Gordon D. Cruse

Law School
Thomas Jefferson School of Law

Major Cases
Gordon Cruse served as a Special Master in more than 200 matters overseeing issues of asset division, valuation, characterization, income determination, discovery and electronic discovery. Cruse serves as a mediator on family law and electronic discovery matters. (Cruse has completed the Harvard University Mediation program).

Cruse serves as a privately compensated temporary judge in Family Law matters hearing all aspects of the case through trial. He serves as an expert witness in Family Law matters and electronic discovery matters.

Professional Background
Cruse has been engaged in the practice of law since December of 1983. He is a Certified Legal Specialist in Family Law. This certification was received from the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization in 1993.

Cruse is the CEO of E-Discovery Readiness & Response Inc., an e-discovery consulting firm assisting businesses and law firms with electronically stored information and electronic discovery matters. This includes the development of internal policies and controls related to electronically stored information in the workplace as well as developing electronic discovery demands, responding to electronic discovery demands and overseeing the collection of electronically stored information.

Cruse speaks all over the country on issues on electronic discovery and evidence. Presentations on e-discovery have been made to the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, CalCPA Society, The San Diego County Bar Association, The Bar Association of North San Diego County, The State Bar of California,  The American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, the Louisville Bar Association, the Beverly Hills Bar Association, the South Carolina State Bar Association, the Florida State Bar Association, in conjunction with the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, the Kansas State Bar Association, by invitation of the Supreme Court of West Virginia to the State’s Judiciary, as well as various law firms and other organizations.

Cruse is a graduate of the Georgetown Law School’s Electronic Discovery Academy and the Arkfeld E-Discovery Training Course. He is a lecturer at Arizona State University, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, and E-discovery Institute.

Cruse lectures on legal ethics related to law practice management and electronic discovery, client fee contracts, separate property asset tracing, evidence at trial, and on electronic data as evidence. He is one of the creators of and an instructor at the San Diego Family Law College of Trial Advocacy.

Cruse received the Norby Award from the San Diego Superior Court Judiciary in 1998 for his work with the court and his excellence in the practice of family law. In 1994, he received the Manuel Rios Award from the State Bar of California for his pro bono work.

Professional Affiliations
Cruse is a Fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (2002), as well as the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (2005). He is listed in Best Lawyers in America in both family law litigation and family law mediation. Cruse has been selected as one of the Best Lawyers in San Diego each year since 2008. For 2015, he has been selected as the Family Law Lawyer of the Year for San Diego County, California, by Best Lawyers in America. Cruse is listed in Super Lawyers and continues to be listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers (he was first listed in that registry 16 years ago). Cruse is chair of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers E-Discovery/ESI Committee and Secretary of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Council of Committee Chairs. His Martindale-Hubbell rating is AV.

Personal Background
Cruse graduated from the University of California, San Diego, Revelle College in 1978, receiving a bachelor of arts degree in political science. He then attended Western State University College of Law, now renamed the Thomas Jefferson School of Law, receiving his Juris Doctors degree in 1982. He is married to his wife, Gala.