San Francisco (December 13, 2023) – San Francisco-based law firm Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP is pleased to welcome Jennifer Scharre to the firm’s partnership.

Jennifer’s practice focuses on sophisticated wealth transfer strategies for high net worth clients, including founders, individuals at startups, and clients with large real estate portfolios. Her estate planning practice includes working with clients to develop and execute their legacy goals including drafting estate planning and entity documents. She also represents fiduciaries and beneficiaries in all aspects of trust and estate administration including preparation of trust accountings and estate and gift tax returns.

Jennifer is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law by the California Board of Legal Specialization. She serves on the Board of Trustees of the Silicon Valley Bar Association, where she is also Treasurer. Jennifer is a prolific speaker and she has been a Lecturer at both Santa Clara School of Law and UCSC Extension.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jennifer to Coblentz,” said Jaime Mannon, partner and chair of Coblentz’s family wealth practice. “Her strong connections in the South Bay enhance our team’s existing depth and breadth of experience advising high net worth families, closely held businesses, and founders and senior executives across the Bay Area.”

2024 Best Lawyers® has ranked Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP among its list of 2024 “Best Law Firms,” including a National Tier 1 recognition for Land Use and Zoning Law and national rankings in 10 additional practice areas. The firm was also named a Tier 1 “Best Law Firm” in 12 practice areas in the San Francisco Metropolitan market, with 21 San Francisco Metropolitan rankings overall.

Thirty-five Coblentz attorneys are also recognized in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®.

Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” recognizes firms for their professional excellence and consistently impressive ratings from clients and peers. Achieving a tiered ranking signals a unique combination of quality law practice and breadth of legal expertise. Rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process that includes clients’ and peers’ evaluation of firms based on expertise, responsiveness, understanding of a business and its needs, cost-effectiveness, civility, and whether they would refer another client to the firm. To view additional details, please click here.

Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass was named to Benchmark Litigation’s 2024 list of “Recommended Firms” in California, ranking in Tier 1 for Dispute Resolution – San Francisco.

In addition to the firm’s Tier 1 ranking, the following partners are recognized as Litigation Stars by Benchmark: Richard Patch is listed for Competition/Antitrust, Class Action, and General Commercial Litigation; Jonathan Bass is listed for Competition/Antitrust, Appellate, and General Commercial Litigation; Tim Crudo and Rees Morgan are listed for the White Collar Crime category; Cliff Yin is listed for the Labor and Employment, Real Estate, and General Commercial Litigation categories; and Katharine Van Dusen is recognized on the 40 & Under List for Commercial Litigation.

Benchmark Litigation is the definitive guide to the world’s leading litigation firms and lawyers. Its law firm and lawyer rankings are based on extensive interviews with litigators, dispute resolution specialists, and clients and also take into account the market’s most important cases and firm developments.

In its annual listing of the nation’s top legal talent, Best Lawyers® recognized 35 Coblentz attorneys in the 2024 Best Lawyers® in America guide, including 15 attorneys recognized as Ones to Watch®.

Categories of recognition are listed below.

2024 Best Lawyers in America Recognitions

• Fred Alvarez: Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment
• Jon Bass: Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Land Use and Zoning, Litigation – Real Estate
• Jeff Bernstein: Litigation and Controversy – Tax, Tax Law
• Tim Crudo: Criminal Defense: White-Collar
• Phil Feldman: Litigation – Trusts and Estates, Trusts and Estates Law
• Gregg Ficks: Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Litigation – Bankruptcy
• Karen Frank: Copyright Law, Litigation – Intellectual Property
• Alan Gennis: Real Estate Law
• Robert Hodil: Real Estate Law
• Miles Imwalle: Land Use and Zoning Law
• Megan Jennings: Land Use and Zoning Law
• Danna Kozerski: Real Estate Law
• Stephen Lanctot: Employment Law – Management
• Jaime Mannon: Trusts and Estates Law
• Barbara Milanovich: Real Estate Law
• Jim Mitchell: Trusts and Estates Law
• Harry O’Brien: Land Use and Zoning Law, Real Estate Law
• Richard Patch: Appellate Practice, Litigation – Antitrust
• Doug Sands: Real Estate Law
• Tay Via: Land Use and Zoning Law, Litigation – Land Use and Zoning, Real Estate Law

2024 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America Recognitions

• Kiana Araghi: Real Estate Law
• Leah Collins: Real Estate Law
• Jeff Dodd: Environmental Law
• Eric Hieber: Construction Law, Real Estate Law
• Ken Nabity: Litigation – Labor and Employment
• Seth Pardee: Tax Law
• Ben Pulliam: Commercial Litigation
• Kyle Recker: Real Estate Law
• Laura Seegal: Litigation – Labor and Employment
• Joy Spezeski: Real Estate Law
• Laura Srebro: Trusts and Estates
• Matthew Stone: Real Estate Law
• Marcia Valadez Valente: Commercial Litigation
• Ashley Weinstein-Carnes: Land Use and Zoning Law
• Christopher Wiener: Litigation – Intellectual Property

Best Lawyers lists are based entirely on an exhaustive peer-review evaluation. The 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® is based on more than 16 million evaluations. To view the full rankings, please visit the Best Lawyers website.

Coblentz’s Family Wealth practice and three family wealth partners have been recognized in the 2023 edition of the Chambers High Net Worth Guide. Family Wealth practice chair Jaime Mannon and partners Jim Mitchell and Phil Feldman are once again ranked as Leading Lawyers in the Private Wealth Law category for Northern California. The Chambers High Net Worth Guide ranks the world’s top service providers to ultra-high net worth and high net worth individuals and families and family offices.

Jaime Mannon is again ranked as a Leading Lawyer in Band 2. Jaime offers affluent individuals and families assistance with estate and gift tax planning and cross-border tax planning. A source notes, “She is excellent – outstanding.”

Jim Mitchell is again ranked as a Leading Lawyer in Band 2. Jim advises high net worth clients on tax planning and trust and estate administration. One source notes Jim “is extremely responsive and reliable,” while another says, “He is outstanding.”

Phil Feldman is again ranked as a Leading Lawyer in Band 2. Phil assists wealthy individuals and families with income, philanthropic, and gift and estate tax planning. A source says, “Philip is wonderful and I have the highest regard for him.”

The Coblentz Family Wealth practice is also listed by Chambers HNW in Band 2 for Private Wealth Law, Northern California. Independent and objective, Chambers USA and Chambers HNW are carefully researched and widely considered to be the most reputable law firm directories in the world. Ranking criteria include technical legal ability, professional conduct, client service, business understanding, diligence, commitment, and other qualities most valued by legal clients.

Additional Coblentz Chambers USA Rankings

Six additional Coblentz partners and three practices are recognized in the Chambers USA 2023 Guide, also published by Chambers & Partners. Real Estate and Land Use partners Harry O’Brien, Alan Gennis, and Tay Via; Litigation partners Timothy Crudo and Rees Morgan; and Employment partner Fred Alvarez are ranked as Leading Lawyers in their respective categories. Coblentz’s Land Use, Real Estate, and White Collar Defense and Investigations practices are also listed.

San Francisco (June 21, 2023) – San Francisco-based law firm Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP is pleased to welcome Nick Gerlach to the firm’s partnership.

Nick handles federal, international, and state tax matters for corporations, partnerships, and individuals. He advises clients on the tax aspects of a wide range of business transactions, including structuring tax-efficient mergers, acquisitions, spin-offs, divestitures, and other restructurings for corporations, partnerships and other pass-through entities. He also focuses on drafting and negotiating agreements related to all phases of a company’s operations, including formation, acquisition, financing and restructuring.

“Our merger and acquisitions tax practice has been in a strong growth mode and Nick’s practice perfectly complements our tax and corporate practices,” said Jeffry Bernstein, leader of Coblentz’s tax practice. “Nick is an outstanding addition to our team and we are thrilled to welcome him to the firm.”

“I’m excited to be part of Coblentz and I look forward to collaborating with the team and helping shape and build the firm’s highly regarded tax and corporate practices,” said Nick Gerlach.

Nick joins Coblentz’s Tax practice from DLA Piper. His experience also includes working at Deloitte Tax and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

 

The Legal 500 United States has named Coblentz a “Top Tier” firm in the Real Estate – Land Use/Zoning category, with a National Tier 1 ranking. Coblentz is one of only a few Northern California firms recognized by The Legal 500 for outstanding performance in this area.

Real estate and land use partners Tay Via and Frank Petrilli received individual recognition in the 2023 guide. Tay Via is recognized in the nationwide Land Use/Zoning “Leading Lawyers” category and Frank Petrilli is recognized in the “Next Generation Partners” category.

The Legal 500 Series provides worldwide coverage on legal services providers in more than 150 jurisdictions and highlights the practice area teams who are providing the most cutting edge and innovative advice to corporate counsel. Rankings are based on a series of criteria, including research based on feedback from more than 300,000 clients worldwide.

Six Coblentz partners and three practices have been recognized by Chambers & Partners in the 2023 edition of Chambers USA. Real estate and land use partners Harry O’Brien and Tay Via are listed as leading lawyers in the Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use – California category, real estate partner Alan Gennis is listed as a leading lawyer in the Real Estate – Northern California category, litigation partners Timothy Crudo and Rees Morgan are listed in the Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations – California category, and Employment partner Fred Alvarez is listed in the Labor & Employment – California category.

Independent and objective, Chambers USA is carefully researched and widely considered to be the most reputable law firm directory in the world. Ranking criteria include technical legal ability, client service, commercial vision and business understanding, diligence, depth of the team, value for money, and other qualities most valued by legal clients.

Real Estate & Land Use

Coblentz’s real estate and land use practice is again ranked by the Chambers USA 2023 Guide in the top tier, Band 1, in the Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use category for California. Our land use practice has been continuously ranked by Chambers for 13 years and our real estate practice is ranked by the Chambers USA 2023 Guide in Band 3 in the Real Estate category for Northern California. Chambers notes that our “prominent real estate practice offer[s] particular strength in obtaining land use, zoning and environmental approvals for development projects,” with “notable healthcare, technology and real estate investment companies among its clients.” Three real estate and land use partners received individual rankings.

Harry O’Brien is again ranked as a Leading Lawyer in Band 3 in the Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use – California category. Chambers notes that Harry “is well respected for his handling of a wide spectrum of real estate matters, ranging from land use to transactional issues. He has significant experience advising clients on acquisitions, entitlements and CEQA compliance.” Harry has been recognized by Chambers since 2003.

Tay Via is again ranked as a Leading Lawyer in Band 4 in the Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use – California. Chambers notes that Tay “works with market-leading companies…on land use and other real estate aspects of large development projects.” Tay has been recognized by Chambers since 2022.

Alan Gennis is again ranked as a Leading Lawyer in Band 2 in the Real Estate – Northern California category. Chambers notes that Alan “is recognized for his significant experience handling real estate transactions, such as acquisitions and joint ventures. He also advises on entitlements and due diligence, including providing counsel on mixed-use and office development projects.” Alan has been recognized by Chambers since 2018.

Litigation

Coblentz’s white collar defense and investigations practice is ranked by the Chambers USA 2023 Guide in Band 4 in the Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations category for California. A client notes the team is “capable of handling their client’s cases with ease – diving deep into the matters, simplifying the complex issues and preparing effective defense strategies. They strive for excellent client service and show a real passion for their clients.” Another remarks, “They are a really business-savvy firm, who consistently deliver results.” Two litigation partners also received individual rankings in the category.

Timothy Crudo moved up in the rankings and is now ranked as a Leading Lawyers in Band 2 in the Litigation: White Collar Crime & Government Investigations category for California. A client notes, “Timothy is a consummate professional, who is great in court and experienced in getting fantastic results for his clients.” Another client raves, “He is an incredibly experienced lawyer, who has gained the respect of both sides of the Bar.” Tim has been recognized by Chambers since 2016.

Rees Morgan moved up in the rankings and is now ranked as a Leading Lawyer in Band 4 in the Litigation: White Collar Crime & Government Investigations category for California. “Rees shows deep legal skill and professionalism. He fights incredibly hard for his clients, exceeding their expectations each time,” notes a client. Another client notes, “He is a very gifted lawyer. When it comes to oral arguments, he shows real clarity, slickness and style.” Rees has been recognized by Chambers since 2021.

Employment

Employment partner Fred Alvarez is recognized as a Senior Statesperson in California in the Labor & Employment category. “He’s really nimble and able to follow the best path for his client, which gets him the best result,” raves one client. Another notes, “He has an incredible depth of experience and subject matter expertise.” Fred has been recognized by Chambers for the past 20 years.

To view the complete list of Coblentz rankings in the 2023 edition of Chambers USA, please visit the publication’s website linked here.

San Francisco, CA – May 24, 2023 – Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP is pleased to announce that the firm has achieved Midsize Mansfield Rule Certification.

The Mansfield Certification, facilitated by Diversity Lab, recognizes the actions we have taken over 18 months to diversify leadership by broadening the slate of talent considered for internal leadership roles and increasing transparency with written and accessible advancement processes and role descriptions.

The goal of Mansfield is to increase and sustain diversity in law firm leadership through a science-driven method that embeds accountability, transparency, and knowledge sharing into our talent practices. We know that with diverse leadership comes more inclusive and equitable decisions that reflect the needs of our diverse workforce for the benefit of our talent and clients.

“Coblentz is committed to building a stronger legal community through diversity and inclusion, and this certification reflects the mission of our DEI strategic plan: to recruit, retain, and promote diverse attorneys and staff, helping us better understand and serve our clients and community. We are proud to have achieved Midsize Mansfield Certification,” said Sara Finigan, managing partner.

For the list of Midsize Mansfield Certified firms and to read Diversity Lab’s press release, please click here.

“California courts must interpret arbitration agreements to give them their intended purpose and lawful effect to the fullest extent possible . . . . This is especially true when the agreement itself contains a severance clause, further demonstrating the parties’ intent to proceed with arbitration as their desired forum.”

On March 6, 2023, Coblentz submitted an amicus curiae brief on behalf of Employers Group in the Supreme Court of California in Charter Communications, Inc. v. Ramirez, Case No. S273802.

Employers Group is the nation’s oldest and largest human resources management organization for employers. Employers Group represents nearly 3,800 California employers of all sizes and in every industry, which collectively employ nearly three million employees. In the amicus brief, Employers Group advocates for a clear rule on the severability of provisions of arbitration agreements that do not affect the heart of the agreement. It also argues that such agreements should be examined under contract interpretation principles applicable to every other type of contract in California.

Ramirez involves an appeal of a 2022 Second District Court of Appeal decision holding that Charter Communications’ standard arbitration agreement was permeated by unconscionability, could not be severed, and was therefore unenforceable. The Ramirez holding directly contradicted a 2021 decision from the same appellate district: Patterson v. Superior Court (2021) 70 Cal.App.5th 473. In contrast to Ramirez, the Patterson court found the exact same arbitration agreement enforceable (as has many other state and federal trial courts), by interpreting an attorneys’ fee provision in the agreement to impliedly incorporate the Fair Employment and Housing Act’s “asymmetric” rule on awarding attorneys’ fees. In other words, Patterson used well-established contract principles to enforce the agreement, while Ramirez found that the agreement was unsalvageable.

Lower courts frequently come to differing conclusions under the current legal framework surrounding arbitration agreement enforceability, leaving employers with little certainty on whether a court will actually enforce their agreements. “The Court should,” the brief states, “issue an opinion that provides a robust rule on severability that offers certainty for the thousands of California employers and millions of employees who seek to enjoy the benefits of the arbitral forum as their chosen method of resolving common workplace disputes.”

Labor and Employment attorney Fred Alvarez prepared the brief. Other supporting amici included the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which argued the Federal Arbitration Act preempts the Ramirez opinion. A copy of the amicus brief can be found here.