Hon. Richard Best
Biography
Discovery Referee by court appointment. The Hon. Richard E. Best presided over discovery and other law and motion matters in San Francisco Superior Court from 1974 to March 2003. On March 15, 2003, Commissioner Best announced his retirement from the San Francisco Superior Court after 29 years of service. He served in various assignments, but is most commonly associated with law and motion hearings involving civil discovery. He continues to promote the use of proven technology and professional conduct to attain more efficient, effective, and economic discovery and to devote some time as a private discovery referee.
Education
1968 LL.B, Columbia University, School of Law
1965 A.B. in Economics, Indiana University - College of Arts & Sciences
Professional Experience
1968 New York State Bar, Retired
1971 California State Bar
Discovery Referee by court appointment.
San Francisco Superior Court, 1974 - 2003.
Discovery and other Law & Motion matters heard since 1974.
Member, Civil & Small Claims Advisory Committee to California Judicial Council
Chair, Discovery Subcommittee, 2000, 2001.
Proposed, drafted, and worked to enact legislation on civil procedure and evidence including legislation for use of technology in civil litigation and discovery, Code of Civil Procedure §§2017(e) & 2025(h) enacted in 2001 and effective 2002.
Proposed, drafted, and worked for adoption of California Rules of Court and legislation on civil procedure and evidence including Rules 335, 341, E.C. §915, CCP §2026.
Formed lawyers committee on employment law form interrogatories, which led to adoption by the Judicial Counsel of form interrogatories for employment law litigation.
Formed lawyers committee to evaluate need for special rules and discovery relating to electronic data and documents.
Contributor to continuing legal publications on civil procedure, probate, and conservatorships published by Continuing Education of the Bar, The Rutter Group, Nolo Press, BNA, CJER, Tech Journal, Pike & Fischer, California Center for Judicial Education and Research; Contributing Editor, Civil Procedure Before Trial, The Rutter Group; Advisory Board, Digital Discovery & e-Evidence, Pike & Fischer, Inc.
Recent Publications
"Taming the Discovery Monster" California Litigation: The Journal of the Litigation Section, State Bar of California, November 2005
"E-Discovery Basics" California Litigation: The Journal of the Litigation Section, State Bar of California, August 2005
"How, When & Why to Use a Discovery Referee", Pike & Fischer, Digital Discovery & e-Evidence, Vol. 5, No. 1, January 2005
"The Need for Electronic Discovery Rules." Modern Practice, Findlaw (2002).
California E-Discovery Legislation: Digital Discovery & e-Evidence. Pike & Fischer, Inc. (2002).
"New Authority for Implementing Technology in Discovery: Tech Guide for California Courts." Vol.3, No.3, California Judicial Education & Research (Winter, 2002).
"Discovery Of Electronic Data & Documents." Selected Civil Law Topics (CJER 2001).
"Discovery Case Outline." Discovery Planning: Strategies, Tools & Tactics, (CEB 2001).
"A Web Site for Every Court." Tech Guide for California Courts. Vol.2, No.1(CJER,2000).
"Discovery of Electronic Data & Documents." Discovery & Admissibility of Electronic Evidence (CEB 1999).
2005 Continuing Legal Education
Electronic Discovery Guidance for Corporate Counsel
Ethical Issue in Electronic Discovery
San Francisco, December 16, 2005
Practicing Law Institute
Annual Electronic Discovery & Records Management Seminar
December 8-9, 2005
San Francisco
Basic Electronic Discovery
SF Bar Association, Litigation Section
November 11, 2005
San Francisco
Taking Effective Depositions
June 7, 2005; 9:00-4:30
with Mary Alexander, Frank Pitre, Dave McClean, Neill McCarthy
Crown Plaza, San Francisco
Lorman Education Services
How, When and Why to Use a Discovery Referee
with Craig Ball
May 4, 2005
webcast on Discovery Resources, Fios Inc.
Judicial Perspectives on Electronic Discover
with Hon. David J. Waxee, Federal District Court, Kansas; Kenneth J. Withers, Federal Judicial Center
April 28, 2005
Kroll Ontrack Online Seminar
Electronic Discovery & Digital Evidence Institute
State Bar of Texas, Litigation Section
Hotel Derek, April 6, 2005
Houston, Texas
Glasser Legal Works Legal Technology Show
March 17 & 18
Hyatt
San Francisco
Electronic Discovery in California: Legal Strategies & Best Practices
January 27, 2005
sponsored by the Lorman Education Services
San Francisco
June 25 2002
Richard Best, Mary Alexander, Frank Pitre, Jack Slobodin
San Francisco
Lorman Education Services
Association of Defense Counsel
Reno, Nev.
May 16, 2003
Legalworks Seminars
Strategies & Best Practices of Cost Effective Electronic Discovery [Tuesday]
Multimedia Depositions, Remote Arguments [Wednesday]
Demystifying Electronic Discovery, Effective Records Management & Risk Control [Wed. Breakfast Workshop]
April 22-23, 2003
Getting Technology Right: 6th Annual Technology Answer Show
San Francisco Hilton Hotel
Glasser Legal Works
Litigation Section
San Francisco Bar Association
April 10, 2003; 12:00 Noon Luncheon
Commissioner Everett A. Hewlett Jr., William Lee and Richard Best
Civil Discovery in San Francisco
CLE Discovery Program
April 3, 2003, 5:00PM
HANCOCK, ROTHERT & BUNSHOFT
4 Embarcadero Center 3rd Floor
San Francisco, Calif.
Effective Use of Technology in the Litigation Practice
March 21, 2003
Grand Hyatt San Francisco
San Francisco, California
Electronic Evidence Discovery
March 7, 2003
School of Law, University of Missouri, Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
2002 Continuing Legal Education
Electronic Discovery
December 5, 2002
Association of Defense Counsel Annual Meeting
San Francisco, California
Sixth Annual Electronic Discovery & Records Management Seminar
December 5, 2002
Glasser Legal Works
San Francisco, California
Comm. Richard Best
Resume - Page 4
Discovery of Electronic Data & Documents
Assigned Judges Continuing Education
October 18, 2002
California Center for Judicial Education and Research
San Mateo, California
Effective Use Of Technology In Litigation
Keynote Address, Panelist on Ethics Issues
September 26-27,2002
Seattle, Washington
Taking Effective Depositions
June 2002
Richard Best, Mary Alexander, Frank Pitre, Jack Slobodin
Lorman Education Services
San Francisco, California
Fundamentals Of Pretrial Practice
Continuing Education of the Bar
April 19 & 20; 12 hour
CEB Program
San Francisco, California
BNA Litigation Forum--Electronic Discovery: Best Practices and Evolving Law
Moderator Of Panel On Privilege Issues
April 4 & 5, 2002
San Francisco, California
Essentials of Electronic Discovery
Moderator Of 5 Panels
March 2002
Continuing Education of the Bar
Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Orange County
San Francisco Discovery Practice
Barristers Club - San Francisco Bar
February 2002
San Francisco, California
Electronic Discovery: Tips Tactics and Technology
Keynote: "Making E-Discovery Work: Rules, Referees and Reason"
February 5, 2002
Ontrack
Los Angeles, California
2001 Continuing Legal Education
Fifth Annual Electronic Discovery & Records Management Seminar
November 30, 2001
Glasser Legal Works
San Francisco, California
Retired Judges: Electronic Discovery
November 2
California Center for Judicial Education and Research
San Diego, California
Latest Deposition Techniques
October 19; November 14, 2001
San Francisco Bar Association
Electronic Discovery and Other Prickly Discovery Issues
CELA Annual Conference
October 27, 2001
California Employment Lawyers Association
San Francisco, California
BNA Litigation Forum--Electronic Discovery: Best Practices and Evolving Law
October 15 &16
BNA; PIKE & FISHER
San Francisco, California
Continuing Judicial Studies Program
Electronic Discovery
August 5
California Center for Judicial Education and Research
San Diego, California
Discovery: Strategies & Tactics For Success
July 2001
Continuing Education of the Bar
San Francisco, Sacramento
Taking Effective Depositions
June 2001
Richard Best, Mary Alexander, Frank Pitre, Jack Slobodin
Lorman Education Services
San Francisco, California
5th Annual Technology Answer Show
April 24 & 25, 2001
Glasser Legal Works
San Francisco, California
Electronic Discovery
Civil Law and Procedure Institute
January 27, 2001
California Center for Judicial Education and Research
Monterey, California
1999 Continuing Legal Education
Fundamentals Of Pretrial Practice
12-Hour Ceb Program
November 5 & 6, 1999
San Francisco, California
Strategic Tips For Successfully Propounding & Opposing Written Discovery
CEB Moderator
July 10 & 24, 1999
Sacramento, San Francisco
Taking Effective Depositions
June 25, 1999
Richard Best, Mary Alexander, Raoul Kennedy, Frank Pitre, Jack Slobodin
Lorman Education Services
San Francisco, California
Discovery & Admissibility Of Electronic Evidence
CEB Moderator
May 7-8,15,& 21-22, 1999
San Diego, San Francisco, Century City, Anaheim, Sacramento
Computer Discovery & Electronic Data Retention Risk Control
March 26, 1999
Glasser Legal Works
San Francisco, California
Discovery: Strategies & Tactics For Success
Moderator
March 3 & 27, 1999
Arne Wercheck, Arthur J. Casey, Richard Best
San Francisco & Sacramento
Queen's Bench ABC's of Law
September 15, 1998
Everet A. Hewlett, Barbara Lawless & Richard Best
San Francisco Courthouse
San Francisco, California
This page was last modified in September 2007
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