Attorneys
Experienced Attorney, Proven Results
Jivaka Candappa
J.D., Hastings College of Law
Jivaka Candappa is the principal of the Candappa Law Firm. He is an aggressive and passionate trial lawyer with 18 years of experience in civil rights, employment, health care, personal injury, criminal defense, and public entity litigation. He has tried over 50 cases to verdict in federal and state courts.
Mr. Candappa has served as lead counsel in many employment, civil rights, personal injury and criminal defense cases. Through hard work and creative trial lawyering, Mr. Candappa has secured a number of seven-figure settlements on behalf of his clients in civil cases. Mr. Candappa successfully represented Janice Dickinson in her defamation case against Bill Cosby. His representation of Ms. Dickinson in the California Court of Appeal resulted in a published opinion in Ms. Dickinson’s favor and paved the way for Ms. Dickinson’s highly publicized settlement of her case.
Mr. Candappa was formerly a Deputy Public Defender with the Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office in Northern California, where he maintained an excellent track record as a trial attorney. In cases that he tried before juries, Mr. Candappa obtained better results for his clients than the plea bargains offered by prosecutors and the courts.
Education
- Hastings College of the Law, University of California, J.D., 2002
Professional Recognition
- Named “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers Magazine (2012, 2013)
- Named “Top Attorneys Rising Stars” in Northern California by San Francisco Magazine (2012, 2013)
- Named in 2011 Top Verdict Search Settlements by The Recorder (2012)
Bar Admission
- Licensed in California
Testimonials
Jivaka is my colleague to whom I refer the toughest of cases. Jivaka has that rare combination of eloquence, passion and grit that reminds me of why we went to law school. It's not just that he is a skilled orator and writer. He can work through a problem with the thoughtfulness and clarity of purpose that enables him to overcome obstacles and achieve terrific results when other lawyers would throw in the towel. He is intimidated by nothing. He handles the courtroom with a tactical sophistication and skill that makes me look forward to many other cases with him.
I appreciate everything you did on my child’s behalf. Thanks for your honesty and devotion to your profession. Because of your help my child has a chance to finish high school and grow up without being a burden on taxpayers.
