The first battle in this litigation has been waged by Zuffa seeking to move these cases away from California, where they were filed, and into Nevada. Judge Davila will preside over this initial important procedural showdown. One of the first rule for any trial judge is to know their judge. Here is a brief biography.
Judge Davila was nominated to Federal Court by President Obama in 2010. Below is the press release that was provided by the White House when Davial was nominated:
Judge Edward J. Davila: Nominee for United States District Court, Northern District of California
Judge Edward J. Davila serves as a judge of the Superior Court of California, a position he has held since 2001. Prior to becoming a judge, Judge Davila spent twenty years as a trial lawyer, first as a Deputy Public Defender in the Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office from 1981to 1988 and later in private practice at the law firm of Davila & Polverino from 1988 to 2001. He also has taught trial advocacy course sessions at Stanford Law School, Santa Clara University School of Law, and the University of San Francisco School of Law. Judge Davila received his J.D. in 1979 from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, and his B.A. in 1976 from the California State University at San Diego.
Wikipedia provides the following biography:
On August 8, 2001, California Governor Gray Davis appointed Davila to serve as a judge on the Superior Court of California for Santa Clara County.[4][5] Davila replaced Judge Donald Clark.[4]
While a Superior Court judge, Davila presided over the high-profile case of a Las Vegas couple,[6] Anna Ayala and Jaime Placencia, who planted a severed human finger in a bowl of Wendy’s chili.[7] On January 18, 2006, Davila sentenced Ayala to 9 years in prison and Placencia to 12 years and 4 months in prison.[7]
During the 111th Congress, Senator Barbara Boxer recommended Davila to fill the United States District Court for the Northern District of California vacancy created when Marilyn Hall Patel assumed senior status.[8][9] On May 20, 2010, President Barack Obama formally nominated Davila to the Northern District of California.[3]Although the Senate Judiciary Committee recommended confirmation on December 1, 2010, the Senate recessed without confirming him.[9][10][11]
Obama renominated Davila on January 5, 2011.[11][12] That nomination was approved by the Judiciary Committee on February 3, and he was confirmed by the Senate on February 14 by a vote of 93 ayes to 0 nays.[1] He received his commission on March 3, 2011.[2]
Combat Sports Law 