Judge Thomas D. Long

Judge Thomas D. Long has served on the Los Angeles County Superior Court since his appointment by Governor Jerry Brown in December 2015. His pre-bench career spans nearly 30 years at Nossaman LLP, where he rose to partner in 1991 after earlier stints at Hufstedler, Miller, Carlson, and Beardsley; Youngman, Hungate, and Leopold; and Heller, Ehrman, White, and McAuliffe. His private practice included complex commercial litigation work, notably representing the FDIC in matters that produced a favorable multi-million dollar judgment in 2008. This background signals a judge with substantial transactional and litigation experience in high-stakes civil matters before taking the bench. Judge Long's docket at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse reflects a broad range of high-profile matters. He has presided over the Suge Knight retrial (2025), the Rebel Wilson countersuit involving a British film company (2025), a cannabis extract Ponzi suit (2022), and a six-figure settlement involving a California special-needs student's broken arm (2024). This range demonstrates exposure to criminal, entertainment, tort, and complex civil litigation. His public service record — including two terms as Mayor of Rancho Palos Verdes — indicates familiarity with administrative and governmental processes. No ruling analyses, attorney observations, or ingested content are currently available to characterize his specific procedural preferences, ruling tendencies, or courtroom management style. The intelligence in this profile is derived exclusively from biographical and career data. Attorneys should treat the strategic guidance below as grounded in his professional background rather than observed judicial behavior, and should supplement this profile with direct courtroom observation before high-stakes appearances.

Given Judge Long's nearly 30-year background as a commercial litigator and partner at Nossaman LLP, attorneys should anticipate a judge who is comfortable with complex factual records, detailed damages analyses, and sophisticated legal arguments. His FDIC representation experience suggests familiarity with financial institution litigation, regulatory frameworks, and large-scale damages calculations. Attorneys presenting complex commercial or financial claims should ensure their damages models are precise and well-documented, as a former partner-level litigator will scrutinize evidentiary gaps. Judge Long's public service background as a two-term Mayor and City Councilman in Rancho Palos Verdes indicates experience with public deliberation, administrative procedure, and community-impact considerations. In matters touching on governmental entities, public policy, or regulatory compliance, attorneys should frame arguments with attention to broader institutional implications rather than relying solely on narrow legal technicalities. His entertainment and high-profile criminal docket (Suge Knight, Rebel Wilson matters) further suggests he is accustomed to managing complex, media-sensitive proceedings. Because no direct ruling analyses or attorney observations are available, attorneys should conduct independent research into his recent rulings through the Los Angeles Superior Court's online docket system and Trellis prior to any appearance. Reviewing his handling of the specific case types listed — entertainment disputes, criminal retrials, and civil settlements — will provide the most actionable real-time intelligence.

• critical

  Independently Research CJP Record

  The profile confirms Judge Long has a Commission on Judicial Performance record. Before any appearance, attorneys must review the CJP's public database to identify the nature and outcome of any proceedings. This information directly affects risk assessment for the engagement.

• critical

  Pull Recent Docket Rulings via LASC and Trellis

  No ruling analyses are available in this profile. Attorneys must independently retrieve and review his recent written orders and tentative rulings through the Los Angeles Superior Court online system and Trellis to identify actual procedural preferences and ruling patterns before filing or appearing.

• important

  Prepare Detailed Damages and Financial Documentation

  Given his background representing the FDIC in multi-million dollar litigation, Judge Long has direct experience evaluating complex financial claims. Damages models, expert reports, and financial exhibits should be thorough, internally consistent, and clearly sourced.

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  Anticipate Sophisticated Procedural Standards

  A judge with nearly 30 years of partner-level litigation experience before taking the bench will apply rigorous procedural standards. Ensure all filings comply precisely with local rules, page limits, and formatting requirements. Procedural shortcuts are inadvisable.

• Nice

  Frame Public-Interest Arguments Carefully

  Judge Long's background as a two-term Mayor and City Councilman reflects sustained engagement with public policy and community governance. In cases with regulatory, governmental, or public-interest dimensions, attorneys should develop those arguments with specificity rather than treating them as secondary.

• ›Treat the courtroom as a professional environment managed by a former senior partner: precision, preparation, and respect for the court's time are baseline expectations given Judge Long's extensive litigation background.
• ›Do not assume familiarity with your case facts — Judge Long manages a high-profile, diverse docket including criminal retrials and complex civil matters. Provide clear, organized roadmaps for your arguments at the outset of any hearing.
• ›Given his public service background in elected office, avoid dismissive treatment of governmental or regulatory arguments; he has direct experience navigating public deliberation and administrative processes.
• ›Verify all local rules compliance before filing — a judge with nearly 30 years of litigation experience before taking the bench will notice procedural deficiencies that a less experienced jurist might overlook.
• ›In high-profile or media-sensitive matters, maintain strict professionalism and avoid conduct that could be perceived as playing to the press, as his experience with nationally prominent cases reflects comfort with — and likely intolerance for — courtroom theatrics.