Ernest J. Galvan

Partner

Ernest Galvan

Ernest Galvan is a partner at Rosen, Bien & Galvan LLP.  He assists clients in difficult and complex matters involving actual or potential litigation.  Mr. Galvan has worked with clients to resolve a wide range of problems, including business formation and dissolution, commercial disputes, employment law matters, disability access compliance, and attorney fee disputes. 

 Mr. Galvan’s practice includes both trial and appellate matters.  He has successfully briefed and argued cases in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of California. 

 Mr. Galvan is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, and of Yale Law School.  He served as a law clerk to Judge Dean D. Pregerson of the United States District Court for the Central District of California. 

 Mr. Galvan has spoken on constitutional law and policy issues at hearings, seminars and conferences presented by the California State Assembly, the American Constitution Society, George Washington University Law School, Boalt Hall School of Law, Georgetown Law Center, and Yale Law School. 

Representative Cases

Retired Employees Association of Orange County v. Orange County, 52 Cal.4th 1171 (2011) -- government employers must keep their contracts for retirement benefits.

Armstrong v. Schwarzenegger, 805 F. Supp. 2d 918 (N.D. Cal. 2011)

Coleman v. Brown, 428 Fed.Appx. 743 (9th Cir. 2011) -- affirming order to address emergency access to psychiatric hospital beds.

Brown v. Plata, 131 S.Ct. 1910 (2011) -- affirming authority of federal courts to address life-threatening overcrowding in California state prisons. 

Valdivia v. Schwarzenegger, 599 F.3d 984 (9th Cir. 2010), cert. denied,  --- U.S. --- (Mar. 7, 2011) – addressing interaction between federal due process rights and state administrative procedures concerning admission of hearsay evidence.

Prison Legal News v. Schwarzenegger, 608 F.3d 446 (9th Cir. 2010) – addressing limits of continued federal court jurisdiction over state agency’s implementation of settlement agreement regarding publisher’s First Amendment rights.

In re E.J., 47 Cal.4th 1258 (2010) – concerning conflicts between state constitutional rights and successful ballot initiative.

Coleman v. Schwarzenegger, 2009 WL 2430820 (E.D. Cal. and N.D. Cal. Aug. 4, 2009) – first successful contested trial under 1996 statute limiting federal court issuance of prison overcrowding relief.

Valdivia v. Schwarzenegger, 548 F. Supp. 2d 852 (E.D. Cal. 2008), affirmed 599 F.3d 984 (9th Cir. 2010), cert. denied, --- U.S. --- (Mar. 7, 2011) – affirming magistrate’s order regarding interaction between federal due process guarantees and state administrative procedures, obtained relief for class clients.

Gober v. Ralphs Grocery Co., 137 Cal.App.4th 204 (2006) – concerning constitutional limits on punitive damages awards, defended clients’ entitlement to substantial award for workplace harassment.