Newly-appointed Police Commissioner Richard Drooyan will attend his first Police Commission meeting. Commissioner Drooyan was selected by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and confirmed by City Council to serve on this five-member panel.

Police Commissioners often dedicate 20 hours per week working on related matters, yet they are not compensated.

The Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners meets nearly every Tuesday, and is now at full strength again. The five members include: John W. Mack, President, Richard Drooyan, Commissioner, Robert M. Saltzman, Commissioner, Alan Skobin, Commissioner. and Debra Wong Yang, Commissioner.

Biography for Police Commissioner Richard Drooyan

RICHARD E. DROOYAN, Commissioner

Richard Drooyan was appointed to the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners in 2010 by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. He is a partner in the law firm of Munger, ToIles and Olsen, where he handles civil litigation and white-collar criminal defense cases. He has been with the firm since 1999.

After graduating from Harvard Law School, Commissioner Drooyan joined the law firm of Kadison, Pfaezler, Woodard, Quinn & Rossi in 1975 as a litigation associate. In 1978, Commissioner Drooyan became an Assistant United States Attorney in the Criminal Division of the United States Attorney's Office in Los Angeles where he tried numerous criminal cases, including racketeering (RICO), securities fraud, murder, bank robbery, extortion, bank fraud, mail and wire fraud, and obstruction of justice cases. He also argued numerous cases before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. In 1984, Commissioner Drooyan became the Chief Assistant United States Attorney under United States Attorney Robert C. Bonner. As Chief Assistant, Commissioner Drooyan supervised over 105 Assistant United States Attorneys in the Criminal, Civil and Tax Divisions and the Administrative Office. He also conducted an extensive political corruption investigation and tried six criminal cases, including four corruption cases arising out of the political activities of W. Patrick Moriarty, the owner of Red Devil Fireworks.

Commissioner Drooyan became a partner in the Los Angeles office of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, in 1988. His practice involved civil litigation, internal investigations, and white collar defense matters. From 1989 through June 1992, he represented Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank and Mitsubishi Bank and served as lead counsel for 10 international banks (represented by nine firms) in an action in United States District Court arising out of a massive default in the servicing of federally insured student loans. Aside from the litigation, the matter involved substantial work-out and settlement negotiations among the parties and with state guaranty agencies, the United States Department of Education and the United States Department of Justice.

Returning to the United States Attorney's Office in Los Angeles in 1993, Commissioner Drooyan served as the Chief of the Criminal Division, where his responsibilities included the supervision of approximately 165 Assistant United States Attorneys and the review and approval of prosecutive decisions in all significant criminal cases. He also had direct supervisory responsibility for a number of priority criminal matters, including the investigation and prosecution of the Mexican Mafia, Arizona Governor J. Fife Symington, III, United States Congressman Walter Tucker, former Compton City Councilwoman Patricia Moore, and Los Angeles Kings owner Bruce McNall. He also personally tried two criminal cases, including a civil rights beating case, and argued three criminal appeals.

Commissioner Drooyan then served as the Chief Assistant United States Attorney under United States Attorney Nora Manella in 1997. In addition to general oversight responsibility over 235 Assistant United States Attorneys, he had direct supervisory responsibility for certain priority criminal investigations and cases, including the investigation and prosecution of United States Congressman Jay C. Kim for election violations. His responsibilities also included interfacing with the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. on sensitive investigations, personnel issues, Congressional inquiries, and Department policies.

Commissioner Drooyan has served on the Los Angeles County Bar Association's Board of Trustees and the LACBA committees on professionalism and sentencing, and as President of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. Commissioner Drooyan has also taught trial advocacy at the University of Southern California Law Center, advanced criminal procedure at Loyola Law School, and has participated in numerous panels on internal investigations, corporate compliance programs, environmental enforcement, and federal criminal practice.

In 1991, Commissioner Drooyan served as a Deputy General Counsel for the Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department (the "Christopher Commission"). In 2000, he served as General Counsel of the Rampart Independent Review Panel. He was formerly a member of the Board of Trustees of Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times, and is currently the Chairman of the Board of the Children's Law Center of Los Angeles, and a member of the Board of the Western Center on Law and Poverty.