Overview
The managing partner of WSHB’s Sonoma County office, Steve is an accomplished litigator and is certified by The State Bar of California as a Specialist in Appellate Law. Known for his legal writing, analysis, and advocacy, Steve has handled or consulted on well over 100 appellate matters in multiple state and federal courts. His publications are cited on Westlaw as “additional resources” for close to 50 California statutes and Rules of Court. In addition, Steve handles trial level cases in a wide range of areas, including federal law, bodily injury, public entity defense, and others.
In addition to his appellate work, Steve's skills extend to areas involving complex federal and state law, government and public entity issues, premises liability, intellectual property, technology, and transportation. He is adept at accurately assessing risk and recommending cost-effective strategies that best serve his clients’ interests. He prides himself on his communication skills, commitment to ethics, and high-quality legal work. Steve has successfully resolved innumerable cases, whether through dispositive motions (and successful appeals), trial, or settlement.
Steve is also experienced in transactional matters, having negotiated, drafted, and counseled clients regarding purchase/sale contracts, confidentiality agreements, and other complex agreements involving land use, environmental issues, employment, construction, bodily injury, civil rights issues, product liability, and intellectual property rights.
Whatever the legal issue, Steve is a diligent, passionate, and professional advocate who works tirelessly to obtain the best possible results for his clients.
Experience
- Snover v. Gupta (2025) 116 Cal.App.5th 111
- Hernandez v. Taihan Electric, USA, Ltd. (2024) 2d App. Dist., Case No. B333793
- O'Toole v. Oceanview Cottages, LLC (2024) 4th App. Dist., Case No. D080948
- Ortiz-Fernandez v. La Clinica (2023) 1st App. Dist., Case No. A162542
- Lee v. Cardiff (2023) 94 Cal.App.5th 398
- Robertson v. Larkspur Courts (2021) 1st App.Dist., Case No. A160942
- Carter v. Clausen (2021) 4th App.Dist., Case No. G060213
- Basile v. The Los Angeles Film School, LLC, et al. (9th Cir. 2020) 827 Fed.Appx. 649
- Kinney v. Three Arch Bay Community Services District (9th Cir. 2020) 829 Fed.Appx. 273
- Sazerac Company, Inc. v. Fetzer Vineyards, Inc. (9th Cir. 2019) 786 Fed.Appx. 662
- Sawabeh International Group v. GenesisTP, Inc. (2019) 1st App. Dist., Case No. A151443
- Robertson v. Larkspur Courts et al. (2018) 1st App. Dist., Case No. A152226
- Sazerac Company, Inc. v. Fetzer Vineyards, Inc. (N.D. Cal. 2017) 265 F.Supp.3d 1013
- Allen v. Amy’s Kitchen (2016) 1st App. Dist., Case No. A148194
- Lamb v. San Francisco Electric Tour Co. (2015) 1st App. Dist., Case No. A142888
- Darling v. Superior Court (2012) 211 Cal.App.4th 69
Credentials
Education
- University of San Francisco School of Law (J.D., 2010)
- University of California, Santa Cruz (B.A., 2007)
Licensed to Practice in
- California
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California
- U.S. District Court, Central District of California
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court
Newsroom
News
Publications
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California Supreme Court Clarifies Arbitration Fee Payment Rules: Section 1281.98 Is Reconstrued to Survive FAA Challenge, WSHB Case Update, December 29, 2025
- Understanding Appellate Fee Awards in California Discovery After Baer v. Tedder, WSHB Case Update, December 12, 2025
- E-Service Gotchas: When a Single Filing Starts (or Stops) the Appeal Countdown, WSHB Case Update, September 16, 2025
- Driver’s ‘Offline’ Status Shields Uber from Liability in Late-Night Pedestrian Accident, WSHB Case Update, February 18, 2025
- California Supreme Court Declares Arbitration Agreement Unenforceable Based on Principles of Unconscionability and Declines Severance of Unfair Terms, WSHB Case Update, December 26, 2024
- California Court of Appeal Upholds Admissibility of Medicare Eligibility, in an Implicit Rebuke of Pebley v. Santa Clara Organics, WSHB Case Update, September 17, 2024
- Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act Under Fire Once Again, WSHB Article, May 31, 2024
- Empowering Defendants: Appellate Ruling Unveils Hospital Lien Act, WSHB Case Update, November 29, 2023
- Is Arbitration a Good Idea for Your Business?, WSHB Article, November 7, 2023
- Taming the Flames, CLM Magazine, November 2023
- Court of Appeal Rules CCP Section 998 Applies after Stipulated Settlement, WSHB Case Update, August 31, 2023
- A Seismic Shift for Bodily Injury Claims, CLM Magazine, July 6, 2023
- Landmark Ruling: Appeals Court Shakes Up Defense Community with Forced Disclosure of Test Data, WSHB Case Update, May 31, 2023
- Availability of Remote Testimony Does Not Control Venue Determination, WSHB Case Update, September 19, 2022
- The Life of an Appellate Case (2022) 45-MAR L.A. Law. 16
- Where the Legal Winds Are Blowing, Construction Claims Magazine, June 15, 2028
- Pebley v. Santa Clara Opens the Door in California to Inflated Medical Damages Claims, WSHB Case Update, May 11, 2018
- Strategies for Restoring the Right to Repair Act by Challenging the Liberty Mutual and Burch Decisions, DRI Volume 18, Issue 4 (2014)
- Stafford Unified School District No. 1 v. Redding: a Missed Opportunity to Restore Fourth Amendment Rights to School Children, 44 U.S.F. L. Rev. 659 (2010)
- California’s Broken Parole System: Flawed Standards and Insufficient Oversight Threaten the Rights of Prisoners, 44 U.S.F. L. Rev. 177 (2009)
