Dave Draheim, a native Californian, was born in San Francisco in 1938 and was raised in Oakland. He is a graduate of Oakland Technical High School, the University of California at Berkeley (1961- where he attended on an athletic scholarship and earned all league honors as a varsity baseball player), and the University of California Boalt School of Law (1964). Prior to the practice of law, Dave had the following work experiences in the railroad industry: freight trucker for the Southern Pacific in Oakland, maintenance of way laborer for the McCloud River Railroad, McCloud, California and for the Northern Pacific Railroad in Aberdeen, Washington. The latter two occurred simultaneously with playing semi-pro baseball in both locations.

Dave began the practice of law as a Deputy District Attorney for Alameda County where he obtained instant trial experience. He joined the Hildebrand firm in 1967, and since that time, has devoted his career to trial work and the representation of injured plaintiffs. Dave has tried F.E.L.A. cases to verdict in Utah, Arizona and Texas as well as numerous F.E.L.A. and other injury matters in California.

He is a member of the State Bar in California and the Federal District Court in California for the Northern, Eastern, and Central Districts. He has been specially admitted to courts in Arizona, Nevada, Utah and Texas. He has achieved million dollar recoveries by both verdict and settlement.

Dave is a past member of the Board of Directors of the Alameda Contra Costa County Trial Lawyers Association and is a member of the Consumer Attorneys of California, American Trial Lawyers Association, American Board of Trial Advocates, the Alameda County Bar Association and the Democratic Lawyers Club of Alameda County. He has been a lecturer in the Railroad section of the American Trial Lawyers Association on the topic of Psychological Injuries under the F.E.L.A.