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Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein, LLPPartner
Kevin R. Budner
Pro

Kevin R. Budner

Not yet reviewed

275 Battery Street, 29th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94111

Consumer Protection, Defective Products, Fraud Against the Government and 1 more

About Kevin R. Budner

Kevin R. Budner is a partner in Lieff Cabraser’s San Francisco specializing in complex, high-impact litigation.

Of particular note, Kevin was one of the lead attorneys prosecuting San Francisco’s case in the nationwide opioid litigation . Among other roles, Kevin directed the team’s discovery efforts against Walgreens and played a key role in the multi-month bellwether trial. In a milestone opinion, Judge Charles R. Breyer concluded that “the aggregate evidence that Plaintiff presented at trial was not only adequate to establish Walgreens’ culpability-it was devastating.” This landmark victory led to a $230 million recovery for San Francisco and was a significant factor in driving Walgreens’ multi-billion dollar, nationwide settlement.

Kevin has also had a number of success representing the owners of over-polluting and underperforming vehicles, beginning with the Volkswagen “Clean Diesel” multidistrict litigation . In that case, plaintiffs alleged that Volkswagen lied to the government and misled its customers about the emissions of its diesel engine vehicles. Kevin worked closely with lead counsel, Elizabeth Cabraser, and the team’s efforts resulted in settlements worth nearly $15 billion. Kevin’s other vehicle emissions accomplishments include a recent settlement with Toyota subsidiary Hino Motors, valued at $445 million; a $307.5 million resolution in the Fiat-Chrysler “EcoDiesel” MDL; and litigation against Audi and Porsche for overstating fuel economy in hundreds of thousands of gasoline-powered vehicles. In all of these cases, Kevin and his colleagues secured meaningful results that consumers overwhelmingly supported. As one illustration, in approving an $80 million settlement with Porsche, the court noted that class members would recover “close to all of the damages they might expect to receive at trial” and applauded counsel for the “unusually successful” class participation rates.

For these and other achievements, Kevin has been recognized as a “Top 40 Under 40 Lawyer” (Daily Journal), one of the 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers in America (Lawdragon), a “Rising Star for Class Action law (Law360), a “Rising Star of the Plaintiff’s Bar” (National Law Journal), a “Rising Star for Northern California” (Super Lawyers), and “One to Watch” (Best Lawyers). He and his colleagues have also received awards for “Trial Lawyer of the Year” (Public Justice), “Trial Lawyer Excellence” (Law Bulletin), “California Lawyer of the Year” (California Daily Journal), and “Consumer Attorney of the Year Finalist” (Consumer Attorneys of California).

Publications & Presentations

•Author, Class Actions: Jurisdictional Issues, ThomsonReuters, 2024
•Co-Author, “Federal Courts Split Likely to Lead to More FCPA Whistleblowing,” Law 360, February 2014
•Co-Author, “Play Ball: Potential Private Rights of Action Emerging From the FIFA Corruption Scandal,” 11 Business Torts & RICO News 1, Summer 2015

Honors & Awards

•“Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America,” Lawdragon, 2026
•“Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers in America,” Lawdragon, 2023-2026
•“Lawdragon 500 X - The Next Generation,” Lawdragon, 2023, 2024
•“Lawdragon 500 Global Plaintiff Lawyers,” Lawdragon, 2024
•“Ones to Watch,” Best Lawyers, 2021-2026
•“Rising Star for Northern California,” Super Lawyers, 2019 - 2022
•“Top 40 Under 40 Lawyer,” Daily Journal, 2021
•“Rising Star for Class Action Law,” Law360, 2021
•“Rising Star of the Plaintiffs’ Bar” National Law Journal, 2021
•“Trial Lawyer of the Year,” Public Justice, 2019
•“Trial Lawyer Excellence Award,” Law Bulletin, 2019
•“California Lawyer of the Year,” California Daily Journal, 2018
•“40 and Under Hot List,” Benchmark Litigation, 2018
•“Consumer Attorney of the Year Finalist,” Consumer Attorneys of California, 2017

In the News

•February 17, 2026
30 Lieff Cabraser Attorneys Recognized as Lawdragon “500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers” for 2026
•September 8, 2025
Twenty-Seven Lieff Cabraser Partners Named to 2026 “Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America” List
•August 21, 2025
36 Lieff Cabraser Lawyers Named to 2026 Best Lawyers Listings
•February 28, 2025
33 Lieff Cabraser Attorneys Recognized as Lawdragon “500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers” for 2025
•December 2, 2024
Kevin Budner Appointed to Board of Directors of the San Francisco Bay Area Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights

 

Kevin R. Budner (San Francisco, California) View website

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Services

Areas of Law

  • Other 4
    • Consumer Protection
    • Defective Products
    • Fraud Against the Government
    • Personal Injury & Mass Tort

Practice Details

  • Languages
    Spanish
    Portuguese
  • Firm Information
    Position
    Partner
    Firm Name
    Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein, LLP

Experience

  • Bar Admission & Memberships
    Admissions
    2012, California
    2012, California Supreme Court
    2014, U.S. Court Of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
    2014, U.S. District Court Central District of California
    2014, U.S. District Court District of Colorado
    2014, U.S. District Court Northern District of California
    2016, U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit
    2016, U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit
    Memberships

    Professional Associations

    •American Association for Justice
    •Bar Association of San Francisco
    •Consumer Attorneys of California
    •Federal Bar Association, Northern District of California (Executive Committee, 2024-Present)
    •Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights (Board of Directors, 2024-Present)
    •San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association
    •State Bar of California

  • Education & Certifications
    Law School
    Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California, Berkeley, California
    J.D.
    2012 Berkeley Journal of International Law

    Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California, Berkeley, California
    J.D.
    Senior Editor
    Other Education
    Wesleyan University
    Class of 2005
    B.A.

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Attorneys FAQs

  • Is this attorney admitted to practice in any U.S. Federal Courts?
    Kevin R. Budner is admitted to practice before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, United States District Court for the Central District of California, United States District Court for the District of Colorado and United States District Court for the Northern District of California.
  • Does this attorney speak any other languages?
    Kevin R. Budner speaks Spanish and Portuguese.
  • How many attorneys are in this law firm?
    Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein, LLP has 100 attorneys at this location.
  • What year was this attorney's law firm established?
    Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein, LLP was established in 1972.
  • Is this attorney listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers?
    Kevin R. Budner is listed in the Antitrust Law, Aviation Law, Civil Rights, Civil Trial Practice, Environmental Law, Labor and Employment Law, Personal Injury, Product Liability Law, Securities Law and Toxic Torts section of the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers.

Attorney information displayed in this FAQ section is based upon information the lawyer has included on their profile, in addition to the information we collect from state bar associations and other organizations that license legal professionals.

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