We are proud to announce that our firm has been selected for the new 2017 Best Law Firms listings released by U.S. News & World Report in collaboration with Best Lawyers, a professional law publication.

Our firm Kazan, McClain, Satterley & Greenwood, A Professional Law Corporation, not only has been chosen for this prestigious list but we have been ranked as a top tier firm for our metropolitan area of Oakland, California for mass tort litigation and class action suits on behalf of plaintiffs. Hard work, dedication to detail, and a determination to help asbestos victims in need all contribute to our success at Kazan Law.

What the New U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers Ranking Means

According to the information we received about our selection as a top tier firm, “Firms included in the 2017 Best Law Firms list are recognized for professional excellence with persistently impressive ratings from clients and peers.  Achieving a tiered ranking signals a unique combination of quality law practice and breadth of legal expertise.”

The 2017 rankings involved the highest number of participating firms and highest number of client ballots on record. Over 10,000 attorneys provided more than 800,000 law firm assessments, and over 10,000 clients provided more than 90,000 evaluations.

“U.S. News is the global authority in rankings,” said Tim Smart, executive editor of U.S. News & World Report. “Evaluating law firms is a natural extension of what we do best.”  Many people are familiar with U.S. News & World Report’s rankings of many important American institutions, including colleges and universities. In addition to education, U.S. News now provides consumer advice, rankings and analysis in areas including health, personal finance, travel, cars as well as its traditional coverage of national and international news.

Selection for The Best Lawyers in America Required for Best Law Firms Ranking

To be eligible for a ranking in the Best Law Firms in America, a firm must have at least one lawyer currently listed in The Best Lawyers in America, which recognizes the top 4 percent of practicing attorneys in the U.S.

Kazan Law attorneys consistently appear on The Best Lawyers in America list. This year, favorable evaluations from other lawyers resulted in three of our partners being selected for the highly regarded list. This year’s inclusion marks the tenth time that founder Steven Kazan and partner David McClain have appeared on the prestigious list and the fifth time for partner Denise Abrams.

It is a point of pride with us that lawyers cannot pay for their names to appear on the Best Lawyers list. It is truly an honor that only can be earned through an outstanding level of achievement that is recognized by our professional colleagues in the legal field.

Best Lawyers is the oldest and most respected attorney ranking service in the world. For more than 30 years, Best Lawyers has assisted those in need of legal services to identify the attorneys best qualified to represent them in distant jurisdictions or unfamiliar specialties. Best Lawyers lists are published in leading local, regional and national publications across the globe. The Best Lawyers in America list recognizes the very best lawyers in each practice area and metropolitan region in the country.

Kazan Law Continues to Achieve Justice For Asbestos Victims

Kazan Law was founded over 40 years ago by partner Steven Kazan with the goal of fighting for justice on behalf of everyday working people. We helped pioneer the field of asbestos litigation to bring to account businesses that knowingly exposed innocent people who trusted them to lethal asbestos. That we have been and continue to be successful in this important area is rewarding. We are very grateful for the recognition from our colleagues and our clients.  However our joy is tempered by the tragedies we have encountered of lives lost to mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.

We continue to work hard every day to achieve justice for our clients not only through the courts but through efforts to improve workplace safety on a state and national level. But as exposure to asbestos continues into the future, we also fund through our firm’s foundation many medical research programs to try to find improved ways of diagnosing and treating the diseases caused by asbestos exposure.

How the Best Law Firms List Is Shared In addition to individual firms like ours that have been chosen for this prestigious list sharing the news with clients and colleagues, there will be other avenues for disseminating this information.  The national and metropolitan First Tier list, which includes Kazan Law, will be featured in the Best Law Firms General Counsel Publication. This will be distributed in December to more than 30,000 in-house counsel, and in digital format to more than 60,000 private practice lawyers worldwide.

The 2017 Best Law Firms rankings will also be available in its entirety online at bestlawfirms.usnews.com. More than 37 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance in making informed choices, according to company information.

The Careful Methodology Used in Creating the Best Law Firms List

The U.S.News – Best Lawyers Best Law Firms rankings used a careful evaluation process that involved collecting client and lawyer evaluations and peer reviews from leading attorneys in their field. Clients were asked to provide feedback on firms, including expertise, integrity, responsiveness, cost-effectiveness, civility, and whether they would refer another client to the firm.

“Lawyers also voted on whether they consider a firm a worthy competitor. We asked this group to vote on law firms that have a preeminent national presence within specified legal practice area(s) they know well,” the summary reports about the new listings.

For the fourth year, a Law Firm Leaders Survey was implemented to provide personal insight on the legal landscape surrounding the nationally ranked practice areas. In addition to information from these surveys, the rankings incorporate 7.3 million evaluations of 54,463 individual leading lawyers collected by Best Lawyers in its most recent annual survey.

All of the quantitative and qualitative data were combined into an overall “Best Law Firms” score for each firm. This data was then compared to other firms within the same metropolitan area and at the national level. Because firms were often separated by small or insignificant differences in overall score, we use a tiering system rather than ranking law firms sequentially. The first tier in each metropolitan area includes those firms that scored within a certain percentage of the highest-scoring firms.

While you are dealing with the symptoms, care, and treatment of a serious illness like mesothelioma, you want to put your legal case into the hands of a mesothelioma law firm you can trust. One of the key qualities to look for in a mesothelioma law firm is good communication. A lawyer who doesn’t return your calls or respond to your emails in a timely fashion will cost you time and energy. You deserve someone who is ready to respond to you when you need answers, when you set out to select a mesothelioma law firm and throughout the handling of your case.

Mesothelioma Law Firm Contact

When you first reach out to a mesothelioma law firm to discuss your case, you will want easy access to a live human being who can answer your questions. Your energy may ebb and flow during treatment and it’s important for you to be able to talk to someone when you feel up to it, not when it’s convenient for someone else’s schedule.

At Kazan Law, our website features a live chat feature where you can ask any question you have about starting your mesothelioma lawsuit and get an answer right away from a real person. This information is freely given with no obligation to choose Kazan Law as your mesothelioma law firm. We want you to have the best information possible as you research lawyers.

The choice of who will represent you in your asbestos claim will be the most important financial decision you make in your life, given the amounts of money that many people with mesothelioma may receive in a settlement of their asbestos lawsuit or a jury verdict. A Kazan Law representative can help you understand the process of hiring a mesothelioma law firm and put you on the right path toward finding a lawyer who will be a good fit to represent you.

If you’re not comfortable with web chat or you prefer to talk your questions through on the phone, the Kazan Law website also offers access to our call center, where you can speak to a representative right away, 24 hours a day, even when the office is closed.

Through our office staff, by web chat or the call center, Kazan Law is available to answer questions you might have as you prepare to seek compensation for your asbestos-related injuries. Questions people often ask include:

• How much will a lawyer cost? (Hint: a reputable mesothelioma law firm will not charge you anything up front; the firm’s fees will be paid from any settlement or verdict they obtain for you. If you don’t win your case, you owe nothing.)
• What kinds of settlements have others in the same situation as me received?
• How long does it take to receive payment?
• What are the different ways I may be able to collect compensation for my mesothelioma?
• Do I have to file a lawsuit in order to get compensated for my asbestos disease?
• Is there a limit on how long ago I was exposed to asbestos?
• Can I hire a mesothelioma law firm based in a different state from where I live? (Hint: the answer is yes.)
• Can my family collect if I pass away before my lawsuit concludes?
• How much work will I need to do to prepare for a lawsuit?
• Will I have to give testimony?

Mesothelioma Law Firm Online Resources

Many of the questions above are also answered on the Kazan Law website. Kazan Law’s blog contains posts on these and other subjects. In addition, our website provides information on past verdicts and settlements and frequently asked questions. The Kazan Law website is easy to access and view from a computer or a mobile device, so you can connect to us from wherever you are.

As a mesothelioma law firm, we feel a responsibility to the mesothelioma community that goes beyond great legal representation. To help our clients and other mesothelioma patients stay up to date on the latest developments in mesothelioma care, we started Mesothelioma Circle. In addition to frequent blog posts, this site provides basic information for those new to mesothelioma and background facts about asbestos exposure.

At Kazan Law, we want to go above and beyond and provide resources that all people with mesothelioma can easily access. That’s why Mesothelioma Circle shares vital information not just on a webpage but also on Facebook and on Twitter, where you can connect with our international mesothelioma network at @mesocircle. These social media streams allow us to provide original resources and repost and share information from the mesothelioma community.

We believe that part of the job of a great mesothelioma law firm is to make connections. That’s why we feel our social media presence is so important. It’s a way of creating a community that makes us all stronger. That’s why Kazan Law has created @KazanLaw on Twitter, to keep in close contact with our clients and our allies in the mesothelioma community.

Staying in Touch with Your Mesothelioma Law Firm

Once you choose a mesothelioma law firm to represent you in your asbestos lawsuit, it’s important to keep the channels of communication open. A good asbestos attorney will do most of the work it takes to move your mesothelioma lawsuit forward, but your legal team will reach out to you to get key pieces of information, especially during the investigation of your claim.

At Kazan Law, we have seven investigators who work full time to uncover the facts of our clients’ cases and provide the evidence we need to win large settlements and jury verdicts. This means that you will get personal attention from an experienced researcher who can work with you to put together the strongest possible legal case.

You will also want to get regular updates on the progress of your case as it moves forward. Sometimes the wheels of justice move slowly and it can seem like nothing is happening. A good mesothelioma law firm will communicate with you on a regular basis to let you know what has happened so far and what the next steps are, even if you aren’t required to do anything toward those next steps (which is likely). Beyond the investigation stage, Kazan Law staff are available to answer questions from our clients as we work through the stages of each case.

You deserve personal attention from your mesothelioma law firm, from your first contact through the conclusion of your lawsuit. At Kazan Law, we strive to make ourselves available to people with mesothelioma in as many ways as possible because we know that being of service means making life easier for you.

At the Kazan Law Firm, our practice centers around helping our clients get just compensation for the harm that has been done to them and holding negligent corporations accountable. With the Kazan McClain Partners’ Foundation, we take our commitment to justice even further. We created the foundation 25 years ago to support institutions that fight for the little guy, just like we do. I’m proud to say that, since 1994, the Kazan McClain Partners’ Foundation has given out a total of more than $20 million in grant money. We’re excited to see the Kazan McClain Partners’ Foundation grants making a difference in people’s lives. Here are a few of the community, health, and civic organizations that benefit from Kazan McClain Partners’ Foundation funding.

Kazan McClain Partners’ Foundation Funds Mesothelioma Research

As one of the pioneering law firms in the field of asbestos litigation, we have worked with a great many mesothelioma clients since we opened our practice in 1974. Because of the brutal nature of this cancer, we have also had to say goodbye to our clients with mesothelioma, some sooner, some later. We have sat with grieving families who have lost fathers and mothers, husbands and wives. We have seen firsthand the devastating effect of mesothelioma on the lives of our clients and our loved ones.

Because of these experiences, research into better treatments and, ultimately, a cure for mesothelioma is a top priority of the Kazan McClain Partners’ Foundation. The Foundation has given almost one third ($6 million) of its donations to mesothelioma research.

The Kazan McClain Partners’ Foundation has given grants to the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Thoracic Oncology Program. UCSF is one of the top medical schools in the United States. Their Thoracic Oncology Program specializes in treatment of cancers of the lungs, including mesothelioma. In the 20 or so years since its founding, the program has done ground breaking research. The program’s Thoracic Oncology Laboratory was awarded a National Institutes of Health R01 grant in 2005 to study mesothelioma. In addition to this important research, the thoracic oncology specialists at UCSF provide top-notch care to mesothelioma patients.

We also support the Thoracic Cancer Program at Stanford Healthcare. Through its connection with the Stanford University School of Medicine, mesothelioma patients get state of the art care from some of the best and brightest medical practitioners in the country. Mesothelioma care options include one of the most exciting new treatments for mesothelioma patients: immunotherapy. By analyzing the genetic code of a tumor, Stanford physicians can prescribe chemotherapy that attacks the mechanisms by which that particular cancer grows, increasing the chance of fighting back the tumor and extending life

We are proud to have had a role in funding these and other promising new breakthroughs in mesothelioma treatment, including innovative surgical procedures. The Kazan McClain Partners’ Foundation will continue to fund mesothelioma research at outstanding institutions like the ones above and the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine and Creighton University School of Medicine.

Kazan McClain Partners’ Foundation Funds Fellowships

At Kazan Law, we know that the legal community that defends the rights of everyday people is only as robust as its next generation. Training young lawyers for careers representing the poorest and neediest among us and holding corporate wrongdoers to account is close to our hearts. That’s why the Kazan McClain Partners’ Foundation provides grants to pay for fellowships and internships for law students and new lawyers at nonprofit legal organizations.

The Golden Gate University Innocence Project is an adjunct to the Northern California Innocence Project, based out of Santa Clara Law School. The project is part of a national movement to exonerate prisoners who were wrongly convicted using DNA and other evidence. Law clinic students get practical experience in criminal law through the project, which has brought much needed attention to the hundreds (or perhaps thousands) of people who languish in jail because of shoddy work by the criminal justice and legal systems.

The East Bay Community Law Center gives low-income communities of color free legal advice and education and also represents low income clients for no fee. EBCLC helps with everything from tax compliance to understanding loan documents to creating a nonprofit organization. This nonprofit legal center also provides a program for UC Berkeley Law School students that trains them in community legal activism.

The Kazan McClain Partners’ Foundation has also supported Hastings Students for Immigrant Rights, which helps law students at Hastings build the foundations for a career representing immigrants. The group was named the Student Organization of the Year in 2016.

Our Foundation has also contributed to the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies, Public Justice, Impact Fund, and Bay Area Legal Aid, among others.

Kazan McClain Partners’ Foundation Fund Youth

It all begins with our children. Healthy, strong, and empowered youth are the foundation of a just and sustainable society. The Kazan McClain Partners’ Foundation has provided money for scholarships and stipends that create opportunities for youth from diverse backgrounds to explore careers in government in law.

The Youth Law Academy at Centro Legal de la Raza calls itself “a diversity pipeline.” The Academy is an after-school program that helps high school students in Oakland, California, prepare for college and for legal careers. The students are mentored by lawyers and judges, learn leadership skills, and get help with college applications, SAT prep, and financial aid.

The Center for Youth Development Through Law gives students from disadvantaged communities in the East Bay, San Francisco area, exposure to the law through programs at UC Berkeley Law School. During the intensive summer program, youth get paid internships while they take classes on campus. The program also sponsors a mock trial competition to develop self-confidence for local high school students.

The Kazan McClain Partners’ Foundation also supports youth through The Annual Cruz Reynoso Social Justice & Judicial Externship Fellowship Dinner and the Oakland Technical High School Washington DC Program. We are excited to play a part in the education of the next generation of inspiring leaders, in the legal field and beyond.

The Future of the Kazan McClain Partners’ Foundation

This is only part of the story of the Kazan McClain Partners’ Foundation. We have supported the San Francisco Chronicle Season of Giving holiday fundraising drive and given funding to the Employee Rights Advocacy Scholarship Program every year since it began almost ten years ago. We continue to find new ways to use foundation funding to support mesothelioma patients, budding lawyers, and the cause of justice for all citizens.

Positive and favorable evaluations from other lawyers, Kazan Law legal peers, have resulted in three Kazan Law partners being selected for the highly regarded The Best Lawyers in America list.  This year’s inclusion marks the tenth time that the Oakland firm’s founder Steven Kazan and his longtime partner David McClain have appeared on the prestigious list and the fifth time for our partner Denise Abrams.

Lawyers cannot pay for their name to appear on the Best Lawyers list. It is truly an honor that only can be earned through an outstanding level of achievement that is recognized by other lawyers.

Kazan Law focuses intensely on asbestos litigation, a specialty area of law practice the firm helped pioneer over forty years ago. The firm is widely respected for its relentless dedication to achieving justice for victims of asbestos exposure, and for the multimillion dollar awards it wins for its clients.

Best Lawyers’ History of Recognizing Legal Excellence

Best Lawyers is one of the most respected peer-reviewed publications in the legal profession. Being selected is considered by lawyers, clients and legal scholars as a significant honor conferred on a lawyer by his or her peers. For nearly three decades, the extensive lists carefully compiled  have been regarded as a credible source for the profession, the media, and the public, as a highly reliable, unbiased directory of excellent legal referrals.

How the Best Lawyers Selection Process Works

Best Lawyers lists of outstanding lawyers are assembled through conducting very thorough peer-review surveys. In these surveys, tens of thousands of attorneys confidentially rate their professional peers.

Being included in the Best Lawyers list one year does not guarantee inclusion for the following year.  If the evaluations for an attorney are positive enough for inclusion in Best Lawyers, that attorney must maintain those favorable evaluations in subsequent polls to remain on the list for each new edition. Lawyers are not permitted to pay any fee to participate in or be included on these lists.

The 2016 edition of Best Lawyers includes 55,041 attorneys in 140 practice areas. It covers all 50 states and the District of Columbia. This year’s publication is based on over 6.7 million detailed evaluations of lawyers by other lawyers.

Best Lawyers Reach

Because of Best Lawyers credibility, their lists reach a wide audience. More than 17 million readers see Best Lawyers lists in dozens of city and regional publications in the U.S. including The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Chicago Tribune, as well as in major business publications. Best Lawyers peer-reviewed listings are now published in almost 70 countries around the world, and its profile is increasing in the international legal community.

Kazan Law’s Ongoing Commitment to Legal Excellence

Since it was founded by Steven Kazan in 1974, Kazan Law has represented thousands of people suffering from asbestos-related illnesses, especially mesothelioma. On our staff we are proud to have some of the most experienced mesothelioma lawyers in the country, including those honored this year by Best Lawyers, Steven Kazan, David McClain and Denise Abrams.

We are extremely grateful for the support and accolades given to us by our legal colleagues by choosing these principals from our firm for inclusion in Best Lawyers.  But we do not do the work we do to seek praise and adulation, however much we appreciate it. Our main focus remains as it has for over – forty years – seeking justice for our clients and for workers everywhere whose health has been knowingly jeopardized by exposure to asbestos.

The highly respected Super Lawyers list for 2016 has chosen seven Kazan Law attorneys for its selective compilation of the best attorneys in the United States. Seven Kazan Law attorneys were included in the list this year to represent the top lawyers in the Northern California region. Super Lawyers Kazan Law is a title each recipient continues to strive for year after year.

Considering that this exclusive peer-driven list is limited to only about 5% of the lawyers in the state of California and that we are in a very specialized area of law practice, the selection of seven of our attorneys for Northern California Super Lawyers 2016 is quite an achievement.

This year’s Super Lawyers list is the 12^th consecutive one to include attorneys from Kazan Law.  A dozen solid years on the Super Lawyers list is an achievement we are proud of.  Yet we never take inclusion in Super Lawyers for granted. And it is not something we are even thinking about as we pursue our daily work of seeking justice for our clients who are victims of asbestos exposure.  But we are very gratified that our peers have chosen us once more for this honor.

The Northern California Super Lawyers 2016 list includes our firm’s senior partners. Our firm’s full name is Kazan, McClain, Satterley & Greenwood. We are very proud that each of these principals of our firm continues to be honored by the legal community as a Northern California Super Lawyer.

In addition, we are also delighted that another one of our partners was selected to the list as a Northern California Super Lawyer. This year marks Justin Bosl’s transition from the category of Rising Star to Super Lawyer.

Super Lawyers Kazan Law

Here are the Kazan Law Northern California Super Lawyers 2016 and the years their name has appeared on this significant list:

• Steven Kazan -2004 – 2016
• David McClain – 2004-2016
• Gordon Greenwood – 2004, 2006 -2016
• Joseph Satterley – 2013(Kentucky), 2014 – 2016
• Justin Bosl – 2011 – 2016

Kazan Law Northern California Super Lawyers 2016 Rising Stars

In 1998, Super Lawyers started a Rising Stars list to highlight the best new attorneys in each state. Rising Stars are those acknowledged by their peers as the best attorneys under 40, or who have been practicing law for 10 years or less.  Just 2.5% of the lawyers in California are named to this list. We are very proud that two of Kazan Law’s attorneys have been chosen for this important distinction:

• William Ruiz – 2012 – 2016
• Michael Stewart – 2013 – 2016

How Northern California Super Lawyers Are Chosen

The Super Lawyers list serves as a resource for consumers trying to find the best legal representation. Unlike many professional listings, you cannot buy a listing in the Super Lawyers list by purchasing an ad. Super Lawyers attorneys are selected for inclusion by an extensively detailed rating process consisting of nominations and evaluations by other lawyers and additional research.

Each lawyer nominated for the list is judged in 12 categories of peer recognition and professional accomplishments. A new selection process is held annually in each state.

What makes the Northern California Super Lawyers list unique is that it consists of lawyers recommended by other lawyers.  There is no other way to get on this list. To be held in such high regard by our colleagues is a great honor.

How the Super Lawyers List is Distributed

The Super Lawyers list includes lawyers chosen from more than 70 practice areas who are highly rated by their peers and who have been successful in their area of law practice. The list is published in Super Lawyers Magazine, a publication that is distributed to attorneys and accredited law school libraries throughout the 50 states and Washington, D.C., reaching more than 13 million readers. The list is also available in the magazine’s online digital edition.

Northern California Super Lawyers 2016 Inclusion Supports Our Mission

Northern California Super Lawyers 2016 inclusion of seven Kazan Law attorneys provides us with wonderful support for the work we do. It offers us a great tribute from our colleagues that our asbestos law firm continues to be on the right track. After more than 40 years of fighting for justice for our clients, it is nice to know that our professional colleagues continue to respect and admire our work. But for us, winning for our clients is what truly matters.

Kazan Law has always been and continues to be a firm that stands up for everyday people who have had the very thing each of us values most taken away from them – their lives. We do not represent big businesses with deep pockets and powerful contacts. We represent hard-working honest people who face premature death because of a heartless business decision based on profit.

Achieving justice for our clients always has been and will continue to be the most essential accolade for us. But we are grateful for the recognition from Super Lawyers 2016. To our peers who voted for us we say a heartfelt thank you.

Kazan, McClain, Satterley & Greenwood are nationally recognized pioneers in asbestos litigation since the 1970s. Currently we are seeking a Marketing Specialist to serve as the primary internal point of contact for all marketing related to firm activities and personnel.

The Marketing Specialist will work in our Administration department, report to the Managing Partner, and assist the firm’s management in its overall marketing program.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Assists in the development of marketing best practices and processes.
• Continue to improve processes and procedures to create efficient systems and deliver high quality work product, ensuring the department operates efficiently and effectively.
• Develop and maintain accurate, current database(s) of clients, experts, industry and referral sources.
• Develop and improve the reporting of statistical information related to effectiveness of marketing efforts.
• Acts as liaison with external vendors and other advertising and web providers.
• Develop and maintain relationships with past and present clients.
• Provide in-house video and still photography as needed.
• Develop and maintain client newsletter and law firm brochures.
• Initiate and produce video and text content regarding case work and legal developments.
• Create content for use on all social media platforms with focus on SEO.
• Acts as liaison between Intake and External marketing.
• Develop speaking/networking opportunities to further marketing goals.
• Speech writing.
• Other duties as may be assigned.

SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS

• Ability to communicate effectively orally, in writing and in person; interviewing skills a must.
• Must be able to demonstrate initiative due to time-sensitive nature of work.
• High level of project management skills.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with Partners, attorneys, and other firm staff.
• Must be able to demonstrate a high degree of professional judgment around sensitive and confidential issues.
• Ability to organize, document and prioritize a large amount of details.
• Ability to multi-task.
• Knowledge of office and record keeping methods, practices and procedures.
• Ability to adhere to prescribed routines and practices.
• Demonstrate competence with both still photography and video photography from creation to editing to finished product.
• Ability to create reports with accuracy.
• Must be able to demonstrate flexibility in regard to willingness to perform the many duties of the Marketing Department.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY

This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

TRAVEL

This position may require occasional travel.

OTHER DUTIES

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job.  Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Interested candidates should send a resume to the attention of the Human Resources Manager at HRM@kazanlaw.com.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Kazan, McClain, Satterley & Greenwood provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Kazan, McClain, Satterley & Greenwood complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

(L-R) Ted Pelletier,, Jordan Varona, Rachel Berkness, Bryce Hodge, Ny Kundidzora, Joe Nicholson

Verdicts, torts and…rock and roll?  Yes if it’s Kazan Law and it’s a chance to rock out for a good cause. On May 19, Kazan Law’s own house band The Substantial Factors competed, and won, in the Law Rocks San Francisco battle of the bands. In the process, they raised funds for East Bay College Fund, an Oakland-based nonprofit helping local public school students turn their dreams of a college education into reality.

The Substantial Factors  consists of Kazan Law partner Ted Pelletier (keys); associate Joe Nicholson (guitar); associate Rachel Berkness (vocals); paralegal Nyaradzo Kundidzora (vocals); legal assistant Jordan Varona (bass) and video-editing consultant Bryce Hodge (drums). In their first ever competitive performance, the band played at The Great American Music Hall in downtown San Francisco, with Diane Dodge from the East Bay College Fund on hand to explain a bit about that organization’s work and to give the group a rousing introduction.

(L-R) Jordan Varona, Bryce Hodge (background), Rachel Berkness, Ny Kundidzora

In total, eight bands drawing from Bay Area law firms participated. Each group’s overall score was determined by fundraising and ticket sales before the event, audience votes, and a panel of professional judges. At the end of the night, The Substantial Factors  were named the winners and received a “platinum” record plaque. Kazan Law is particularly proud of this victory because each and every one of our talented band members are not professional musicians, but full-time legal professionals. And because the Law Rocks competition was a great opportunity to raise money for and awareness of East Bay College Fund.

Raising Money for the East Bay College Fund

The funds raised by Kazan Law and The Substantial Factors will help the East Bay College Fund continue to provide college scholarships, mentoring, and support networks to help young people reach their full potential.  More than providing scholarship funds, the East Bay College Fund puts a lot of effort into helping give kids the tools they need to stay in college and graduate.

Law Rocks, whose motto is “Rock Globally, Give Locally,” raises funds for local nonprofit organizations by combining the power of music and the generosity of the global legal community. The organization holds annual battle of the bands like the one in San Francisco in a variety of cities across the world including London, New York, Sydney, and Dubai.  Kazan Law and The Substantial Factors  are proud to be the winners of the 2016 Law Rocks San Francisco competition, and look forward to competing next year. The group will also perform at “Banding Together,” a fundraiser for the Family Violence Appellate Project, on June 15 at 1015 Folsom in San Francisco.

Born and raised in San Francisco, Gabriella Rodezno attended the University of California, Santa Cruz where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Community Studies. After graduating, Ms. Rodezno worked as an immigrations paralegal and, most recently, interned with the newly-created Immigration Unit at the San Francisco office of the Public Defender, working on mitigating the immigration consequences of criminal arrests and convictions.

So it’s no surprise that Gabriella Rodezno, now a first year Hastings Law student, is also the Vice President of the Hastings Students for Immigrant’s Rights (HSIR).

Hastings Students for Immigrant’s Rights Wins Student Organization of the Year 2016

HSIR volunteer and Hastings Law student, Alex Peña, explains: “The mission of Hastings Students for Immigrants’ Rights is to help students transform their interest in immigration law into an immigrations law career.” Rodezno agrees, adding: “Our purpose is to provide our members with opportunities to engage directly with the immigration community and gain experience as advocates themselves.”

When Gabriella and Alex approached the Kazan McClain Partner’s Foundation, they presented a thorough and compelling proposal to fund a $4,000 grant, which would enable them to conduct a number of outreach programs in the Central Valley where immigrants could receive resources, information and advice.

Needless to say, the Foundation jumped at the opportunity, and was only too proud to help. The HSIR mission and vision— to provide undocumented immigrants with safety and social justice— perfectly reflects the type of initiatives Kazan Law supports.

And we are even more proud to announce that in April 2016, the Hastings Students for Immigrant’s Rights organization won the “Student Organization of the Year 2016.”

 About the Kazan McClain Partners’ Foundation

The Kazan McClain Partners’ Foundation, Inc. was formed in 1994 and, over the years, has disbursed over $20 million in grants to a wide array of community and civic organizations, including over $6 million for mesothelioma research. Our mission is to benefit the public through grants to organizations and individuals in order to:

• Support research into causes of, treatment for, and prevention of occupational and environmental diseases.
• Increase and improve public awareness about workplace health and safety, and public health.
• Enhance access to, participation in, and education about the legal system and governmental processes.
• Advance programs that provide services which lessen the burdens of government and/or provide relief to the poor, distressed or under-privileged
• Combat community deterioration and lessen neighborhood tensions.

Additionally, we have supported internships and fellowships for public interest positions at the following organizations:

• Hastings College Center for Gender & Refugee Studies
• Golden Gate University Law: Innocence Project
• East Bay Community Law Center
• Impact Fund: Strategic Litigation for Social Justice
• Public Justice: Righting Wrongs
• Bay Area Legal Aid

We have also funded scholarships and stipends for youth at:

• Berkeley Law University of California: Center for Youth Development through Law
• Centro Legal De La Raza: Youth Law Academy
• The Annual Cruz Reynoso Social Justice & Judicial Externship Fellowship Dinner
• Oakland Technical high School Washington DC Program

And we have funded medical research for cures of asbestos diseases in cooperation with:

• Department of Surgery— Thoracic Oncology Program University California San Francisco
• Creighton University— School of Medicine
• Stanford University School of Medicine
• Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation
• The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine
• The International Mesothelioma Interest Group Biennial Conferences

At Kazan Law, our work doesn’t end in the courtroom. Our first-hand experience with the tragedy of mesothelioma compels us in our quest to abolish this dreadful disease, and fight on behalf of the communities most vulnerable to it.

On February 4, Partner Gordon Greenwood spoke as a panelist at a luncheon event hosted by Boalt Parents Network. Boalt Parents Network offers support, resources and insights to young parents throughout the Bay Area, including those attending U.C. Berkeley’s prestigious School of Law, also known as Boalt Hall.

The group was co-founded last year by upcoming 2016 Kazan Law summer clerk, Brittany Arsiniega who, along with 40 other Boalt Parents Network members, balances the daily demands of raising a family with the rigors of being a student or teacher at a law school. Boalt Parents Network offers members a forum of support through in-person events. Additionally, members have access to a group website, where they can tap into resources, plus share tips and advice on a host of topics, ranging from day care to parental leave and careers. In its inaugural year, Boalt Parents Network held a trick-or-treat event at the school, where faculty and administrative office personnel shared treats with the students’ children and admired their costumes.

Boalt Parents Network: Work Family Dilemma Series

In February, Boalt Parents Network presented a three-part “Work-Family Dilemma” luncheon series designed to educate and advise young law students on managing both their career and family goals and finding joy in each. Mr. Greenwood was honored to speak at the final event entitled “Lawyer Parents Tell All,” where he was asked to provide guidance for students with families or those seeking to start families.

“We wanted to bring together practitioners from a variety of legal careers who would speak frankly about interviewing, legal and societal issues, as well as balancing a fulfilling career with family responsibilities,” explains Boalt Parents Network Co-Founder, Brittany Arsiniega. “We were happy Mr. Greenwood accepted our invitation, bringing his unique perspective as a plaintiff’s attorney, as well as his own experiences as a lawyer raising a family.”

On the panel, Mr. Greenwood shared his trademark humor, anecdotes and strong encouragement for everyone to value and prioritize family — advice, according to one attendee, she “hadn’t heard from too many lawyers.”

Mr. Greenwood lectures throughout the United States on subjects related to his practice and subjects that are near and dear to his heart.

We are pleased to announce that premier mesothelioma lawyer Ted Pelletier has been named partner at Kazan Law. We congratulate him for his distinguished accomplishments in the courtroom and the community.

Mesothelioma Lawyer Ted Pelletier

As a mesothelioma lawyer, Mr. Pelletier brings to his practice over 20 years of experience handling dozens of appeals in the California Courts of Appeal and California Supreme Court, representing many injured consumers, including those with asbestos-related illnesses.

Upon graduating with honors from Hastings College of the Law, Mr. Pelletier joined an appellate law firm where he achieved a number of victories on behalf of asbestos victims. Mr. Pelletier recollects, “I learned through that process about the disease and what it did to people. It felt great to help them.”

One of Mr. Pelletier’s proudest accomplishments was successfully representing the first Californians to sue cigarette manufacturers, including two smokers who contracted asbestos disease from smoking 1950s Kent cigarettes made with asbestos filters.

Having earned a reputation as a prominent mesothelioma lawyer, Mr. Pelletier joined Kazan Law as of counsel in 2013, where he served as lead appellate counsel in several cases involving cutting-edge legal issues in the asbestos field.  “I knew from 17 years in this field that Kazan Law was the best,” explains Pelletier. “Money doesn’t replace a person, but it can help a family pay medical bills and compensate for the loss of a loved one,” Pelletier continues, “We also help give people a sense of justice. ‘Yes, this was done to you, but we are making it so that the people who did this are held accountable.’”

Since joining Kazan Law, Mr. Pelletier successfully represented asbestos plaintiffs in many landmark Supreme Court and appellate court cases. Mr. Pelletier’s cases included Scott v. Ford Motor Co, which affirmed the plaintiff’s verdict and obtained reversal on dismissal of punitive-damages claim, Hellam v. Crane Co., which affirmed the plaintiff’s verdict and post-judgment settlement-credit issues, and Johnson v. U.S. Steel, which reversed summary judgment for benzene product defendant.

Mr. Pelletier actively participates in Kazan Law’s trials, leading the firm’s briefing on legal issues including evidentiary issues, jury instructions, and post-trial matters. In the appellate courts, he currently represents asbestos plaintiffs in several matters, including in the California Supreme Court in Webb v. Special Electric Co. In 2014, Mr. Pelletier associated in the representation of the plaintiffs in Kesner v. Pneumo Abex, obtaining a reversal of the judgment of nonsuit in the appellate court and is now acting as lead appellate counsel in the California Supreme Court.

When asked about his new position as partner, Mr. Pelletier replies that he is “thrilled to be part of the leadership team that will take Kazan Law into the future and strengthen its status as one of the premier plaintiffs’ asbestos litigation firms in the country.”

Mr. Pelletier has been happily married for over 20 years to his wife Mia, with whom he has two wonderful daughters, Sophie and Julia.