San Francisco Partner J. Dominic Campodonico has been named President-Elect of the International Association of Defense Counsel ("IADC") for 2024-2025. The election was announced at the organization’s Annual Meeting. Campodonico’s extensive involvement with the IADC began in 2009, including serving on the Board of Directors since 2021.
“Being named President-Elect of the IADC is a tremendous honor. I am excited to continue working with such a distinguished group of professionals to advance the interests of our clients and the broader legal community,” said Campodonico.
The IADC is the preeminent invitation-only global legal organization for attorneys who represent corporate and insurance interests. Founded in 1920, the IADC has members from six continents, 49 countries and territories, and all 50 U.S. states. The core purposes of the IADC are to enhance the development of skills, promote professionalism, and facilitate camaraderie among its members, their clients, and the broader civil justice community.
GRSM has long demonstrated a deep commitment to the IADC, with active members across various offices from all over the country. Former members of IADC’s Board of Directors include Skip McCowan, Nancy Erfle, and Laura De Santos. "Dominic's selection as President-Elect reflects the dedication and commitment he has to not only the organization but also to furthering the interests of the defense bar and our clients," said Erfle, who served as Director of the IADC Trial Academy in 2019. "As a GRSM partner, he shows that same dedication, and we could not be prouder by his selection."
Campodonico has been a member of the IADC since 2011 and has been actively involved in its Drug, Device, and Biotechnology and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Committees. In 2015, he was appointed to the organization’s Engagement and Retention Committee, which he chaired from 2018-2020. He has also served on the IADC’s Membership, Continuing Legal Education, and Nominating committees, and was appointed as IADC Convention Chair in 2020. In 2019, he was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Foundation of the IADC, which globally advances the rule of law and access to justice.
In 2021, Campodonico was named to the 16-member Board of Directors, which oversees activities benefiting the organization’s members and their clients, as well as the civil justice system, the legal profession, and society. As a member of the Board, Campodonico has served as liaison to a number of committees and assisted with the IADC’s Trial Academy, one of the oldest and most esteemed programs for honing defense advocacy skills.
GRSM has been a cornerstone of the IADC’s Trial Academy as it has sent its rising star attorneys to the week-long program for decades. GRSM’s graduates of the IADC’s Trial Academy include Michael Laurenson, the leader of GRSM’s Northern California Trial Practice Group. "GRSM is incredibly proud to have IADC recognize Dominic in this way,” stated Laurenson. “Dominic's enthusiastic leadership has further solidified GRSM's strong relationship with IADC and its premier Trial Academy, which was instrumental in my growth as an attorney." The IADC’s Asim K. Desai Memorial Trial Academy Scholarship was established in honor of GRSM’s partner who had the distinction of being a two-time Trial Academy faculty member.
Beyond Campodonico’s legal practice, which focuses on commercial litigation and product liability cases including mass torts pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and consumer products, he has significantly contributed to GRSM. Campodonico has served as the hiring partner for the San Francisco office’s Summer Associate Program and has participated on the Summer Associate Hiring Committee for eight years. He is actively involved in the firm’s Diversity, Community Service, and Pro Bono Committees, and currently serves as Co-Chair of the firm’s national LGBTQ+ Affinity Group.
To learn more about the IADC's Board of Directors, please click here. The Daily Journal covered this news in a feature article on August 2. Subscription may be required.