David G. Geffen is a native of Southern California with a private law and mediation practice in Santa Monica, California.  He studied at University of California Santa Cruz before enrolling in the School for Public Communications at Boston University, earning a BS in Communications in 1982.  In 1983, Mr. Geffen worked on a master's degree at UCLA’s Graduate School of Education, receiving an M.A. in Learning and Instruction in 1985. He then attended Loyola Law School of Los Angeles, earning his juris doctor in 1986.

Just out of law school in 1987, Mr. Geffen opened a private law firm. Mr. Geffen quickly found the need to take a generalist approach to his scope of practice.  This provided Mr. Geffen with a broad range of experience in almost every field of law.  His early success in the courtroom built his reputation as a trial attorney. His work has resulted in the recovery of millions of dollars in damages, as well as significant changes in the public interest.

Mr. Geffen’s extensive experience in both state and federal court covers a wide variety of legal claims including employment and public access discrimination, whistle-blowing, housing discrimination, and serious personal injury. Mr. Geffen’s experience also extends to contract disputes and administrative law proceedings. In addition, he has specialized knowledge of the nursing, cosmetics and apparel industries.

A dedicated public servant, Mr. Geffen devotes extensive energy to the disabled community through public education and non-profit work. He now serves as president of the Paralysis Project of America which funds scientific and clinical studies that focus on spinal cord repair and regeneration.  In the past 10 years he has also served as a board member and officer of the Disability Rights Legal Center, and the Westside Center for Independent Living.

Mr. Geffen's professional affiliations include the Southern California Mediation Association, the California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA), and the Employment Law Committee of the Beverly Hills Bar Association.  His past volunteer work includes developing a highly successful “drug court” for middle school students in conjunction with D.A.R.E., the nationally acclaimed anti-drug program.

In addition to being a skilled and respected adversary, David Geffen is a professional mediator who uses his advanced negotiation skills and broad understanding of conflict resolution in every case to achieve optimal results.