Craig S. Ritchey
PEOPLE

Craig S. Ritchey

Of Counsel
ritchey.craig@dorsey.com

Overview

CRAIG FOCUSES ON BUSINESS LITIGATION AND RESOLVING BUSINESS DISPUTES.

Craig is of counsel in the Trial group and the former co-head of the Palo Alto office. His practice focuses on business litigation and resolving business disputes. Craig has been lead counsel in numerous unfair competition, intellectual property, trade regulation, contract, commercial, and technology lawsuits and arbitrations. He also represents senior corporate officers and companies in negotiating employment and separation agreements; venture firms in their partnership disputes; and beverage distributors regarding contract issues with suppliers and purchase and sale of distribution rights.

Education & Admissions

University of California, Hastings College of Law (J.D., 1969), Graduated eighth in a class of 236; Order of the Coif; Managing Editor of the Hastings Law Journal

Stanford University (A.B., Political Science and Economics, 1966), Scholarship athlete in football; participant in East-West Shrine and Hula Bowl Allstar football games; drafted by the Oakland Raiders

Admissions

  • California
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • All California federal courts

Experience

Client Achievements

  • Represented two beverage distributors in breach of contract action against its supplier for improper termination of the distribution agreement resulting in a judgment of $4.5 million dollars for the distributors.
  • Represented a semiconductor manufacturing company as plaintiff in an anti-trust action against a computer manufacturer for illegal tie-in resulting in a verdict and judgment for the semiconductor manufacturing company.
  • Represented a family trust in a breach of fiduciary duty claim against one of the beneficiaries who had unlawfully obtained title to a commercial office building and had appropriated several millions of rent. Obtained an arbitration award for return of the building and repayment of the rent.
  • Represented a publicly traded semiconductor equipment manufacturing company and its board of directors against the claim by its founder for breach of contract, racial discrimination and violation of Sarbanes-Oxley rules.

News & Resources

News & Press Mentions

Super Lawyers Recognizes 8 Dorsey Lawyers in Palo Alto

Professional & Civic

Professional Achievements

  • Special Master for the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.
  • Founding member and managing director of Generation Ventures, LLC (1994-1997). A venture firm doing business in the People's Republic of China
  • Founding member of Catfish Properties LLC, a real estate investment firm (2011-present).
  • White House Fellow and Special Assistant to the United States Secretary of the Interior, 1978-1979 (focus on Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act) 
  • Chairman of the National Public Lands Advisory Council, 1979-1980  

Community Involvement

  • Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Stanford University Alumni Association, 2008-2009; Board member 2002-2007
  • Member of the Stanford University Board of Trustees Committee on Alumni External Affairs, 2007-2010
  • Member of the Stanford University Athletic Board, 2004-2010; Executive Committee member 2009-2010
  • Member, Stanford Associates
  • Led the effort to establish the Wells Fargo Steinbeck Collection at Stanford
  • Led the effort to establish the Harry & Emilia Rathbun fund at Stanford for Exploring what leads to a Meaningful Life
  • Board member and Advisory Board member to non-profit organizations (partial listing): Children's Health Counsel, Peninsula Open Space Trust; Truckee Donner Land Trust; YMCA; Beyond War Foundation; Palo Alto Bar Association; Urban Coalition; City of Palo Alto Advisory Committees
  • Teaching Fellow U.C. Hastings College Law

Accolades

  • White House Fellowship, 1978-1979
  • Selected one of the "Super Lawyers" for Silicon Valley and Northern California, 1999-2013
Craig S. Ritchey