Spencer A. Burkholz

Spencer Burkholz is a partner in Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP’s San Diego office and a member of the Firm’s Management Committee. He has over 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), Qwest ($445 million), Wells Fargo ($300 million), Envision ($177.5 million), McKesson ($141 million),  Cardinal Health ($109 million), and Cisco Systems ($99.25 million). 

Spence has received the AV Preeminent certification by Martindale-Hubbell (the highest rating available). He has also been named a Titan of the Plaintiffs Bar by Law360, a Leading Lawyer in America and a Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyer by Lawdragon, a Plaintiffs’ Lawyer Trailblazer by The National Law Journal, a California Lawyer Attorney of the Year and 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 Litigation Star, a National Practice Area Star, a Local Litigation Star, a State Litigation 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.

Spence earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Clark University, and received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.

• Rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell
• Litigation Star, Benchmark Litigation, 2023-2025
• National Practice Area Star, Benchmark Litigation, 2020, 2024-2025
• Best Lawyer in America, Best Lawyers®, 2018-2025
• California Lawyer Attorney of the Year (CLAY), Daily Journal, 2024
• Top 20 Trial Lawyer in California, Benchmark Litigation, 2019, 2023-2024
• Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyer, Lawdragon, 2019-2024
• Titan of the Plaintiffs Bar, Law360, 2024
• Leading Lawyer in America, Lawdragon, 2018-2024
• Top Plaintiff Lawyer, Daily Journal, 2017, 2023
• Plaintiffs’ Lawyer Trailblazer, The National Law Journal, 2020, 2022
• Top Lawyer in San Diego, San Diego Magazine, 2013-2022
• Southern California Best Lawyer, Best Lawyers®, 2018-2021
• Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers Magazine, 2015-2016, 2020
• Top 100 Trial Lawyer, Benchmark Litigation, 2018-2020
• Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers®, 2020
• Local Litigation Star, Benchmark Litigation, 2015-2018, 2020
• Recommended Lawyer, The Legal 500, 2017-2019
• California Star, Benchmark Litigation, 2019
• State Litigation Star, Benchmark Litigation, 2019
• Plaintiff Attorney of the Year, Benchmark Litigation, 2018

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 Second, Third, Seventh, and Ninth Circuits
• United States District Courts for the Northern, Central, and Southern Districts of California

Notable Cases