What CARPENTER, ROTHANS & DUMONT does

Carpenter, Rothans & Dumont (CRD) is a Los Angeles-based civil defense law firm founded in 1994 by Martin Carpenter, Steven J. Rothans, and Louis R. Dumont. The firm provides trial, appellate, and administrative representation across six practice areas: government liability defense, police practices defense, toxic torts and environmental law, public education defense, employment law defense, and appellate law. Its primary client base consists of California municipalities, police and sheriff's departments, school districts, community college districts, county agencies, and other public entities, alongside private businesses (including insurance carriers, trucking companies, grocery chains, and product distributors) and individual defendants in civil matters.

The firm's service model is professional services fee-for-service billing for civil litigation defense, typically hourly. Distribution is direct client engagement and referral-based, with new matters routed through managing partner Steven J. Rothans or Firm & Business Administrator Diana Kollmann. The firm is staffed by 15 attorneys organized across partners, of counsel, senior associates, and associates, with several partners holding ABOTA membership, Martindale-Hubbell AV ratings, and admission to argue before the U.S. Supreme Court and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Operations are based at a single headquarters location in the Millennium Biltmore Tower in Downtown Los Angeles.

CRD's competitive positioning rests on a track record of summary judgments, defense verdicts, and appellate affirmances in high-profile civil rights, police practices, and premises liability matters. The firm is independently owned as a partnership with no disclosed institutional investment, no public listing, and no subsidiary structure. Revenue and pricing are not publicly disclosed. The firm is actively operating and continuing to expand its associate bench through lateral hiring from 2019 to 2025.

Name

CARPENTER, ROTHANS & DUMONT

Legal name

Carpenter, Rothans & Dumont

Website

https://crdlaw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Carpenter, Rothans & Dumont is a Los Angeles civil defense law firm, founded in 1994, representing California municipalities, police departments, school districts, and private clients in trial and appellate litigation across government liability, police practices, toxic torts, and employment law.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Billing: The firm provides civil defense legal services on a fee-for-service basis. As a law firm, they bill clients for legal services rendered, typically on an hourly basis for litigation defense, consultation services, and appellate representation for public entities and private clients throughout California.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Carpenter, Rothans & Dumont is a civil defense law firm that represents public entities, private businesses, and individuals in complex civil litigation. The firm provides trial and appellate defense representation in matters involving civil rights, municipal liability, police practices, public education liability, toxic torts and environmental claims, labor and employment disputes, and appellate practice. It also offers consulting services on litigation avoidance, government claim filing strategies, regulatory compliance, and case valuation.

Product overview

Carpenter, Rothans & Dumont (CRD) is a civil defense law firm offering legal services across six distinct practice areas: Government Liability Defense, Police Practices Defense, Toxic Torts & Environmental Law, Public Education Defense, Employment Law Defense, and Appellate Law. These practice areas are not software products or modules but represent the firm's distinct legal service offerings. The firm specializes in defending public entities, private businesses, and individuals in complex civil litigation matters throughout California and federal courts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Government Liability Defense Defense of public entities, private businesses, and individuals in tort liability matters including federal and state court civil rights litigation, dangerous conditions of property, sexual harassment, defamation, wrongful termination, and discrimination.
• Police Practices Defense Representation of police departments and peace officers in all aspects of civil defense, including claims arising under federal constitutional and state law, covering use of force, search and seizure, and supervisory liability.
• Toxic Torts & Environmental Law Defense in mass torts, class actions, multi-district litigation, regulatory enforcement, and citizen suits involving alleged exposure to toxic products and agents, including asbestos, environmental protection, and hazardous waste matters.
• Public Education Defense Civil liability defense for school districts and community colleges at the school district or community college district level, covering facilities liability, student safety, privacy rights, and disability accommodation.
• Employment Law Defense Defense of public agencies in all forms of labor and employment lawsuits arising under Title VII, Title IX, or the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA).
• Appellate Law Strategy and practice involving writs and appeals, guiding clients through appellate litigation in all California state appellate courts, including the California Supreme Court, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and U.S. Supreme Court.

Quantifiable outcome

• Achieved summary judgment in multiple high-profile civil rights cases including wrongful death and excessive force claims
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Burke Williams & Sorensen: California public law firm serving cities, counties, and special districts with litigation, municipal counsel, and police practices defense. Comparable to CRD in municipal liability and police defense work.
• Sloan Sakai Yeung & Wong: California-based firm focused on public agency representation including labor, employment, and municipal defense. Comparable to CRD in public-entity focus and California market.
• Best Best & Krieger: One of California's largest public law firms representing municipalities, special districts, and public agencies in litigation, employment, and municipal law. Closely comparable to CRD in the public-entity defense market, though materially larger.
• Liebert Cassidy Whitmore: California-based law firm specializing in representation of public agencies, school districts, and community colleges in labor, employment, and education law matters. Direct competitor to CRD in the public-entity defense niche across California.
• Atkinson Andelson Loya Ruud & Romo: California firm representing school districts, community colleges, and public agencies in litigation, labor relations, and education law. Direct competitor to CRD's public education defense practice.
• Meyers Nave: California-based firm representing public entities in litigation, employment, and municipal law. Direct competitor in the public-entity defense market with similar mid-size firm positioning.
• Collins + Collins LLP: California civil appellate and trial defense firm with strong presence in public entity, civil rights, and insurance defense work. Comparable to CRD in trial/appellate civil defense practice.
• Hatch & Parent: California-based civil defense firm serving public and private clients in tort, civil rights, and employment litigation. Comparable to CRD in civil defense scope and client base.
• Murphy, Pearson, Bradley & Feeney: California civil litigation firm with significant public entity defense practice including police misconduct and civil rights cases. Comparable to CRD in police practices and civil rights defense work.

Broad incumbents

• Jackson Lewis P.C. National employment law firm with a California presence defending public and private employers in Title VII, Title IX, and FEHA matters. Overlaps with CRD's employment law defense practice but at significantly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CARPENTER, ROTHANS & DUMONT