Richard Kudo

Of Counsel

Richard Kudo is an Of Counsel at Serviam by Wright LLP, where he has become a major contributor to our defense litigation department.  Mr. Kudo earned his Juris Doctorate from the Hastings College of Law in San Francisco, California, in 1978.  With over 45 years of legal experience, he has cultivated an extensive background in both private and public entity practice, litigating a broad range of complex matters across state, federal, and bankruptcy courts.  As a seasoned legal professional, he brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Serviam, where he continues to represent public entities in litigation matters.

Prior to joining Serviam, Mr. Kudo served as Principal Deputy County counsel for the County of Los Angeles from 2005 to 2024.  In this role, he supervised and directed outside counsel in the defense of various County departments, special districts, and public agencies, including the Sheriff’s Department, Fire Department, Department of Public Works, Department of Health Services, and Internal Services Department.  His work primarily focused on wrongful death, personal injury, and government liability defense.  Before assuming a supervisory role, he directly litigated cases to trial on behalf of the County and its affiliated entities.

Mr. Kudo’s career also includes significant experience in private practice.  He served as managing partner of Kudo & Daniels, LLP, from 1996 to 2002, representing insureds in legal, tax preparer, and appraisal malpractice defense, as well as personal injury and general tort defense. Additionally, his practice covered business litigation, commercial collections, and transactional matters. Earlier in his career, he operated his own firm, the Law Offices of Richard K. Kudo, where he handled business litigation, real estate matters, and transactional work.

Further enhancing his litigation credentials, Mr. Kudo held positions at prestigious firms, including Pachulski, Stang, Ziehl, Young, Jones & Weintraub P.C., and Buchalter, Nemer, Fields, Chrystie & Younger.  He also served as a Trial Attorney at the Federal Trade Commission, where he prosecuted antitrust cases under the Federal Trade Commission Act, the Sherman Act, and the Clayton Act.

Mr. Kudo is a former board member and chair of the Newsletter Committee of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Los Angeles.

EDUCATION

• Juris Doctorate, University of La Verne College of Law, Magnum Cum Laude
• Bachelor of Science, University of Southern California (USC)

AREAS OF PRACTICE

• Code Enforcement
• Municipal Litigation
• Nuisance Abatement
• Police Services
• Receiverships

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AREAS OF PRACTICE

• Liability Defense
• Municipal Services

EDUCATION

• Juris Doctorate, Hastings College of the Law
• Bachelor of Arts, University of California, Los Angeles

ADMISSIONS

• Supreme Court of the State of California
• California Court of Appeal for all Districts
• United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
• United States District Court for the Northern District of California
• United States District Court for the Central District of California
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of California
• United States District Court for the Southern District of California