Ruth M. Bond

Bond, a former San Francisco deputy city attorney, focuses on representing public entities in labor and employment matters and other areas of public law. She also oversees the investigations practice at the law firm founded by Louise H. Renne, a former San Francisco city attorney, and is active in its impact litigation initiatives.

Bond is working on several shareholder derivative litigation cases designed to spur diversity on corporate boards of directors. Targets include Norton LifeLock Inc., Oracle Corp, and Pinterest Inc.

Bond called the Pinterest case a good example of “an action that is very important and that we believe will have a significant impact on improving diversity at the highest levels of corporate America.” She added that settlement discussions are proceeding. The Employees’ Retirement System of Rhode Island v. Silbermann et al. and Pinterest Inc., 4:20-cv-08438 (N.D. Cal., filed Nov. 30, 2020).

The complaint contends that Pinterest, an online image sharing and social media service, was damaged by a white male “leadership clique” that ignored discrimination and retaliation against those who challenged it. As a result, Pinterest’s “financial position and its goodwill and reputation among its largely female user base (which Pinterest’s success depends upon) were harmed and continue to be harmed.”

Companies like Pinterest “have a huge impact across a wide reach of society, and the fact they are not as diverse as they should be is not acceptable,” Bond said. “They make a lot of money—so, share the wealth by sharing a positive impact.” She added that the lawsuit and others like it “are kin to the affirmative litigation Louise Renne started at the city attorney’s office and that Dennis Herrera [the current city attorney] extended.” The Renne firm is partnering with corporate watchdog lawyers at Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC.

In the firm’s investigations practice, Bond oversees independent probes for a range of governmental clients including the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, the cities of Berkeley, Fremont, Fullerton, Pleasanton, Stockton and Sunnyvale and the City and County of San Francisco, plus a range of water districts, fire districts, healthcare districts and UC Hastings College of the Law.

Bond and the firm are active in the Bay Area chapter of the Friends of the Children national network that aims to end the cycle of generational poverty through mentoring.

She works on fundraising and strategic planning. “This is consistent with the firm’s goals,” she said.

- John Roemer