Top Rated Civil Litigation Attorney in Pleasant Hill, CA

Honors/Awards

• Rated AV Preeminent by Martindale Hubbell for more than ten consecutive years.  Listed in Bar Register of Preeminent Attorneys and named to 2012 - 2020 editions of Best Lawyers in America.

Bar/Professional Activity

• Member of Contra Costa County and Los Angeles County Bar Associations.  Member of DRI.

Pro bono/Community Service

• E-mentor for local high school law academy, offering information and guidance to students interested in a career in the law.

Verdicts/Settlements

• Defense verdict for sixteen employees of California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in federal civil rights action filed by prison inmate after rubber projectile fired by correctional officer during prison dining hall melee struck plaintiff in the eye, necessitating removal of the eye.  Plaintiff requested one million dollars in closing argument.
• Prevailed on Motion for Summary Judgment/Motion for Reconsideration filed on behalf of local flood control district in dangerous condition of public property/wrongful death claim involving 17-year old high school student killed by a train on a railroad bridge.  Student accessed bridge using non-public service road owned by local flood control district.  Parents alleged that flood control district's failure to install a fence to prevent access to railroad right of way contributed to their son's death.  Court's initial ruling denying motion for summary judgment was reversed on motion for reconsideration., 2020
• Defense verdict in employment-related race discrimination action filed by two school district employees against their employing district.
• Prevailed on motion for summary judgment filed on behalf of public school district in case based on assault of student.  Order and resulting judgment affirmed by Court of Appeal after briefing and oral arguments., 2015
• Demurrer sustained without leave to amend in wage and hour case by employee against school district.  Resulting judgment upheld after briefing and oral arguments in Court of Appeal., 2014

Educational Background

• U.C. Berkeley, Bachelor of Arts, Political Science, 1982

Scholarly Lectures/Writings

• Seminar speaker for "Tort Liability Update -- Case Law and Legislation" at CAJPA Fall Conference., 2012
• Presentation concerning recent decision from First District Court of Appeal in case of first impression, wherein the Court determined that the provisions of California's Unruh Civil Rights Act are not applicable to public school districts., Featured Speaker at CAJPA Litigation, Insurance and Tort Liability Program, The Unruh Civil Rights Act and Discrimination Claims Against Public School Districts, Public Entities, Joint Powers Associations, Third-Party Claims Administrators., 2021