive years, and a Best Lawyer in America by Best Lawyers®. Additionally, Burkholz has been named Plaintiff Attorney of the Year, 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.

Burkholz 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.

• Top 100 Trial Lawyer, Benchmark Litigation, 2018-2019
• Top 20 Trial Lawyer in California, Benchmark Litigation, 2019
• California Star, Benchmark Litigation, 2019
• State Litigation Star, Benchmark Litigation, 2019
• Best Lawyer in America, Best Lawyers®, 2018-2019
• Plaintiff Attorney of the Year, Benchmark Litigation, 2018
• Leading Lawyer in America, Lawdragon, 2018
• Local Litigation Star, Benchmark Litigation, 2015-2018
• Recommended Lawyer, The Legal 500, 2017-2018
• Top Plaintiff Lawyer, Daily Journal, 2017
• Top Lawyer in San Diego, San Diego Magazine, 2013-2017
• Super Lawyer, 2015-2016

University of Virginia School of Law, J.D., 1989

Clark University, B.A., 1985, cum laude

• Phi Beta Kappa

• 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

Notable Cases