27 Facts About Dennis Herrera

Dennis Herrera is an American attorney, currently serving as Public Utilities Commission general manager for San Francisco.

Dennis Herrera was first elected as City Attorney in 2001, and re-elected without opposition in 2005,2009,2013,2015 and 2019.

Dennis Herrera ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of San Francisco in the 2011 election, finishing third in the City's ranked-choice voting system.

Dennis Herrera's father was a psychiatrist who immigrated from Colombia after serving as part of a UN Peacekeeping force during the Suez War of 1956.

Dennis Herrera's mother is the child of Italian immigrants and worked as a nurse in Glen Cove.

Dennis Herrera earned his bachelor's degree from Villanova University in Pennsylvania, and his Juris Doctor from the George Washington University Law School in Washington, DC Dennis Herrera worked various jobs to support himself during his education, from his newspaper route as a young boy, to restocking shelves at the local grocery store, to serving as a short order cook in a local diner.

In 1993 Dennis Herrera was appointed to the US Maritime Administration in Washington, DC during President Clinton's Administration.

Dennis Herrera was voted the President of the Police Commission after just one year of service.

In December 2001, Dennis Herrera was elected San Francisco City Attorney, becoming the first Latino to hold the office.

Dennis Herrera was re-elected in 2005,2009,2013,2015 and 2019.

On January 31,2017 Dennis Herrera brought the first lawsuit in the nation against President Donald Trump over his executive order threatening to withhold billions of dollars in federal funding from sanctuary cities and other local and state governments.

In 2017 and 2018, Dennis Herrera launched investigations into Uber and Lyft over driver pay and benefits, accessibility, discrimination, public safety issues and potential violations of other state and local laws.

Dennis Herrera sued the rental car company and its affiliate on March 2,2017 for charging drivers hidden fees when they cross the Golden Gate Bridge.

Dennis Herrera successfully defended San Francisco's short-term rental regulations from legal challenge by Airbnb and HomeAway and secured a settlement in May 2017 that requires the companies to ensure that listings on their site comply with San Francisco law, protecting rent-controlled apartments from being used as de facto hotels.

In May 2017, Dennis Herrera secured a court victory that got tenant evictions voided and $5.4 million in court awards against abusive landlord Anne Kihagi, had worked to force tenants from their rent-controlled homes so she could charge more money.

In 2021, Dennis Herrera sued a developer who had built 29 apartments in a lot that San Francisco's zoning regulations specified could only have 10 apartments.

Dennis Herrera's lawsuit happened amid a severe housing shortage and homelessness crisis in San Francisco.

Dennis Herrera declared in November 2016 that the state's current cash bail system is unconstitutional and refused to defend it in a federal class-action lawsuit brought by a national civil rights group against San Francisco's sheriff.

In December 2016, Dennis Herrera reached a settlement with Academy of Art University valued at more than $60 million in cash and property to house low-income seniors.

Dennis Herrera has been involved in a number of high-profile cases against the National Rifle Association and other gun rights advocates, both to defend San Francisco's gun control measures and to challenge gun industry practices.

Dennis Herrera sued the accrediting agency that was trying to close City College of San Francisco on August 22,2013.

Dennis Herrera won preliminary injunction motion that halted the termination action and secured injunctions to protect City College's rights in the evaluation process.

Dennis Herrera investigated the Art Institute of California's marketing practices that underestimated student costs and inflated job placement figures, resulting in a settlement in 2014 that included a $1.95 million payment to San Francisco, endowing a $1.6 million scholarship fund for students who wished to return to finish their studies and offering $850,000 in general scholarships to new students.

Dennis Herrera sued Blue Cross and Health Net in 2011, alleging that these insurance companies systematically underpaid San Francisco General Hospital and other public hospitals for emergency services provided to their policy-holders.

Dennis Herrera reached a $6.25 million settlement for past claims and an agreement to reimburse at a higher rate for at least three years going forward.

Dennis Herrera brought a class-action lawsuit against Nevada in 2013 that was settled in 2015 with Nevada agreeing to provide travel assistance to California only for patients who meet appropriate criteria, ensuring that the patients are returning to a home address or to a medical facility or program, and that they will be received or accompanied by a responsible individual.

Dennis Herrera has been involved in every phase of the legal fight for marriage equality for same-sex couples in California.