The City of Hawthorne is pleased to announce the appointment of David Caceres as its incoming city attorney, following a 30-day transition period during which current City Attorney Robert Kim will remain to close out ongoing projects. The city extends its sincere appreciation to Kim for his dedicated service and leadership since 2021.
With over two decades of experience in municipal law and a proven track record of leadership and litigation success, Caceres will step into the role with a deep understanding of Hawthorne’s legal landscape and ongoing priorities.
Caceres serves as Hawthorne’s senior assistant city attorney. In that role, he advises the city council, planning commission and civil service commission and manages a broad range of legal matters, including public contracts, ordinance review and claims under the Government Tort Claims Act. His promotion reflects both his extensive legal experience and commitment to public service.
Prior to joining the City of Hawthorne, Caceres served as city attorney for the City of Simi Valley for nearly three years. During his tenure, he helped the city achieve a net savings of $15 million in an indemnity insurance case involving a wrongful conviction — one of several significant outcomes under his leadership.
His municipal law career also spans the cities of Torrance and Riverside, as well as Santa Barbara County, where he advised the board of supervisors and several departments, including planning and development, public works and behavioral wellness. His work has included legal guidance on major development projects, such as securing planning commission approval for a 48,000-square-foot equestrian center in the Santa Ynez Valley.
Across these roles, Caceres has litigated 96 civil cases in state and federal court, securing dismissals, indemnification or favorable verdicts in 36 of those matters.
“As the City of Hawthorne continues to grow demographically and economically, I see a great opportunity to have the city become an overall leader and model exemplar in governance in the South Bay,” said Caceres.
In addition to his advisory and litigation work, Caceres has extensive experience in municipal prosecution. While serving as deputy city attorney for the City of Torrance, he prosecuted over 14,000 cases with a 94% conviction rate. His background includes daily courtroom litigation, trial preparation and deep familiarity with criminal justice procedures — a foundation that will be instrumental in overseeing the city’s prosecution division as part of his new responsibilities.
“His experience speaks for itself,” said City Manager Vontray Norris. “I am very excited to work alongside Mr. Caceres as we continue improving the Hawthorne community.”
After the 30-day transition period, Caceres will take over leadership of all ongoing legal projects within the city attorney’s office, including matters related to the Hawthorne Mall redevelopment and court-mandated initiatives.
For more information about the city attorney’s office and Hawthorne’s ongoing legal initiatives, visit CityOfHawthorne.org/Departments/City-Attorney.