PRESENTS SAN FRANCISCo’s TOP RATED LAWYERS OF 2015 MARY ALEXANDER & ASSOCIATES P.C. WARRIORS FOR THE INJURED PAGE 3 A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT DISTRIBUTED WITH THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE AND THE RECORDER PRESENTS LEGAL LEADERS APPEARING WITH ALM LEGAL GROUP ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES GABE BELLOVIN Welcome to San Francisco’s Top Rated Lawyers of 2015, a publication featuring legal talent from Northern California and the Bay Area. LAURA GUNAWAN ULEI KOU The attorneys featured here and in the accompanying online edition have all achieved the peer reviewed rating of AV Preeminent® by Martindale-Hubbell®, the company that has long set the standard for lawyer BRIDGET MCDONALD ratings. The AV Preeminent® rating is a significant accomplishment and demonstrates that a lawyer’s peers GEORGE SCHWIMMER have ranked him or her at the highest level of professional excellence. Our online edition of San Francisco’s Top Rated Lawyers, accessible at at.law.com/SanFranciscotoprated, PROFILES WRITER includes the complete directory of all of the Bay Area’s AV Peeminent® rated attorneys, listed by their SEAN STONEFIELD practice areas. In addition to insightful profiles of many Top Rated attorneys, this publication features articles covering trends COVER PHOTOGRAPH BY in the law, and is a valuable resource for finding top legal talent and making more informed decisions. GARY WAGNER Sincerely, BUSINESS MANAGER COLLEEN HANSON SCOTT PIERCE GROUP PUBLISHER [email protected] GROUP PUBLISHER 855.808.4520 SCOTT PIERCE WHAt’s insidE 8 SPECIALTY WORKERS To order reprints of (H-1B VISAS) San Francisco’s Top Rated Lawyers of 2015, please contact 877.257.3382 or [email protected] Publishers do not warrant that the information contained herein is complete or accurate. ALM Media, 3 MARY ALEXANDER LLC (or either party’s affiliates, employees, officers, directors or A Champion Of Justice agents) does not assume, and hereby 9 disclaims, any liability to any person COURT: UNIVERSITIES NOT for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions herein, 4 LEGAL LEADERS INDEX LIABLE FOR CAMPUS whether such errors or omissions FROM THE PAGES OF result from negligence, accident A comprehensive list of San Francisco’s Top Rated VIOLENCE or any other cause. This magazine Lawyers of 2015. includes paid attorney advertising. Consumers should contact the state bar for verification and additional 6 EMPLOYMENT LAWYERS 14 information prior to securing the PRACTICE AREA INDEX legal services of any attorney. BRACE FOR FAIR PAY ACT An index of featured firms categorized by practice area. ® 2 \\ SAN FRANCISco’S TOP RatED LAWYERS TO SEE A DIRECTORY OF ALL AV PREEMINENT™ RatED ATTORNEYS IN SAN FRANCISCO VISIT at.LAW.COM/SANFRANCISCOTOPRatED COVER SPOTLIGHT A CHAMPION OF JUSTICE With a $1.15 billion verdict in a 2014 class action, Mary Alexander cements her status as one of California’s leading plaintiffs’ attorneys Gary Wagner For decades, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned of the harm caused by lead-based paint. In the United States alone, millions of children have suffered permanent brain damage—and in some cases have died—from lead poisoning; and the CDC estimates that even today, children are being exposed to high levels of lead in 4 million U.S. households. To combat this public health issue, 10 California cities and counties joined forces in 2000 to hold the country’s largest paint manufacturers accountable for promoting the use of lead-based paint in homes. Together, they assembled a team of some of the state’s most sought-after plaintiffs’ attorneys. “When the County of San Francisco approached me about joining the lawsuit, I was immediately interested,” recalls Mary Alexander, who served as one of the lead trial lawyers in the case. “Prior to entering the legal profession, I spent a decade working in environmental and occupational health, first as a researcher in medical toxicology, and later as the director of environmental health at the Stanford Research Institute; so I understood the importance of this lawsuit from a public health perspective, and I knew that my scientific background would be an asset in such a complex matter.” Over the course of the case, which spanned 14 years, Alexander was highly involved in both the litigation and appeals process as part of the Plaintiffs’ team; she conducted 40 depositions and, at trial, interviewed key expert medical witnesses on lead health has been honored—both locally and nationally—by the San effects. She also cross-examined the defendants’ experts and Francisco Trial Lawyers Association and the Public Justice obtained admissions. Foundation for her work on the case, with both organizations “These companies have known for more than a century that recognizing her as “Trial Lawyer of the Year.” She has also received lead-based paint is highly toxic, especially to young children,” says two of the Consumer Attorneys of California’s top honors—the Alexander, citing two pieces of evidence: an internal industry Marvin E. Lewis Award and the Edward I. Pollock Award; and in document from 1900 where Sherwin-Williams described the paint 2012, she was inducted into the California State Bar Litigation ingredient white lead as a deadly cumulative poison, and a 1909 Section’s Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame. case where the California Supreme Court held ConAgra responsible Alexander, as evidenced by these awards, is considered a leader in for the lead poisoning of employees at its own lead plant. “Despite her field; and indeed she has served as president of both the their knowledge, these companies continued to promote the sale of Consumer Attorneys of California and ATLA (now the American lead-based paint in California cities and counties, and we proved Association for Justice). In 2013, AAJ—one of the largest plaintiffs’ that at trial.” bar organizations in the world—honored her with the Leonard Ring In January 2014, the Santa Clara County Superior Court ruled that Champion of Justice Award, which recognizes lawyers who have Sherwin-Williams, NL Industries and ConAgra had created a public served as advocates for human and civil rights. nuisance by selling lead-based paint before it was banned in 1978. “Over my career I have been able to secure a number of significant The Court ordered the three companies to pay $1.15 billion into an recoveries, such as the recent $1.15 billion verdict; but above all abatement fund run by the State of California, which will go toward I’ve been able find answers and accountability for victims who had removing lead-based paint from homes in the cities and counties nowhere else to turn,” Alexander says. “And that is what continues that brought the lawsuit. The final judgment came after two appeals, to make this work so rewarding.” one of which was a ruling by the California Supreme Court. BY SEAN STONEFIELD “This was a landmark decision because it established important legal precedents and recognized that manufacturers must be held responsible for the hazards they create in homes,” Alexander says. Mary Alexander & Associates, P.C. “Most importantly though, it will directly help the young children of 44 Montgomery Street, Suite 1303, San Francisco, CA 94104 Local: 415.433.4440 | Toll Free: 877.454.9315 California who are currently being exposed to lead-based paint.” Fax: 415.433.5440 Along with her co-counsel and legal team members, Alexander www.maryalexanderlaw.com TO SEE A DIRECTORY OF ALL AV® PREEMINENT™ RatED ATTORNEYS IN SAN FRANCISCO VISIT at.LAW.COM/SANFRANCISCOTOPRatED SAN FRANCISco’S TOP RatED LAWYERS 3 // LEGAL LEADERS BY FIRM INDEX OF FEATURED FIRMS San Francisco’s Top Rated Lawyers helps take the mystery out of locating a high-quality advocate to protect you, your family, your business and all other assets. The lawyers in this comprehensive list are considered first-rate in their field and may be available to help. BELES & BELES LAW OFFICES BUCHMAN PROVINE BROTHERS ERICKSEN ARBUTHNOT SMITH LLP ROBERT J. BELES BUSINESS, REAL ESTATE, INSURANCE, LOIS A. LINDSTROM CRIMINAL DEFENSE ERISA LITIGATION, EMPLOYMENT CONSTRUCTION, INSURANCE, PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY Page 10 Page 9 Page 12 CAMPAGNOLI, ABELSON & BENNETT JOHNSON, LLP FOREMAN & BRASSO PERSONAL INJURY, MEDICAL MALPRACTICE CAMPAGNOLI Page 4 MARK B. ABELSON RONALD D. FOREMAN LEGAL MALPRACTICE, PROFESSIONAL TRIAL LAWYER BERGESON, LLP MALPRACTICE, PERSONAL INJURY Page 11 DANIEL J. BERGESON Page 10 SECURITIES LITIGATION, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, COMPUTERLAW GROUP LLP GILFIX & LA POLL ASSOCIATES, LLP COMMERCIAL LITIGATION JACK RUSSO FRANCIS A. LA POLL Page 15 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LITIGATION, BUSINESS TAX, ESTATE PLANNING, ELDER LAW LITIGATION, ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION BOWLES & VERNA Page 16 Page 16 BUSINESS, EMPLOYMENT, REAL ESTATE DAVID MICHAEL BIGELEISEN GODDARD LAW OFFICES Page 9 CRIMINAL DEFENSE Page 10 WENDELL H. GODDARD BRAVO & MARGULIES BUSINESS LITIGATION, PERSONAL INJURY, ELLIOTT & ELLIOTT FAMILY LAW, INSURANCE LITIGATION, JOE BRAVO CONSTRUCTION LITIGATION, PRODUCT LIABILITY, PERSONAL INJURY, REAL ESTATE INSURANCE BAD FAITH WILL & ESTATE CONTESTS Page 15 Page 11 Page 15 ® 4 \\ SAN FRANCISco’S TOP RatED LAWYERS TO SEE A DIRECTORY OF ALL AV PREEMINENT™ RatED ATTORNEYS IN SAN FRANCISCO VISIT at.LAW.COM/SANFRANCISCOTOPRatED LEGAL LEADERS BY FIRM GWILLIAM, IVARY, CHIOSSO, LAW OFFICE OF AMANDA L. EBEY, P.C. MEDIATION AND LAW OFFICES OF CAVALLI & BREWER CIVIL LITIGATION, ELDER LAW, PATRICK J. BYRNE EMPLOYMENT, PERSONAL INJURY, CONSUMER LAW, TRUSTS & ESTATES MEDIATION - ADR Page 15 BUSINESS LAW Page 15 Page 7 LAW OFFICES OF BARON J. DREXEL MICHAEL L. DWORKIN AND ASSOCIATES HANNIG LAW LLP WRONGFUL DEATH, PERSONAL INJURY AND BANKRUPTCY AVIATION, BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS, TED J. HANNIG Page 11 CIVIL LITIGATION CORPORATE/BUSINESS, REAL ESTATE, Page 11 ESTATE PLANNING LAW OFFICES OF BEN WINSLOW Page 12 PERSONAL INJURY, LITIGATION O’CONNOR AND ASSOCIATES Page 16 HELBRAUN LAW FIRM JOHN O’CONNOR LAW OFFICE OF JOHN BURRITT McARTHUR BUSINESS LITIGATION, CIVIL LITIGATION, DAVID M. HELBRAUN ARBITRATION INSURANCE, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY, LITIGATION, Page 16 Page 12 INSURANCE LAW, CIVIL RIGHTS Page 15 LAW OFFICES OF JOHN L.