David Sugden

David Sugden is a trial lawyer and shareholder at Call & Jensen. He tries business, employment, harassment, institutional abuse and intellectual property cases nationally, for plaintiffs and for defendants, and is often brought in on the eve of trial by the lawyers who litigated the case. He is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), has been named to the Top 50 Orange County Super Lawyers list, and has been listed in Best Lawyers since 2021. He has been recognized as a Trial Lawyer of the Year by The Trial Lawyers and as one of the Daily Journal's Top 20 Attorneys Under 40.

Mr. Sugden is licensed in California, New York and Texas. He has tried cases to verdict in multiple states and has served as lead counsel in California, Colorado, New York, Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, New Jersey, Tennessee and Georgia. He appears as a legal commentator on Fox News's The Will Cain Show. More at davidsugden.com and on LinkedIn.

Teaching, Software and Writing

Evidence at Trial: Mr. Sugden is the founder of Evidence at Trial, which offers online courses for trial lawyers on evidence, depositions, experts and taking a business case to verdict, with sixteen California MCLE credits.

JuryBoard: He created JuryBoard, jury selection software for trial lawyers on iPad, Mac, Windows and Chromebook.

Picked to Win (2026): He is the author of Picked to Win, a book on jury selection.

Recent Results for Plaintiffs

$12,000,000 Settlement (September 2026, Orange County): Zandi v. Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa, et al. Two years of intense litigation that settled weeks before trial.

$8,685,192 Verdict (June 2025, Orange County): An Orange County jury found liability on all claims in a sexual harassment, gender discrimination and retaliation case.

$6,700,000 Verdict (May 2024, Orange County): An Orange County jury returned a $6.7 million verdict for Mr. Sugden's client after a two-week fraud and breach of contract trial against a defendant who listed his property on an online auction platform but deceptively prevented a legitimate auction.

$9,000,000 Verdict (September 2022, Los Angeles): A Los Angeles jury awarded Mr. Sugden's clients $9 million in a breach of contract case over goods delivered and not paid for. His clients prevailed on all claims and defeated every claim in the defendants' cross-complaint.

Recent Results for Defendants

Unanimous Defense Verdict, 12–0 (November 2025, Beverly Hills): A unanimous jury rejected an alleged partnership claim in which the plaintiff advanced a damages model reaching $100 million.

Complete Defense Verdict (February 2025, Orange County): A unanimous jury returned a complete defense verdict for loanDepot after a three-week trial on claims of sexual harassment and constructive discharge.

Earlier Results for Plaintiffs

$47,400,000 Verdict: A unanimous federal jury in San Diego awarded Mr. Sugden's corporate client $47.4 million after a three-week trial on trade secret misappropriation and copyright infringement claims.

$2,230,000 Verdict: An Orange County jury awarded Mr. Sugden's client $2.23 million after a three-week trial on trade secret misappropriation and related claims.

Earlier Results for Defendants

Complete Defense Verdict: A San Bernardino jury returned a complete defense verdict for LA Fitness after a three-week trial on claims of wrongful termination, disability discrimination and retaliation. The plaintiff asked the jury for $2.9 million.

Complete Defense Verdict: A unanimous federal jury in Los Angeles returned a complete defense verdict for a private university on claims under the Family and Medical Leave Act, the California Family Rights Act and related claims. The plaintiff sought more than $1.18 million plus punitive damages and attorneys' fees. Mr. Sugden was retained less than two months before trial.

Complete Defense Verdict: A Los Angeles Superior Court jury returned a complete defense verdict for a private university after a three-week trial on claims of sexual harassment and discrimination, pregnancy harassment and discrimination, constructive discharge, disability discrimination and wage-and-hour violations. The plaintiff asked for more than $3 million.

Complete Defense Verdict: A complete defense verdict for a leading oil company after a three-week jury trial in a toxic tort case. The plaintiff asked for at least $8 million.

Complete Defense Verdict: A unanimous complete defense verdict for a prominent clothing retailer in a sexual harassment case. The jury deliberated for less than two hours.

Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Community

Mr. Sugden has volunteered with the Disability Rights Legal Center, helping low-income parents of children with special needs obtain educational services, and has handled pro bono matters through Orange County's Public Law Center. He served on the Foundation Board of Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) and serves on Pepperdine Law School's Board of Advisors.

Education and Background

Originally from Vancouver, British Columbia, Mr. Sugden came to California to play NCAA Division I baseball at Pepperdine University, where he was named to the All-West Coast Conference Team as a senior. He earned his J.D. from Pepperdine University School of Law, where he was featured in the 24th Annual Edition of The National Dean's List and won first place in the Annual Dalsimer Moot Court Competition.