Richard Sontag
Richard Sontag is a native of Los Angeles who grew up in Orange County. He obtained a bachelor's degree in history in 1979 from the University of California at San Diego, and attended law school at the University of Oregon, Eugene, from which he graduated in 1982.
He became a member of the California State Bar in 1983. After working for the Orange County Legal Aid Society in Compton and later in Santa Ana, where he specialized in representing tenants in unlawful detainer actions, in 1984 he joined the Law Offices of Stuart Parker in Westminster, a private firm with a federal legal services contract to represent indigent residents in Orange County. While with that firm he continued representing tenants in unlawful detainer actions, as well as actions against landlords.
In 1989 he joined the Law Offices of Thomas Wells in Newport Beach where he specialized in representing commercial and residential landlords in various types of litigation. In 1992 he joined Cordova & Ruzicka (now Ruzicka & Wallace). There he specializes in representing secured creditors, including unlawful detainer and lender liability litigation, as well as representation in the bankruptcy courts.
Year Joined Firm
- 1992
Areas of Practice
- 70% Unlawful Detainer
- 10% Foreclosure
- 10% Bankruptcy
- 10% Landlord-Tenant
Litigation Percentage
- 90% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
Bar Admissions
- California, 1983
- U.S. District Court Central District of California, 1983
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of California, 1983
- U.S. District Court Northern District of California, 1983
- U.S. District Court Southern District of California, 1983
- U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 1984
Education
- University of Oregon School of Law, Eugene, Oregon
- J.D. - 1982
- University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California
- B.A. - 1979
- Major: History
Representative Cases
Past Employment Positions
- Law Offices of Stuart Parker in Westminster, 1984 - Present
- Law Offices of Thomas Wells in Newport Beach, 1989 - Present
Pro Bono Activities
- Temporary Judge, Orange County Superior Court, 1986 - 2011
