Associates
 William A. Levin |
Laurel L. Simes |
Martha A. H. Berman |
Of Counsel |
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| Jeffrey A. Kaiser |
Larry Gornick |
Associates |
Jessica Biernier
Jessica is an associate whose practice areas focus on liability cases, including asbestos and pharmaceutical cases. In 2002 Ms. Biernier graduated with honors from California State University, Chico with a B.A. in Political Science. In 2005 she received her Juris Doctorate from Golden Gate University School of Law where she was a Merit Scholar. In 2005 Ms. Biernier was admitted to practice in California. She is also admitted to practice before the United States District Court Northern District.
Dennis Canty
Mr. Canty’s practice is focused on product liability, consumer class actions and unfair business practices. He is an experienced litigator in California state and federal courts, and over the years has also pursued complex business, personal injury, real estate and bankruptcy matters through mediation, arbitration, trial and appeal.
Education
University of San Francisco, J.D. 1999; B.A.1994.
Admissions
Mr. Canty is admitted to practice before all state and U.S. District Courts in California.
Memberships and Affiliations
Mr. Canty is a member of the California Bar Association and the San Francisco Bar Association. He is a member of the American Bar Association (Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section), the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA), the California State Bar Association (Litigation Section) and the San Francisco Bar Association
Anna Maria Costa
Anna has represented mesothelioma victims and their families for many years. She has primarily represented union trade workers who were injured as a result of their occupational exposure to toxins. She has assisted in a number of trials and helped to obtain multi-million dollar verdicts for injured workers and their families.
Previously, Anna represented criminal defendants in private practice. It has always been important to Anna to help ensure that the promise of "justice for all" rings true for everyone, regardless of financial means or status.
Anna received a B.A. in psychology from the University of California at Berkeley. In 1999, she graduated with honors from Golden Gate Law School, where she received American Jurisprudence awards in Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure.
Lisa J. Espada
Areas of Focus
Lisa has been representing individuals suffering from asbestos-related diseases since 2000. She has obtained millions in settlements and verdicts for her clients. She presently represents individuals with mesothelioma and the families of mesothelioma victims.
Education
Lisa received her B.A., magna cum laude, from San Francisco State University and her J.D. from Golden Gate University in San Francisco, California.
Bar and Professional Associations
Lisa is licensed to practice law in the State of California, and is a member of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA) and the Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC).
“Our clients are responsible individuals who have worked throughout their lives and raised families. They developed mesothelioma as a result of their hard work or their service to this country. These men and women deserve an advocate who will believe in their cause and fight for them, and that is what
I strive to be.”
Shannon S. Patel
Areas of Focus
Shannon represents individuals suffering from mesothelioma and the families of mesothelioma victims.
Education
Shannon received her B.A. in Psychology, with a minor in American Legal History, from the University of California, San Diego,. In 2005, she graduated with honors from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. While in law school, Shannon served as a law clerk for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and was president of the Hastings Health Law organization.
Admitted
Shannon is licensed to practice law in the State of California, and is a member of the San Francisco Bar Association.
Timothy F. Pearce
Areas of Focus
Mr. Pearce is a trial lawyer who has represented plaintiffs in a variety of areas, including medical malpractice, employment, SUV Rollovers, consumer class actions and toxic torts. Mr. Pearce also has extensive experience in asbestos litigation, having worked first as a paralegal and later as an attorney for firms specializing in asbestos litigation in the Bay Area.
Education
J.D.- University of California Hastings College of the Law, 2001
B.A.- California State University, Chico, 1995
Admissions
Admitted to practice in all California state courts and the United States District Court for the Northern, Eastern, and Central Districts of California.
Professional Associations
American Association of Justice (fka American Trial Lawyers Association)
Consumer Attorneys of California
San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association
Sean P. Worsey
Areas of Focus
Sean has been representing individuals suffering from mesothelioma and other serious occupational diseases for several years. During that time, Sean has helped his clients obtain millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts.
In addition to his work on behalf of those suffering from mesothelioma, Sean has extensive experience in criminal law, real estate litigation, personal injury, products liability and business litigation. Sean has donated countless “pro-bono” hours providing legal assistance to grass-roots civic organizations and defending the constitutional right to free speech and assembly.
Education
Sean received his B.A., cum laude, from California State University Long Beach, and received his J.D. from the University of San Francisco, School of Law. Sean is licensed to practice law in the State of California, and is a member of the Consumer Attorneys of California.
“In our complex world, individuals are often made to feel helpless against the powerful corporations and economic interests that dominate our society. At Levin, Simes Kaiser & Gornick, we level the playing field.”
Raymond D. Mueller
Background
Ray is a native of Vista, California, a community of military families and retirees, located on the outskirts of the U.S. Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, and a short distance from the Naval shipyards of San Diego. As a child, Ray learned the values of hard work, service, and honesty, from his father, Rev. Dr. Robert P. Mueller, who had put himself through school as a railroad fireman, served his country in the U.S. Army, and worked as a dentist and minister, and from his mother, Joy, who, when Ray’s father became disabled, worked full time to support the family.
Education
After graduating from UC Berkeley, Ray returned to Vista and worked in the local Congressional District office, helping citizens obtain Federal assistance. Ray then continued his education, receiving his JD from UC Hastings College of the Law.
Areas of Focus
Ray has spent his career as a litigator representing individuals and families, just like the people he grew up with in Vista: men and women who served and built our great country with their hard work and sacrifice, but who were victimized by those who made the decision to choose profits over safety, personal luxury over another person’s life. Ray is proud to have litigated numerous product liability cases that have resulted in sizeable recoveries. In 2007 and 2008, cases Ray litigated totaled approximately $100 million dollars in verdicts and settlements.
Laura M. Brandenberg
Areas of Focus
Laura’s practice focuses on product liability, in the realm of pharmaceutical litigation. Her current cases involve clients who have developed diabetes-related injuries as a result of taking Risperdal, Seroquel and Zyprexa, and clients who have developed Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis as a result of receiving gadolinium based contrast agent injections with MRI or MRA procedures.
Previously, Laura practiced in the area of business litigation at Kennerson & Grant, LLP in San Diego. While in San Diego, Laura clerked for the Honorable Roger T. Benitez in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of California.
Education
J.D. , University of San Diego, 2005
B.B.A. in Accountancy, University of Notre Dame, 2002
Admissions
Laura is admitted to practice before all California State Courts, as well as the Northern, Central, and Southern Districts of California.
Professional Associations
Laura is a member of the San Francisco Bar Association and the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association.
T. Scott Hames
Education
T. Scott Hames was born in 1972 and is a San Francisco native. Scott has been representing families and victims of asbestos exposure for nearly a decade. He has been instrumental in obtaining multimillion dollar verdicts and settlements against many companies for his clients. Scott graduated from Chico State in 1995 with a degree in Political Science. While in college, Scott was the Director of the Disabled and the Law Program, a non-profit legal aid center, where he supervised students and conducted hearings in front of administrative law judges. He subsequently obtained his law degree from New College of California in San Francisco in 1998. During law school Scott participated in the Criminal Defender Program and represented indigent persons accused of misdemeanor crimes, and took courses in Criminal and Civil Trial Skills.
Areas of Focus
Just two months after passing the bar, Scott was in the courtroom and won his first case for a personal injury action and was recognized in legal periodicals. Soon after, Scott began representing victims of asbestos exposure and has represented hundreds of clients over the years. Scott has not looked back and continues to fight for his clients with dedication and compassion ensuring that the offending companies are held responsible.
Admissions
Scott is admitted to practice before all California State Courts, United State District for the Northern District of California, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He is also a member of the State Bar of California, Consumer Attorneys of California, the American Association of Justice (formerly ATLA) and the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association.
Areas of Focus
Rachel Abrams is involved in the firm's product liability and mass tort cases, typically involving consumer fraud and false advertising of dangerous or defective products. She has been involved in a wide range of product cases, including numerous mass torts and complex class actions. She has worked extensively on pharmaceutical mass tort litigation including, Breast Implant, DES, Fen-Phen, Sulzer-Hip Implants, Medtronic-AneuRx, Guidant-Ancure, Zyprexa, Medtronic-Defibrillators, Guidant-Defibrillators and numerous other cases involving pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Ms. Abrams actively worked on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee (“PSC”) of the Zyprexa Multi-District Litigation Coordination (“MDL”), which was conducted in the Eastern District of New York. Ms. Abrams was the Co-Chair of the Science and Expert Committee for the Zyprexa litigation, working extensively with experts in various fields. Furthermore, Ms. Abrams participated in the settlement negotiations on behalf of over 8,000 individual cases that led to an agreement by Eli Lilly and Company to pay $700,000,000 to resolve those individual cases. Ms. Abrams served as a Special Attorney General prosecuting claims by the Attorney General of New Mexico for damages incurred by the State of New Mexico for the inappropriate marketing, promotion and sale of Zyprexa.
Rachel Abrams was appointed by U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe to the national Avandia litigation (MDL- 1871) Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee (“PSC”). The PSC consists of only 12 members nationally. A position on the plaintiffs' steering committee is important because the members of this committee will be dealing with issues affecting the outcome of all of the cases, such as gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, selecting experts and developing strategy on a national basis.
Ms. Abrams has spoken at several seminars and conferences and often lectures in the areas of pharmaceutical/medical device litigation and in particular MDL procedures and litigation.
Education
University of San Francisco School of Law, JD 2000
University of California, Santa Cruz, BA 1996
Admitted
Admitted to practice in all California state courts; before the California Supreme Court; and the U.S. District Court, Northern, Eastern and Central Districts of California; and the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Pro hac vice admissions in the states of Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Philadelphia, Washington, and West Virginia.
Professional Associations
Member of the Bar Association of San Francisco, American Bar Association, The Barristers Club of San Francisco Association, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Queen’s Bench, and Trial Lawyers for Public Justice.
Personal Statement
I am committed to redressing corporate and manufacturer misconduct, to achieving justice for deceived or misled consumers, to promoting the safety of products, including pharmaceuticals and medical devices, and to protecting our community and environment. I take great pride in the pursuit of justice to provide consumers with remedies for products that do not perform as warranted or advertised and that cause injury or death.
Levin Simes Kaiser & Gornick, LLP
44 Montgomery Street, 36th floor
San Francisco, CA 94104
Ph: 1-877-LSKG-LAW
(1-877-575-4529)
Fax: 415-981-1270
