Scholarly Lectures and Writings:

• Speaker, Appellate Law and Practice, conference sponsored by Bridgeport Continuing Education, 2006
• “One Giant Leap – Down the Aisle,” San Francisco Daily Journal (June 17, 2008), 2008
• Speaker, Appellate Law For Trial Attorneys, conference sponsored by Bridgeport Continuing Education, 2008
• Speaker, “Keys to Successful Appeals: Do’s and Don’ts From A Proven Winner,” national audio conference sponsored by National Constitution Center, 2008
• “Get It On The Record,” California Lawyer (October), 2008
• Co-speaker in four-part, national webcast lecture series on appellate law, sponsored by West LegalEdcenter and Celesq AttorneysEd Center: “Appellate Law For Trial Lawyers” (January 2009); “Mistakes To Avoid On Appeal” (October 2008); “What Corporate Counsel Need To Know About Appeals” (September 2008); and “Preparing a Great Appellate Brief”, 2008
• Symposium speaker, “The State of Same-Sex Marriage: Past, Present and Future,” sponsored by Loyola University Chicago School of Law and the Lesbian and Gay Bar Association of Chicago, 2009
• Speaker, The Complete Appeal Conference: Strategies From Start To Finish, sponsored by Pincus Professional Education, 2009
• "Appellate Litigation Strategies," presented to 2010 Annual Convention of Western Manufactured Housing Communities Association, 2010
• Speaker, Appeals (Civil): Winning Strategies From Start To Finish, sponsored by Pincus Professional Education, 2011
• Practitioner Advisor, U.C. Berkeley School of Law, Appellate Advocacy Class, 2012

Verdicts and Settlements:

• In re Pacific Gas & Electric Company, 280 B.R. 506 (N.D. Cal. 2002). Successfully established appellate jurisdiction over public utility’s appeal from pre-trial ruling rejecting central feature of its proposed reorganization plan. Click here for principal pleadings and decision, 2002
• Transcontinental Ins. Co. v. Insurance Co. of the State of Pennsylvania, 148 Cal. App. 4th 1296 (2007). Successfully represented primary insurers on appeal in coverage dispute with excess insurer arising from construction defect litigation. Click here for the opinion, 2007
• Brittalia Ventures v. Stuke Nursery Co., Inc., 153 Cal. App. 4th 17 (2007). Lead appellate counsel to commercial nursery on its appeal from judgment entered after jury trial in breach of warranty action. Obtained reversal of $750,000 attorneys' fee award though judgment otherwise affirmed. Click here for answer successfully opposing petition for Supreme Court review of the attorneys’ fee issue, 2007
• In re Marriage Cases, 43 Cal. 4th 757 (2008). Lead outside appellate counsel to City and County of San Francisco in successful constitutional challenge to California’s ban on marriage by same-sex couples, 2008
• Global Reach Investment Corp. v. Burlingame Investment Corp., (Cal. Ct. App., 1st Dist., Div. 3 (2008-2009). Lead appellate counsel to real estate development company sued for an alleged debt of more than $4 million. Successfully moved to dismiss the plaintiff’s appeal from the defense judgment (click here for the motion), and successfully defended on appeal the resulting $810,000 attorneys’ fees award (click here for brief and opinion), 2009
• Spalding Laboratories, Inc. v. Arizona Biological Control, Inc., 9th Cir. Nos. 07-56876, 08-56006 (2009). Representing the plaintiff in a multi-million dollar Lanham Act false advertising case, played major role in both obtaining a reversal of the defense judgment entered after trial and obtaining an order reassigning the case for retrial to a new District Judge, 2009
• David Chow, M.D. v. Central East Bay Medical Group Inc. (Cal. Ct. App., 1st Dist., Div. 1 (2011)). Successfully represented independent physician association in appeal of judgment exonerating it of physician's wrongful termination claim, alleging violation of anti-gag statute protecting certain doctor-patient communications. Defeated doctor's request for emergency stay of his termination from the physician group pending appeal, following which the case promptly settled., 2011

Educational Background:

• Harvard College, B.A. magna cum laude; Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter N.H.