www.plaintiffmagazine.com MAY 2011 Profile: Anna Dubrovsky Russian immigrant runs her own firm, raises two children and takes on insurance companies BY STEPHEN ELLISON However, it Paying her dues also was a time of Upon wrapping up her second stint great transforma - of law school, Dubrovsky again gave very tion in that part of Growing up half way around the little thought, if any, to becoming a litiga - the world. “The world, during a time when her country - tor. This time, however, it wasn’t for a lack structure of society men viewed America as the sworn enemy, of opportunity. Demand for lawyers in the was changing, and Anna Dubrovsky never could have imag - private sector had reached stratospheric so the need for law ined doing what she does today: standing levels – the dot-coms and their mounds of was evolving,” up in a court of law and persuading U.S. venture capital cash had come calling, and Dubrovsky re - citizens to punish their countrymen – Dubrovsky most law students were salivating. “When I called. “The ques - those from big corporations and insur - was in law school, I had no desire to do tion was which ance companies – for wrongdoing. plaintiff law,” Dubrovsky said. “Like every - legal system should we adopt – that was in - But the native of Russia is doing just one else, I wanted to get into IP (intellec - teresting and exciting to me. I worked a that – and, much to her pleasant surprise, tual property).” little bit in the legal department of a fac - succeeding. “I’m always amazed that I’m But after graduation, Dubrovsky, tory, and I knew that I wanted to pursue able to do this – this is a great country,” being a family woman, was not in a posi - law when I came to the U.S.” said Dubrovsky, a sole practitioner based tion to bide her time and wait for her Indeed, Dubrovsky’s family immi - in San Francisco. “Here I am with this ac - dream job. She had a mortgage, bills to grated to America in 1990, settling first in cent, an immigrant, a woman. The fact pay and a daughter to raise. So when an New Jersey, and she wasted little time re - that I can go to trial and stand in front of insurance defense firm in Menlo Park ex - launching that pursuit. She attended New 12 people, and they will listen to me – the tended an offer, she took it. “I did that for York University and earned her paralegal fact that I’m allowed to do that – is amaz - about one-and-a-half years,” she recalled. certificate. The family then moved to San ing to me. It’s a huge honor to be able to “It was a very good experience. It taught Francisco, where Dubrovsky met her hus - represent a client – and it’s a huge respon - me litigation. I wouldn’t want to do that band, married him and started her own sibility. But it feels good.” now, but it is a very good way to learn.” family before continuing her law educa - Considering what she’s had to endure Then came the low point in her ca - tion. Her firstborn – a daughter – was just to arrive at that feeling, it’s no wonder reer: a move to a San Francisco defense four weeks old when Dubrovsky started Dubrovsky may have surprised herself a lit - firm, working in product liability defense law school at University of San Francisco. tle. “She’s a tough chickie – stunningly for an automaker. Everything about that “The LSAT was the first standardized smart and savvy,” explained Eileen Simon, job made Dubrovsky cringe – the work, test I’d ever taken,” Dubrovsky said. “It a sole practitioner based in San Jose who her supervising partner, her client. “I was the most difficult and stressful test I’ve met Dubrovsky through Consumer Attor - hated every single minute of it,” she said ever had to take – even harder than the neys of California. without pause. “I was very unhappy.” bar exam. Born and raised in Moscow, Soon, though, her misery would end, “And then law school was very chal - Dubrovsky was inspired through books to thanks to a firm that had employed her as lenging,” she continued. “First of all, enroll in law school at Lomonosov a clerk while she attended USF law school: there’s no way of knowing how you’re Moscow State University in the mid-1980’s, Choulos, Choulos & Wyle of San Fran - doing – during that first year, they don’t a time when Russia was still under the old cisco. Partners George Choulos and post grades or progress reports. So I communist regime. Litigation law was Claude Wyle, whom she considered good didn’t know whether I was passing or not. non-existent there; criminal law and fam - friends, rescued Dubrovsky from an insur - I probably tried so much harder and was ily law were practiced, but there were no ance defense career and made her a con - so focused because of that. I don’t think disputes between businesses because tract associate. “They asked me, ‘While I’ve ever been so focused in my life.” everything was government-owned, you’re looking for a job, do you want to Dubrovsky said. Copyright © 2011 by the author. For reprint permission, contact the publisher: www.plaintiffmagazine.com 1 www.plaintiffmagazine.com MAY 2011 do some contract work for us?’ So I immigrant who injured his back in a side - to the police. Then, as she dug deeper, she started there, trying to figure out what I swipe accident in San Francisco. An arbi - found that the trucking company falsified wanted to do,” Dubrovsky said. “It was trator set the award at $67,000, but its personnel record of the driver: they said kind of interesting. I started bringing in Allstate rejected it and offered $17,000. A he was given a test that he wasn’t given. Fi - business – you know, I had a lot of expo - trial was inevitable. “We told the defense nally, she found that the driver had a sec - sure in the Russian community, and I we were willing to take $65,000, and they ond driving job and thus had exceeded started bringing in a lot of Russian clients. refused again.” Dubrovsky said. the maximum number of weekly hours I started liking it.” The night before the trial was to start, allowed behind the wheel. “I was eager to do trials – that was my the defense came back with an offer of Dubrovsky also was able to discredit ultimate goal, to get into the courtroom,” $50,000, but by that time it was too late. the two witness accounts, but it was her she continued. “I was going to do anything Dubrovsky tried the case and won a ability to shift the focus onto the trucking I could do to get in there.” To learn trial $774,000 verdict. “It was amazing,” she said. company that led to her victory. “They skills from experienced attorneys outside “My client, when the jury came back and lied, they falsified documents – by the Choulos, she joined trial lawyer associa - announced the verdict, he couldn’t believe time the trial was winding down, the jury tions and “used every opportunity to go to it. I tried to tell him, and he didn’t under - hated the trucking company, they were seminars and conventions. I always want to stand. I had to write the amount down, so really furious with them,” she recalled. know about cutting edge trial techniques.” he could understand how much it was. The verdict came back at $4.7 million What began as temporary contract “And when my paralegal called the (gross), a very large verdict for San Mateo work turned into a long-term gig at Chou - office to give them the news – George and County, and earned her a nomination as los. Ten years and dozens of cases later, Claude were there waiting – they said, ‘No San Francisco Trial Lawyer of the Year for she amicably parted ways with Choulos that can’t be right – you mean $74,000, 2011. and Wyle and started the Anna Dubrovsky right?’ It was a great feeling.” Just doing it Law Group in San Francisco. “Sometimes Another noteworthy case was one that business-wise, it doesn’t make sense to several attorneys wouldn’t take. It involved Today, Dubrovsky heads a thriving keep doing something like that [working a motorcycle and a gasoline truck collid - firm and continues to raise two daugh - for others]. I felt it was time for me to ing on the incline of a two-way road in the ters, one 16, the other six. She gives her move forward,” Dubrovsky said about her Santa Cruz Mountains. Dubrovsky’s client, husband a lot of credit for allowing her decision to go solo. “By the time I left, I the motorcycle rider, ended up in Stan - the time to build a successful practice. didn’t really need help anymore. And fi - ford Hospital in critical condition. Ac - “He played a big role in my becoming a nancially, I was in a good position to do it. cording to the police report, which had lawyer. He always has been supportive It was just logical.” witness accounts, the motorcyclist clipped of me and helped me to pursue my the rear wheel of the big-rig when he dreams. He is the one who took care of Prepped for trial crossed the double-yellow line trying to the children when I was in trial for four While Dubrovsky has tried many cases pass the biker in front of him.