Robert B. de Spelder was born in Detroit in 1957, and grew up in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. From 1983 to 1988, he served in United States Navy where he was awarded two Letters of Commendation and earned the Surface Warfare (ESWS) qualification . Mr. de Spelder held a secret clearance and was stationed at the Polaris submarine base in Holy Loch, Scotland, and at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. Upon completion of his service, Mr. de Spelder was honorably discharged.

He received his AB (“With Distinction”) from the University of Michigan–Dearborn, in 1992. His concentrations included history, communications and public administration. He studied law at the University of Arizona College of Law, and received his Juris Doctor degree in 1997. While in law school he represented the college in the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition.

Since his admission to the California Bar, Mr. de Spelder has extensive experience litigating all aspects of personal injury defense, including premises liability, motor vehicle, assault and battery, and general negligence . He has appeared at hundreds of arbitrations, mediations, depositions, and hearings. Mr. de Spelder has also handled cases on behalf of governmental entities on various issues including employment discrimination, sexual harassment, excessive police force, and dangerous condition of public property.

Mr. de Spelder also worked for Macuga & Liddle in Detroit representing plaintiffs on several large class actions lawsuits involving property owners and neighborhood groups complaining of environmental contaminants, as well as representation of consumers complaining of fraudulent business activities, including failure to provide rebates against several national electronics retailers.

Mr. de Spelder is married and the father of two young boys. In his free time, he enjoys skiing, sailing, cycling, as well as do-it-yourself projects around the family’s Pasadena home.