Continued Expansion in Northern California

Our Northern California presence has now expanded to 15 attorneys and is moving its office to 601 California Street effective April 1, 2018. The firm has also opened an office in Sacramento, led by partner Steven A. Block, and Jennifer Rasmussen has joined its San Francisco office as a partner.

With the additions of Block and Rasmussen, the firm has expanded to 15 attorneys over the past three years in the Northern part of the state. Other attorneys joining the San Francisco office within the past six months include George Otstott, a 20 year veteran defense lawyer and former litigation partner at the Buty & Curliano and Dehay & Elliston law firms; Brian Buddell, a partner and trial lawyer from Pond North; Amber Kelly, a seasoned litigator formerly at Hugo Parker, LLP; and Rochelle Ileto, an associate formerly with Pond North.

With nearly 40 years of experience as a trial attorney, Block joins the firm from the Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse of the California Department of Justice where he served as a civil prosecutor for several years. He has handled a variety of complex litigation matters, including personal injury, medical malpractice, employment, products liability, construction defect, and residential and commercial real estate. He has served as lead counsel on numerous jury trials and has worked as a private mediator and arbitrator in the Sacramento region. Block is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and has lectured at several law schools, including Stanford University School of Law. He earned his J.D., with distinction, from McGeorge School of Law (1978) and his B.A. from the University of California, Davis (1975).

Rasmussen most recently served as the managing partner of Pond North LLP’s San Francisco office. She has more than 20 years of experience in all facets of civil litigation, with a notable background defending companies in toxic tort and asbestos litigation. She handles all aspects of litigation, including initial pleadings, investigation and discovery, trial preparation, trial and appeals. Rasmussen is a member of Association of Defense Counsel of Northern California. She earned her J.D. from Pepperdine University School of Law (1997), where she served on the Moot Court Board, and her B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles (1993).