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.

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.

Coblentz’s international legal alliance, TAGLaw®, has again been recognized by Chambers & Partners as “Elite” for 2023—the highest ranking awarded to legal networks and alliances. This is the tenth time TAGLaw has received the distinguished “Elite” designation since Chambers & Partners began ranking legal networks and alliances in 2013.

In selecting networks and alliances for their “Elite” status, Chambers & Partners pays particular attention to the quality of the member firms, their global reach, and the value that the alliance provides to its member firms. Member firms have exceptional reputations for quality of service and client satisfaction, and strive to cooperate to provide resources and expertise as if they were right down the hall from one another.

As the Northern California law firm representative to TAGLaw, Coblentz is able to access a network of exemplary regional, national and international legal resources to help us better serve our clients. TAGLaw, with a global footprint in over 90 countries, has leading firms in over 160 jurisdictions providing legal services to companies ranging from the Fortune 5000 and leading SMEs to high net worth individuals. With expertise in dozens of practice areas and countless industry sectors, TAGLaw offers a substantial capability to its members’ clients. This capability is expanded by TAGLaw’s unique relationship with its sister alliance of accounting firms, TIAG, providing members and clients with the multidisciplinary expertise needed in today’s business world.

Coblentz partner Paul Tauber is a member of the Advisory Board and chair of the Global Strategy Committee of the TAG Alliances, assisting in reviewing prospective new members, offering feedback for the planning of international conferences, and providing valuable guidance on future plans and initiatives.

San Francisco, CA  December 5, 2022 – Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP is pleased to announce the election of Dan Bruggebrew, Caitlin Connell, Eric Hieber, Sarah Peterson, Laura Seegal, and Christopher Westman to the firm’s partnership. These promotions are effective January 1, 2023.

“We are delighted to welcome these six exceptionally talented lawyers to the Coblentz partnership,” said Sara Finigan, managing partner. “Dan, Caitlin, Eric, Sarah, Laura, and Chris have each shown a deep commitment to our clients, community, and firm. We look forward to their future contributions as our partners.”

The 2023 new partners are:

Dan Bruggebrew, Litigation.
Dan Bruggebrew has experience with all aspects of white collar defense, from conducting internal investigations and managing responses to government investigations, to preparing clients and experts for deposition and testimony, to coordinating large individual- and multi-defendant litigation teams in discovery, motion practice, and trial. Dan’s white-collar clients include audit and finance professionals, Boards of Directors, and Special Litigation Committees. He also represents firms in the legal, healthcare, insurance, technology, hospitality, and energy sectors in civil disputes in federal and state courts. Dan earned his J.D. from Berkeley Law in 2015, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif, served as judicial extern to California Supreme Court Associate Justice Goodwin H. Liu, and received the Jurisprudence Award in Written & Oral Advocacy and the Prosser Prize in Professional Legal Ethics. Dan earned his M.S. from the College of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley in 2008. He earned his B.A., summa cum laude, with an independent concentration in bio-organic chemistry, from the University Professors Program at Boston University in 2007, where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and was a Goldwater Scholar and a Beckman Scholar.

Caitlin Connell, Real Estate.
Caitlin Connell advises clients on real estate transactions, with a focus on commercial leasing, purchase and sale agreements, and wine industry acquisitions and contracts. She negotiates and drafts purchase and sale agreements, leases, licenses, easements, property management agreements, and service contracts for clients in the tech, bioscience, retail, hospitality, and wine industries, as well as cultural and educational campuses. Caitlin administers the due diligence and closing of real estate acquisitions and dispositions, including multi-family and mixed-used projects, wineries, agricultural land, and undeveloped land. She represents and advises landlords and tenants regarding leasing, assignment, subleasing, property management, relations, defaults, disputes, and early termination. She also has significant experience facilitating real estate backed financing transactions. Caitlin earned her J.D. from the University of California College of Law, San Francisco, where she contributed to the UC Hastings Constitutional Law Quarterly and was President of the UC Hastings Association of Students for Kids. She earned her B.A. in Political Science and Sociology from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Eric Hieber, Real Estate.
Eric Hieber represents real estate developers, owners, and investors at all stages of the development life cycle, with an emphasis on representing clients in the drafting and negotiation of design and construction contracts. He has extensive experience counseling clients during construction of medium to large-scale projects, including project administration, contract interpretation, risk assessments, and dispute resolution. Eric’s representations include a diverse range of property types, including office, residential, mixed-use, industrial, sports venues, and cultural institutions across the United States. He also has substantial experience representing developers in high stakes litigation involving construction and real estate. Eric is a civil engineer and brings real-world experience to his practice from his time at one of California’s largest general contractors, where he managed project design development, estimating, procurement, contracting, and construction administration. Eric earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, William S. Boyd School of Law in 2012. He earned his B.S. in Civil Engineering, with distinction, from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2009.

Sarah Peterson, Litigation.
Sarah Peterson handles complex civil litigation with a focus on appellate litigation. She has represented clients in the federal and California appellate courts, as well as in the United States Supreme Court. Sarah has broad subject-matter expertise, having represented corporate clients in all types of breach-of-contract and commercial disputes. She has deep experience litigating land-use cases, including cases brought under the California Environmental Quality Act. She also has extensive experience with white-collar criminal and related matters in federal court, where she has represented individuals charged with federal crimes and litigated securities-fraud and civil-forfeiture actions. Sarah clerked for the Honorable A. Wallace Tashima on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and for the Honorable Maxine M. Chesney on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Sarah graduated magna cum laude, in the top ten percent of her class, from Harvard Law School. She earned her B.A. with high honors in Politics and Environmental Science from the University of Virginia, where she was Phi Beta Kappa and an Echols Scholar.

Laura Seegal, Employment and Litigation.
Laura Seegal’s practice encompasses a range of regulatory, white collar, and high-stakes litigation matters. She represents individuals, public entities, and companies of all sizes in state, federal, and administrative court, with a focus on clients in the government, communications, and energy sectors. Laura earned her J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of California College of Law, San Francisco in 2015, where she was a member of the Thurston Honors Society and an editor of the constitutional law journal. While in law school, Laura externed for the Honorable Maria-Elena James and the Honorable Edward M. Chen of the United States District Court, Northern District of California. Laura earned her B.A. in English at Reed College in 2011.

Christopher Westman, Corporate.
Christopher Westman advises public and private companies on a wide range of corporate and securities matters, including corporate governance, venture capital financing, and domestic and cross-border mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures. Chris’s clients operate in the advertising, consulting, marketing and design industries, giving him unique insight into market trends and practices. He advises on buy-side and sell-side M&A and corporate and partnership restructuring matters, guiding clients through every phase of their business, from formation and financings to sale or other exit events. Chris also provides guidance on an extensive range of commercial transactions, including service, supply, software, intellectual property, and non-disclosure agreements. Chris was a Judicial Extern to the Honorable Magistrate Judge Nathanael Cousins of the United States District Court, Northern District of California. He earned his J.D. from the University of California College of Law, San Francisco in 2013, where he graduated magna cum laude. He earned his B.A. in Economics from Occidental College in 2008.

 

U.S. News – Best Lawyers® ranked Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP among its list of 2023 “Best Law Firms,” including National Tier 1 recognition for Land Use & Zoning Law and Litigation – Tax Law and National Tier rankings in nine additional practice areas. The firm was also named a Tier 1 “Best Law Firm” in 11 practice areas in the San Francisco Metropolitan market, with 21 San Francisco Metropolitan rankings overall.

Thirty-five Coblentz attorneys are also recognized in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. Real estate partner Danna Kozerski is recognized as the Best Lawyers® 2023 Real Estate Law “Lawyer of the Year” in San Francisco.

U.S. News – 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.

Six Coblentz attorneys were honored with the Justice & Diversity Center’s Outstanding Volunteers in Public Service Award. Jeffry Bernstein, Kit Driscoll, Karen Frank, Stephen Lanctot, Troy Valdez, and Cliff Yin were recognized for their outstanding commitment to assisting the underserved through the projects and programs of the JDC. Stephen Lanctot was also honored with the Emerald Award for the Community Organization and Representation Project and Cliff Yin was honored with the Crystal Award for Diversity Educational Programs.

The Justice & Diversity Center (JDC) advances fairness and equality by providing pro bono legal services and educational programs that foster diversity in the legal profession. The JDC’s Outstanding Volunteers in Public Service Award honors the top 15% of volunteers in its Pro Bono Legal Services Program, Homeless Advocacy Project, and Diversity Educational Programs.

Coblentz employment partner Fred Alvarez has been selected as one of the first-ever recipients of the Awards for Excellence in Ethics in Complex Litigation. Fred will be presented with the award at the inaugural Complex Litigation Ethics Conference, which takes place on October 22, 2022 at UC University of California College of Law, San Francisco in association with the college’s Center for Litigation and Courts.

Fred is one of just three recipients of the inaugural award, and his fellow honorees include the Honorable William Fletcher of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and preeminent plaintiff’s attorney Elizabeth J. Cabraser.

Event co-chair Joshua P. Davis noted, “In developing this program we wanted not only to educate litigators and stimulate discussion on the important and evolving ethical aspects of this practice, but also to honor those who have demonstrated leadership, scholarship, and dedication in promoting ethical behavior and professionalism and to whom others look for inspiration.” Event co-chair Scott Dodson added, “Judge Fletcher, Elizabeth Cabraser, and Fred Alvarez are exactly the kinds of individuals and representatives of the profession we had in mind when we developed these awards.”

Fred was selected for his experience, public service, and leadership in the legal profession. He has repeatedly been selected as a monitor or special master to oversee the implementation of employment and civil rights consent decrees and settlements, and he was nominated because he “commits his time to ensure that reforms negotiated as part of a class action settlement are faithfully implemented… his [w]ork helps ensure that the promise of civil rights class action litigation can be realized.”

“Ethics in the civil litigation system is the glue that keeps the process working. I’m glad there’s a lot of attention being placed on it so far,” said Fred in a recent Daily Journal article covering the event.