Albert "Chip" Zecher

• Office: Superior Court Judge, Seat 1
• Election Date: March 5, 2024
• Candidate: Zecher, Albert "Chip"
• Due Date: December 23, 2023
• Printable Version

Experience

Please provide your credentials and general experience in the legal field.

I obtained my JD from USF School of Law in May 1990, was admitted to the State Bar of CA in December 1990, and then started working as a Research Attorney at the San Francisco Superior Court in the Family Law Division. In 1992, I began working as a civil litigator at an insurance defense firm and specialized in construction defect cases. In 1995, I was hired as an in house litigator Chubb Insurance Group and officed out of 2 Embarcadero Center in San Francisco. I litigated cases in the 9 Bay Area counties that included personal injury, property damage, director and officer liability, construction defect, and then headed up the subrogation practice.

In 2008, I worked as an in house attorney at Xicom Technology, a high tech manufacturer in Santa Clara. At Xicom I was the Director of Compliance and Contracts. I instituted the compliance programs at the Company, which became the blueprint for other subsidiaries and then continued to manage the process. Xicom products were subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, the Dept of Commerce Export Administration Regulations, and all transactions were looked at for FCPA and US Treasury compliance. I negotiated and drafted multi-year supply agreements with Xicom customers (including the US Government) and suppliers. I also managed outside counsel and the patent and trademark portfolios, negotiated leases, and worked on other general business matters.

In 2013, I was recruited by Intevac Inc to be their in-house corporate attorney. I oversaw transactions subject to the ITAR, FCPA and Treasury regulations, as well as drafted and negotiated multi-year supply agreements, joint development agreements, and M&A matters. In 2017, I was elected by the Board as the Corporation Secretary and managed the board and shareholder meetings. I took a leave of absence from Intevac in October 2023, in order to run for judge.

In 2011, I was hired by Lincoln Law School in San Jose, to teach a course on Community Property. In 2012, I began teaching Constitutional Law, and I taught for 4 years. In 2016, I taught Contracts. These classes were offered at night while I continued my day job.

I have also served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Harker School (2010-2023) and chair (2018-2023). During this time we acquired a third campus, rebuilt The Middle School, built a performing arts center and state of the art gym at the high school, and acquired a new site for additional athletic fields.

In 2019, I was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to serve on the Board of Directors of UC Law San Francisco. I was elected Finance Chair in 2021, and now serve as vice-chair of the board. During my tenure I assisted Development in launching a capital campaign to coincide with the opening of our Academic Village, wrote and chaired the process for reappointment of the Dean and the attendant performance review, and chaired the historical review committee that looked at source material regarding the actions undertaken by Serranus P. Hastings in the Round Valley area, which prompted the renaming of the College.

Since 2020, I have been a board member and Corporate Secretary of RescueSF, which identifies ways of assisting the unhoused up the housing ladder and into permanent housing.

My work and civic roles have prepared me to be a judge.

Please describe your experience prosecuting or defending civil cases, if any.

My early career was spent as a Research Attorney for the San Francisco Superior Court in the family law division where I served families seeking adoptions, custody support and advocated for youth under the care of the state. My civil litigation work concerned providing a defense to insureds for property casualty, personal injury, and director and officer liability claims. I regularly filed lawsuits in superior court to recover amounts paid out by the insurance carrier as a result of actions undertaken by negligent wrongdoers (subrogation).

Please describe your experience prosecuting or defending criminal cases, if any.

While my trial experience is related solely to civil litigation matters, I would like to point out that when my opponent joined the court in 2012 he did not have any criminal law experience. In fact, California law only requires that a candidate for judge be a lawyer in good standing with ten years of legal practice. I meet both of these criteria. Additionally, criminal law proceedings are not the sole proceedings conducted by a Superior Court Judge.

Please describe any other relevant experience the voters may find relevant

As previously cited above, I believe my significant board work as well as teaching constitutional law for four years have greatly supplemented my legal skills.

General

Please describe your judicial and/or legal philosophy.

As a Judge candidate I am not at liberty to proffer a judicial philosophy. I am committed to justice and assuring that everyone who appears in front of me will receive a fair hearing and equal protection under the law.

What should voters consider when voting for Judge?

Voters should consider a candidate's experience and expertise, and use that information to assess their ability to successfully adjudicate on cases and thereby ensure public safety, justice and equality under the law.

If you are the incumbent, please state why you should retain your seat. If you are the challenger, please state why you deserve the seat and/or why the incumbent is not fit for the job.

Due to the obligations demanded by the Judicial Canon I cannot comment on the incumbent's previous actions in terms of their legal rulings. However, I am in favor of increased transparency and the modernisation of public access to the case files of the superior court, such as digitizing the request process following the recent example of Alameda county and others.

Personal

Tell us a bit about yourself!

I live in the Sunset with my partner Gari James Cuevas. He is the owner and operator of Archer Salon in Union Square. We enjoy work, friends, and travel.

I come from a family of inspiring women in the legal profession. My mom, Marilyn Pestarino Zecher, served as the first woman judge on Santa Clara County Superior Court, and was voted Trial Judge of the Year in 1994. I always knew I was going to go into law, and it's wonderful to have the chance to serve our great city as part of the Superior Court.

How long have you lived in San Francisco? What brought you here and what keeps you here?

I was born and raised in the South Bay. In 1986, after graduation from Santa Clara University, I moved into my father's family home located in the Sunset District, where my father's family has resided since 1936. I still live there today. As a fifth generation Californian, I am deeply tied to this city, its history and its culture. As a gay man, the city continues to inspire me as a decades-long beacon for the LGBT community.

What do you love most about San Francisco?

I love its diversity, its openness and the ambition and innovation of its people.

What do you dislike the most about San Francisco?

We all know what is wrong with the city. My experience serving on the board of UC Law (formerly UC Hastings) in the Tenderloin opened my eyes to the conditions on our streets and how they are impacted by open air drug markets and crime. I believe our criminal justice system should demand more accountability from these bad actors.

Tell us about your current involvement in the community (e.g., volunteer groups, neighborhood associations, civic and professional organizations, etc.)

Out of the aforementioned experience working in the Tenderloin, I gained a greater appreciation for the complexity of the drug crisis. It inspired me to volunteer for a local organization researching the root causes of poverty, drug addiction, and homelessness. Understanding the crisis in the Tenderloin and becoming more deeply engaged in the bureaucratic and political barriers that stand in the way of change inspired me to deepen my public service and ultimately launch my campaign to serve as a Judge.

What are the top three things you think need to change about San Francisco?

Due to the rules contained in Judicial Canon 5, I am not at liberty to make statements on policy or political positions regarding the city.