Carla N. Braunstein

Meet Carla Braunstein, a seasoned litigator with a passion for fighting for her clients. With a focus on construction defects, catastrophic injuries, professional liability, and employment practices, Carla has represented major California developers and general contractors in complex and large-scale construction projects, as well as residential developments.

But Carla's expertise doesn't end there. She's also a skilled defender of individuals, professionals, businesses, and public entities against allegations of negligence, premises liability, products liability, misrepresentation, breach of contract, and breach of fiduciary duty. And when it comes to transactional matters, Carla is well-versed in general business, real estate, and intellectual property matters.

One of Carla's standout strengths is her vast experience in litigating cases involving motor vehicle accidents. She's intimately familiar with the complexities and nuances affecting ride-share technology companies in California, including worker classification and driver regulations. And when it comes to cases involving allegations of sexual assault, harassment, and related claims, Carla is a fierce advocate for her clients.

In addition, Carla frequently represents insurance brokers and their carriers in negligence, bad faith cases, and other disputes with policyholders. She's also a trusted advisor to clients and insurance companies on insurance coverage-related issues.

With Carla on your side, you can rest assured that you're working with a knowledgeable, experienced litigator who's passionate about getting you the results you deserve. Contact her today to see how she can help you.

• Successfully compelled arbitration on behalf of a large technology company based on an arbitration provision clicked on in the client's app.
• Won dismissal of a product defect cause of action against an app-based technology company by arguing that the company’s app did not qualify as a product.
• Obtained multiple successful motions for summary judgment rulings on behalf of an insurance broker in several cases brought by property owners after their homes burned in a wildfire.
• Won a full defense verdict for a commercial condominium conversion project developer, recovering more than $200,000 in attorney’s fees.
• Achieved a favorable verdict and all costs, overcoming a 998 offer on behalf of a vineyard harvester in a property damage and lost profits action.
• Won a motion for judgment on the pleadings on behalf of a golf club and against a pro per plaintiff who alleged causes of action for violation of civil rights, libel, violation of the business and professions code, and false imprisonment. The court’s ruling led the plaintiff to dismiss the case.
• Successfully obtained a dismissal on behalf of a real estate developer through a motion to dismiss for failure to prosecute after the action was compelled to arbitration, the plaintiff failed to pay arbitration fees and failed to obtain a court stay during the arbitration process.
• Obtained terminating sanctions against a pro per plaintiff after strategically serving the plaintiff with requests for admissions and aggressively pursuing a motion to compel when the plaintiff failed to respond.
• Successfully obtained a dismissal of a commercial landlord and their attorneys through a 12(b)(6) motion based on Anti-SLAPP statutes after the landlord moved to evict the plaintiff.
• Successfully opposed a utility company’s motion for ruling on strict liability claims against a governmental entity and contractor client.
• Won a motion for summary judgment based on the statute of limitations on behalf of a developer and against a property owner.

Education

• Golden Gate University School of Law (J.D., 2007)
• University of California, San Diego (B.S., 1999)

Licensed to Practice in

• California
• U.S. District Court, Central District of California
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of California

Events, Seminars & Speaking Engagements

Publications

Memberships

• Contra Costa County Bar Association Women’s Section, Member
• Claims and Litigation Management Alliance, Member