The current chairman of the commission, Damian D. Capozzola, is a Hermosa Beach lawyer who founded his own law firm in August 2013, at the same time he was elected to his current post.

Capozzola earned a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 1993 and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1996. He joined Kirkland and Ellis LLP after law school and worked there as a litigation associate and then partner for 11 years. He left in 2007 to join Epstein Becker and Green P.C. as a litigation attorney and stayed until becoming a partner at Crowell and Moring LLP in May 2011. Two years later he started his own firm.

Capozzola was originally appointed to the commission in 2010. He was elected chair of the commission in August 2013 and was reappointed to the commission in October 2013. Capozzola is president-elect of the Italian American Lawyers Association. He is registered politically as  “decline-to-state.”

Capozzola has litigated on a broad spectrum of issues for some of the nation's largest companies in state and federal courts, including Hawaii and Delaware. He is co-author of Expert Witnesses in Civil Trials: Effective Preparation and Presentation.

The inveterate scuba diver is also an assistant coach for the Palos Verdes High School Track & Field team. His wife, Renee, is the head coach, in addition to teaching AP biology and anatomy at the school. They have two children.

The Law Offices of Damian D. Capozzola

Governor Brown Announces Appointments (California Office of the Governor)

Damian Capozzola (LinkedIn)