David S. Rutherford
Biography
David S. Rutherford is a founding partner at Rutherford & Christie LLP and manages the New York office. David’s diverse trial and appellate practice over the past thirty-six (36) years has focused on complex and catastrophic litigation in a variety of fields, including sexual abuse/sexual misconduct, aviation, products liability, First Amendment and Civil Rights, constitutional law, employment, dram shop and restaurant liability. He serves as trial counsel for major nationwide companies and social services organizations, as well as insurance carriers, both primary and excess.
In addition to litigating in the state and federal courts of New York, David has served and continues to serve as national counsel for several of the firm’s clients and has handled cases in forty-seven (47) of the fifty states, including arguing appeals in the Supreme Courts of several states.
Relevant Experience
- Has served as local trial counsel for major United States airline, having handled in excess of 500 such cases during the past two decades
- Has defended and served as trial counsel for social services organizations, social workers and mental health professionals in sexual abuse/ sexual misconduct litigation, having handled more than 500 such cases over the years
- Has served as trial counsel to some of the world’s top restaurants in liability matters in New York and Connecticut
- Has defended religious entities on a variety of issues ranging from First Amendment protection to sexual misconduct by clergy
- Has defended manufacturers and distributors of a wide range of products, including helmets, sporting and recreational equipment, boats, aircraft, paints and solvents, chemicals, pesticides, tractors, presses, industrial machinery, tools, beverage containers, pharmaceuticals, nutritional supplements and aviation components
- Has litigated numerous complex and catastrophic injury cases including multiple deaths, quadriplegia, double leg amputations, double hand amputations, loss of organs and severe brain injury
- Has been involved in risk prevention and management, the design of product recalls and retrofits and the drafting of product warnings
- Has drafted insurance policies and endorsements and litigated coverage issues involving a wide range of policies
Education
- B.A., Hamilton College, 1982
- J.D., Southern Methodist University College of Law, 1985
- New York State Trial and Appellate Courts
- United States District Courts, for the Eastern, Western, Southern and Northern Districts of New York
- United States District Court, Connecticut
- United States Circuit Court of Appeals, Second and Eighth Circuits
- United States Supreme Court
Representative Cases/Decisions:
- Ehrlich v. American Airlines, Inc., 360 F.3d 366 (2d Cir. 2004)
- King v. American Airlines, Inc., 284 F.3d 352 (2d Cir. 2002)
- Cohen v. American Airlines, Inc., 13 F.4th 240 (2d Cir. 2021)
- Tripolone v. United Air Lines, Inc., 2020 WL 819606 (N.D.N.Y. Feb. 19, 2020)
- J.S. v. Children of America, Inc., 696 Fed.Appx. 39, 2017 WL 3614441 (2d Cir. 2017)
- A.M. v. Holy Resurrection Greek Orthodox Church, 190 A.D.3d 470 (1st Dept. 2021)
- Guilbe v. Port Authority of New York, 154 A.D.3d 522 (1st Dept. 2017)
- Sullivan v. City of New York, 690 Fed.Appx 63, 2017 WL 1948256 (2d Cir. 2017)
- Treacy v. Castle Fun Center, 120 A.D.3d 1405 (2nd Dept. 2014)
- Arroyo v. We Transport, Inc., 118 A.D.3d 648 (2nd Dept. 2014)
- Hammond v. Lincoln Technical Institute, Inc., 2012 WL 273067 (E.D.N.Y. Jan. 30, 2012)
- Wilson v. Diocese of New York, 1998 WL 82921 (SDNY Feb. 26, 1998)
- Newyear v. Church Ins. Co., 155 F.3d 1041 (8th Cir. 1998)
- Doe v. Evans,814 So.2d 370 (Fla. 2002)
- Albright v. White, 202 W. Va. 292, 503 S.E.2d 860 (W. Va. 1998)
- F.G. v. MacDonell, 150 N.J. 550, 696 A.2d 697 (N.J..1997)
- Galbut v. American Airlines, Inc., 27 F. Supp.2d 146 (EDNY 1997)
- Silver v. Sportsstuff, 130 A.D.3d 907 (2nd Dept. 2015)
- Coventry Coating Corp. v. Verlan Fire Ins. Co., 303 A.D.2d 164, 756 N.Y.S.2d 185 (Slip Op. N.Y.A.D. 1 Dept. Mar 4, 2003)
Professional Memberships and Affiliations:
- Defense Research Institute
- New York State Bar Association
- National Retail and Restaurant Defense Association
- CLM
Seminars and Speeches:
David has spoken at numerous industry meetings, client seminars and CLE programs on a variety of topics, including sexual abuse, the recently enacted Child Victims Act in New York, aviation, Labor Law, discovery and trial practice issues.
David S. Rutherford
- Email: dsr@rutherfordchristie.com
- Phone: (212) 599-5799
- Download vCard >
Biography
David S. Rutherford is a founding partner at Rutherford & Christie LLP and manages the New York office. David’s diverse trial and appellate practice over the past thirty-six (36) years has focused on complex and catastrophic litigation in a variety of fields, including sexual abuse/sexual misconduct, aviation, products liability, First Amendment and Civil Rights, constitutional law, employment, dram shop and restaurant liability. He serves as trial counsel for major nationwide companies and social services organizations, as well as insurance carriers, both primary and excess.
In addition to litigating in the state and federal courts of New York, David has served and continues to serve as national counsel for several of the firm’s clients and has handled cases in forty-seven (47) of the fifty states, including arguing appeals in the Supreme Courts of several states.
Relevant Experience
- Has served as local trial counsel for major United States airline, having handled in excess of 500 such cases during the past two decades
- Has defended and served as trial counsel for social services organizations, social workers and mental health professionals in sexual abuse/ sexual misconduct litigation, having handled more than 500 such cases over the years
- Has served as trial counsel to some of the world’s top restaurants in liability matters in New York and Connecticut
- Has defended religious entities on a variety of issues ranging from First Amendment protection to sexual misconduct by clergy
- Has defended manufacturers and distributors of a wide range of products, including helmets, sporting and recreational equipment, boats, aircraft, paints and solvents, chemicals, pesticides, tractors, presses, industrial machinery, tools, beverage containers, pharmaceuticals, nutritional supplements and aviation components
- Has litigated numerous complex and catastrophic injury cases including multiple deaths, quadriplegia, double leg amputations, double hand amputations, loss of organs and severe brain injury
- Has been involved in risk prevention and management, the design of product recalls and retrofits and the drafting of product warnings
- Has drafted insurance policies and endorsements and litigated coverage issues involving a wide range of policies
Education
- B.A., Hamilton College, 1982
- J.D., Southern Methodist University College of Law, 1985
- New York State Trial and Appellate Courts
- United States District Courts, for the Eastern, Western, Southern and Northern Districts of New York
- United States District Court, Connecticut
- United States Circuit Court of Appeals, Second and Eighth Circuits
- United States Supreme Court
Representative Cases/Decisions:
- Ehrlich v. American Airlines, Inc., 360 F.3d 366 (2d Cir. 2004)
- King v. American Airlines, Inc., 284 F.3d 352 (2d Cir. 2002)
- Cohen v. American Airlines, Inc., 13 F.4th 240 (2d Cir. 2021)
- Tripolone v. United Air Lines, Inc., 2020 WL 819606 (N.D.N.Y. Feb. 19, 2020)
- J.S. v. Children of America, Inc., 696 Fed.Appx. 39, 2017 WL 3614441 (2d Cir. 2017)
- A.M. v. Holy Resurrection Greek Orthodox Church, 190 A.D.3d 470 (1st Dept. 2021)
- Guilbe v. Port Authority of New York, 154 A.D.3d 522 (1st Dept. 2017)
- Sullivan v. City of New York, 690 Fed.Appx 63, 2017 WL 1948256 (2d Cir. 2017)
- Treacy v. Castle Fun Center, 120 A.D.3d 1405 (2nd Dept. 2014)
- Arroyo v. We Transport, Inc., 118 A.D.3d 648 (2nd Dept. 2014)
- Hammond v. Lincoln Technical Institute, Inc., 2012 WL 273067 (E.D.N.Y. Jan. 30, 2012)
- Wilson v. Diocese of New York, 1998 WL 82921 (SDNY Feb. 26, 1998)
- Newyear v. Church Ins. Co., 155 F.3d 1041 (8th Cir. 1998)
- Doe v. Evans,814 So.2d 370 (Fla. 2002)
- Albright v. White, 202 W. Va. 292, 503 S.E.2d 860 (W. Va. 1998)
- F.G. v. MacDonell, 150 N.J. 550, 696 A.2d 697 (N.J..1997)
- Galbut v. American Airlines, Inc., 27 F. Supp.2d 146 (EDNY 1997)
- Silver v. Sportsstuff, 130 A.D.3d 907 (2nd Dept. 2015)
- Coventry Coating Corp. v. Verlan Fire Ins. Co., 303 A.D.2d 164, 756 N.Y.S.2d 185 (Slip Op. N.Y.A.D. 1 Dept. Mar 4, 2003)
Professional Memberships and Affiliations:
- Defense Research Institute
- New York State Bar Association
- National Retail and Restaurant Defense Association
- CLM
Seminars and Speeches:
David has spoken at numerous industry meetings, client seminars and CLE programs on a variety of topics, including sexual abuse, the recently enacted Child Victims Act in New York, aviation, Labor Law, discovery and trial practice issues.
