RPLG Partner Ruth Bond was named a Top Woman Lawyer of 2020 by the Daily Journal, which honors the top 100 women lawyers practicing in California each year.
“This recognition from the Daily Journal is such an honor,” said Ruth. “Our team has worked hard to deliver results for our clients this year, and I’m grateful that this work has landed me on a list of such accomplished women.”
Ruth brings significant public sector experience to her work at RPLG. Starting in 2005, she served as a San Francisco Deputy City Attorney for 14 years. Ruth joined RPLG’s team as Of Counsel in 2019 and was made partner in February 2020. Her practice focuses on representing public entities in labor and employment matters.
“Ruth’s strong litigation skills and commitment to San Francisco’s community made her a cornerstone of our office,” said San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera. “Her practice advances the public interest and makes an impact in our community. I’m pleased to see Ruth’s hard work recognized with this award.”
Over the last year, Ruth has taken on several significant projects. She was a key member of the RPLG team that filed diversity-related shareholder derivative lawsuits against Oracle, NortonLifeLock and Monster Beverage this summer. This litigation seeks to increase diversity on corporate boards and executive teams by holding the boards responsible for false and misleading statements about diversity in the companies’ proxy statements.
Ruth was also the lead trial attorney and obtained a defense verdict in a whistle-blower retaliation case against the City of San Francisco. She led the defense team that proved that the City had legitimate business reasons for all of its actions, which were aimed at improving services for residents of a skilled nursing facility serving some of San Francisco’s most vulnerable citizens.
Additionally, Ruth oversees RPLG’s workplace investigations practice group. This group conducts investigations ranging from high-level, politically sensitive matters to more common situations involving workplace violence, fraud, discrimination and other policy violations. She is also a member of RPLG’s newly formed police reform practice group.
“Ruth has been a fantastic thought partner for me,” said RPLG client and Berkeley City Attorney Farimah Brown. “She brings the highest level of professionalism to the table. Her graceful intelligence and creativity in solving problems are unparalleled. I am delighted that I get to work with her.”
Outside of her work at RPLG, Ruth sits on the Board of Directors for the Bay Area chapter of Friends of the Children, an organization that provides mentoring for vulnerable children to help break the generational cycle of poverty.
With Ruth’s award, all three female partners at RPLG have received the Top Woman Lawyer accolade. Partners Louise Renne and Linda Ross were included on the Daily Journal’s 2019 list.
RPLG practices throughout California, advising and advocating for public agencies, nonprofit entities, individuals and private entities in need of effective, responsive and creative legal solution.
