• Coblentz Prepares Amicus Curiae Brief In Support Of Challenge To West Virginia Abortion Ban

    West Virginia has on its books a centuries-old law criminalizing abortion. After the Supreme Court overturned Roe, the state signaled it would enforce the ban for the first time in decades. In an effort to ensure individuals do not receive criminal penalties for exercising reproductive choices, a Coblentz litigation team prepared an amicus curiae brief, on behalf of three prominent professors of history and law, in support of an ACLU-led challenge to the criminal statute. The brief, available here, explained that neither the English common law nor early American law criminalized abortion prior to when a woman feels a fetus move in her womb for the first time, referred to as “quickening.” Associates Dan Bruggebrew, and Anthony Risucci, supervised by Katharine Van Dusen, drafted the brief in collaboration with the clients and with the assistance of local counsel.

    Categories: News
  • Benchmark Litigation Recognizes Coblentz as a Recommended Firm in California

    Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass was named to Benchmark Litigation’s 2023 list of “Recommended Firms” in California, ranking in Tier 1 for Dispute Resolution – San Francisco and in Tier 2 for Securities.

    A number of Coblentz partners are listed as Litigation Stars by Benchmark: Richard Patch is listed for Antitrust, Class Action, and General Commercial Litigation; Jonathan Bass is listed for 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.

     

    Categories: News
  • Investigating Off-Duty Conduct Considering Privacy/Constitutional Concerns

    Coblentz partner Hannah Jones will be presenting the breakout session “Investigating Off-Duty Conduct Considering Privacy/Constitutional Concerns” during the 2022 Association of Workplace Investigators Annual Conference. Her session takes place on October 13 and will cover practical strategies for investigating off-duty conduct including how to scope the issue, deal with third party witnesses and review evidence in a manner as not to impinge on employee’s privacy and other constitutional rights. For more details and to register, please click here.

    Categories: Events, News
  • Danna Kozerski Awarded Lawyer of the Year, 35 Coblentz Attorneys Recognized by Best Lawyers 2023

    Coblentz real estate partner Danna Kozerski was awarded a “Lawyer of the Year” recognition by Best Lawyers in America® for the second time. In its annual listing of the nation’s top legal talent, Best Lawyers® named Danna the 2023 Real Estate Law “Lawyer of the Year” in San Francisco. As one of the preeminent lawyers in the United States, Danna was previously named San Francisco “Lawyer of the Year” in Real Estate Law in 2021. Danna is a well-recognized real estate lawyer who specializes in public/private partnerships and the formation of joint ventures. She represents developers and companies in a range of commercial real estate transactions.

    Congratulations to Danna and to all 35 Coblentz attorneys listed in the 2023 Best Lawyers in America® guide, including 12 attorneys recognized as Ones to Watch. Categories of recognition are listed below.

    2023 Best Lawyers Recognitions

    2023 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch Recognitions

    Best Lawyers lists are based entirely on peer-review evaluation. The 2023 edition of Best Lawyers in America is based on more than 12 million evaluations and recognizes just over 71,000 attorneys, the top five percent of private practicing attorneys in the US.

    Categories: News
  • Maggie Callicrate Promoted to Chief Executive Officer of Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP

    San Francisco (August 15, 2022) – San Francisco-based law firm Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP is pleased to announce that Maggie Callicrate has been promoted to Chief Executive Officer of the firm.

    As CEO, Maggie will play a leading role in setting the strategic priorities for Coblentz and will continue to oversee the firm’s administrative and business operations, including finance and accounting, marketing and business development, human resources, technology and information systems, and facilities. Her promotion takes effect as of August 11, 2022.

    “Maggie has provided distinguished service as our Chief Operating Officer, and we are thrilled to promote her to CEO,” said Sara Finigan, managing partner of Coblentz. “She has provided exemplary leadership and invaluable insight, perspective, and guidance to the Firm, and we look forward to her future endeavors as CEO at Coblentz.”

    Maggie has devoted her career to promoting excellence in the profession of law through her service. Since joining Coblentz in 2014 as Chief Operating Officer, she has had a pivotal role in assisting the firm in fulfilling its mission and objectives as a leading Bay Area-based law firm. She has overseen the firm’s growth, and numerous lateral hires and promotions. She also led the implementation of cutting edge technologies, its move to a hybrid work model, and the firm’s relocation and custom buildout of office space at One Montgomery Tower, which was honored at the 2016 Design Awards ceremony of the American Institute of Architecture San Francisco (AIASF).

    Prior to joining Coblentz, Maggie was the COO of New England-based Pierce Atwood LLP. She was also previously a partner in a global consulting firm, where she advised law firm clients on strategic, competitive and leadership issues, and she served as the Chief Executive of Bell Gully, a leading law firm in New Zealand. She has a broad legal industry background from her work in a number of senior executive roles with law firms in her native Colorado, the San Francisco Bay Area, New England, and New Zealand.

    Maggie is an elected Fellow of the College of Law Practice Management, an honorary professional and educational association of law practice management professionals whose purpose is to set standards of achievement for others in the profession and to inspire excellence and innovation in law practice management. She is a past-President of the College. Maggie was a founding Trustee and Board Member of Excelerator: the New Zealand Leadership Institute, in partnership with the University of Auckland Business School. She is also a presenter and author on subjects related to leadership and governance in the legal industry.

    Maggie earned her M.B.A. from Pepperdine University and received her B.S. magna cum laude from the University of Colorado.

    Categories: News
  • Fred Alvarez Honored as a Leading Corporate Employment Lawyer in the Lawdragon 500

    Coblentz Employment partner Fred Alvarez has been named a leading corporate employment lawyer in the 2023 edition of the Lawdragon 500 guide. The guide honors the nation’s top advisors to businesses, universities, nonprofits, and other organizations.

    Fred is one of the preeminent employment lawyers in the United States and combines a distinct blend of employment law experience, public service, and legal profession leadership. He focuses substantial attention on providing strategic and compliance advice, conducting sensitive internal investigations and serving in jointly- or court-appointed monitorships, as either Monitor, Independent Consultant, or Special Master of national employment class action decrees.

    Categories: News
  • Coblentz Strengthens IP and Employment Practices with the Addition of Sabrina Larson and Allison Moser

    San Francisco (August 1, 2022) – San Francisco-based law firm Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP is pleased to welcome Sabrina Larson and Allison Moser to the firm’s partnership. Sabrina Larson joins Coblentz’s Intellectual Property practice and Allison Moser joins Coblentz’s Labor and Employment practice.

    Sabrina Larson joins Coblentz from Morrison & Foerster LLP. She focuses on trademark and copyright clearance, prosecution, and enforcement, as well as complex litigation, with an emphasis on intellectual property and commercial litigation. Sabrina represents clients in domestic and international trademark clearance, prosecution, and enforcement, including in proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board and federal court. She litigates trademark infringement claims, state unfair competition, deceptive trade practices, and false advertising claims in both business-to-business and consumer cases, consumer and privacy class actions, and other complex commercial actions. She represents clients in a diverse range of industries, including fashion, food, and consumer goods, technology, pharmaceutical, and medical device companies, retailers, wineries, and museums.

    “Sabrina is a perfect fit for our firm. She has deep experience in intellectual property litigation, trademark prosecution and enforcement, and intellectual property counseling. She strengthens our growing intellectual property practice and offers great value to our clients,” said Thomas Harvey, intellectual property partner. “We are delighted to welcome her to Coblentz.”

    Allison Moser brings broad employment law expertise encompassing counseling, litigation, and working with employers to navigate complex legal issues. She partners with clients on challenging workplace issues, including internal harassment and discrimination complaints, termination and discipline decisions, wage and hour disputes, reasonable accommodation issues, managing leaves of absence, and protection of proprietary information. Allison also negotiates and prepares employment-related agreements, drafts and updates employment policies and manuals, and conducts trainings on employment law compliance.

    Her insights and advice are drawn from deep experience representing employers and executives in federal and state courts, arbitration forums, and before administrative agencies in the full range of employment areas, including single plaintiff, multi-plaintiff, and class action matters. Allison joins Coblentz from Curley, Hurtgen & Johnsrud LLP.

    Allison’s arrival continues the firm’s strategic investment in Coblentz’s growing labor and employment practice and demonstrates the firm’s commitment to bringing state of the art employment law advice and litigation expertise in complex employment matters to its clients.

    “Allison’s unique depth and breadth of employment counseling and litigation experience strengthens our employment practice and takes it to yet another level,” said Troy Valdez, leader of Coblentz’s labor and employment practice. “Her broad experience at firms with national quality labor and employment reputations gives our clients additional access to the highest level of advice and representation as they are faced with ever more complex and fast-moving challenges in this space. Allison has seen it all and we are thrilled to welcome her to the firm.”

    Categories: News
  • Three Coblentz Family Wealth Partners Recognized in 2022 Chambers High Net Worth Guide

    Coblentz’s Family Wealth practice and three partners have been recognized in the 2022 edition of the Chambers High Net Worth Guide. Family Wealth practice chair Jaime Mannon and partners Jim Mitchell and Phil Feldman are again ranked as Leading Lawyers in the Private Wealth Law category for Northern California. Chambers HNW, published by Chambers & Partners, ranks the top legal advisers to high net worth individuals and organizations.

    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 “brilliant,” and Chambers noted she “develop[s] creative solutions to resolve her clients’ estate planning and administration issues.”

    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 noted his “legal skills and his ability to put a client at ease are unquestionable and create an environment where the client is able to express their objectives,” while another added he is “patient, caring and thoughtful.”

    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. One source commented that he is “creative, hard-working, smart and a personable lawyer.”

    The Coblentz Family Wealth practice is also listed by Chambers HNW in Band 2 for Private Wealth Law, Northern California. Market commentators note Coblentz’s “collaborative and sizeable private wealth team” as a main strength. Independent and objective, Chambers USA and Chambers HNW are carefully researched and widely considered to be one of 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 Chambers USA Rankings

    Seven additional Coblentz partners and three practices are recognized in the Chambers USA 2022 Guide, also published by Chambers & Partners. Real Estate and Land Use partners Pamela Duffy, 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. To view the complete list of Coblentz rankings in the 2022 edition of Chambers USA, please visit the publication’s website.

    Categories: News
  • Coblentz Joins Legal Alliance for Reproductive Rights

    Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass is proud to join the Legal Alliance for Reproductive Rights, a coalition of more than 20 Bay Area law firms that will provide civil and criminal assistance to those in California and across the country who will be affected if Roe v. Wade is struck down by the United States Supreme Court.

    The Legal Alliance for Reproductive Rights will connect pregnant people and providers facing civil suits and criminal charges related to seeking or providing abortions in California and other states with member law firms who will represent them on a pro bono basis. Member law firms will also assist in pro bono civil and criminal defense in other states where the right to choose no longer exists.

    “This is the most precarious time for reproductive rights in our lifetimes,” said San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu.“I’m grateful our Bay Area legal community is stepping into the fight to defend access to reproductive healthcare and protect those in need of legal assistance. During this moment when fundamental rights are at stake, we welcome legal communities around California and our country to join us.”

    The Alliance expects to be operational and available to assist with cases later this year. For more details, please see the press release announcing the Legal Alliance for Reproductive Rights.

    Categories: News
  • Coblentz Land Use Practice and Three Partners Receive Top Recognitions by The Legal 500 United States 2022

    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. Described as “a California heavyweight in land use law for all manner of developments,” 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 Pamela Duffy, Frank Petrilli, and Tay Via received individual recognition in the 2022 guide. Pamela Duffy has been named to the “Hall of Fame” list, which honors lawyers who have received constant praise from their clients for continued excellence and who are at the pinnacle of the profession. Frank Petrilli and Tay Via have been recognized as “Leading Lawyers” in the nationwide Land Use/Zoning 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.

    Categories: News