Partner
After graduating from law school, partner Francis E. Fernandez worked for several years as a labor lawyer for the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board, United Farm Workers of America, AFL-CIO, and the California Department of Occupational Health & Safety (Cal-OSHA.) During the next six years he represented the most powerless and unorganized segment of our community–criminal defendants– in dozens of trials.
At Kazan Law Mr. Fernandez represents workers who are seriously ill as a result of exposure to asbestos and other toxins. He advocates for persons against powerful defendants who refuse to compensate his clients for injuring them. Mr. Fernandez’s labor, occupational health and safety experience, and trial skills help him obtain substantial recoveries for clients.
One of the trial verdicts about which he is most proud involved an 80 year old widower who was diagnosed with mesothelioma. His case was resolved before trial with all defendants except one. Mr. Fernandez felt he did not have a strong, triable case against this defendant and offered to dismiss it in exchange for a waiver of costs. The company stubbornly refused our offer and Mr. Fernandez therefore tried the case, rallying together the best evidence he could. The jury awarded his client damages of $905,000.
In addition to his work at Kazan Law, Mr. Fernandez serves on the Board of a number of non-profit community organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area which help people who are having difficulty obtaining food, shelter, clothing and basic human rights.
Education
- Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California at Berkeley (J.D., 1975)
- San Francisco State University (B.S., 1971)
Bar and Court Admissions
- California Bar (1975)
Organizations
- Hispanic National Bar Association
- American Association for Justice
- Alameda-Contra Costa Trial Lawyers Association
- Consumer Attorneys of California
- San Francisco Bar Association
- San Francisco La Raza Lawyers Association
- California State Bar Association Legal Services Trust Fund Commission (1990-1994)
Founding, Senior and Managing Principal Steven Kazan has played a significant role in asbestos litigation for over four decades. Mr. Kazan filed his first case on behalf of an asbestos victim in 1974 and since then has represented thousands of injured workers and their family members in court cases. He has dedicated the majority of […]
David McClain has been a partner at Kazan, McClain, Satterley & Greenwood, A Professional Law Corporation since 1983. Mr. McClain graduated from the University of California Los Angeles and University of California Hastings School of Law. Mr. McClain was admitted to practice in California in 1972. Mr. McClain has specialized in complex litigation involving catastrophic […]
Joseph D. Satterley has always been attracted to the practice of law. He firmly believes that everyone deserves to have quality legal representation and fights to the bitter end when his clients are facing tough opposition. He has provided compassionate yet aggressive assistance to clients for 18 years. Mr. Satterley is one of the most […]
Gordon Greenwood has made a career of representing real people. He began working as an Associate at Kazan Law in 1998. For more than 18 years, he has represented hundreds of persons who either worked with or around asbestos containing products, or whose families worked with these toxins. Mr. Greenwood has also prosecuted claims on […]
Denise Abrams spent 18 years as a principal at Kazan Law until deciding to devote a majority of her time to pro bono practice from 2009-2012. Ms. Abrams remained involved in asbestos litigation on the firm’s behalf, and in January 2013, fully resumed her asbestos practice. She has been a mentor to Kazan Law attorneys […]
Justin Bosl joined Kazan Law as a law clerk in June 2004 and accepted an associate position in February 2006. In January 2013 he became a partner. Mr. Bosl has been responsible for numerous cases, every phase of litigation, from initial client interview through trial. In addition to his practice in the Bay Area, he […]
Denyse F. Clancy is a nationally recognized appellate and trial lawyer with prominent experience in asbestos litigation and other toxic torts. Prior to joining Kazan Law as a partner in 2016, Ms. Clancy was a shareholder and lead appellate and trial counsel at Baron & Budd, a highly respected trial firm headquartered in Dallas, Texas. […]
John L. Langdoc joined Kazan Law as partner in January 2016. Prior to this, Mr. Langdoc was a shareholder and lead trial lawyer for the well-respected Baron & Budd law firm, headquartered in Dallas, Texas. John Langdoc was a scientist before he was a lawyer. At Baylor College of Medicine, Langdoc researched the brain. Earlier, in […]
Fighting for mesothelioma patients who were exposed to asbestos at work is what we do at Kazan Law. Seeing first-hand every day the senseless tragedy of honest hard-working people facing death because of neglect and carelessness by those who manufactured, designed, sold and installed asbestos- containing products inflames our sense of justice. Our outrage inspires […]
Andrea Huston has worked in asbestos litigation since 1995, yet never ceases to be amazed at the terrible injustice visited upon asbestos victims and their families. She feels her purpose is to help these people in any way that she can. Ms. Huston was taught as a child that inequity was not only wrong, but […]
After graduating from law school, Petra DeJesus focused most of her legal career in public interest law. She represented low income individuals at California Rural Legal Assistance, Mission Community Legal Defense, and the San Francisco Public Defender’s office. As a senior Public Defender trial attorney, she has experience in all aspects of criminal litigation and […]
Ever since he was an undergraduate, Ian Rivamonte has devoted his legal volunteer, clerkship and externship work in public service. From non-profit organizations to local and federal government agencies, his experiences in each of these positions assured him that his calling in life is to help others in need. He views his work at Kazan […]
Education Golden Gate University School of Law (J.D., 2005) UC, Berkeley, (B.A., History, 1990) Bar Admissions California (2005)
Michael Stewart joined the firm in 2006. He mainly works on large writing projects in the trial and appellate courts. In recognition of Michael’s skill and professionalism, he was selected to Super Lawyers – Rising Stars Edition in 2013, 2014 and 2015. A recent victory to which Michael contributed is Scott v. Ford Motor Company […]
Henry Steinberg is an associate at Kazan Law where he dedicates his practice to seeking justice for individuals diagnosed with mesothelioma and for their family members facing the devastating effects of this disease in their loved ones. Henry is honored to work with the committed team at Kazan on behalf of those victims who are irreparably […]
Simarjit Kaur began her legal career as a Certified Law Clerk for the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office, where she represented indigent adult and juvenile clients in Superior Court in felony cases. Thereafter, Ms. Kaur moved on to a law firm where she focused primarily on breach of contract law, and represented clients in both […]
Arcelia Hurtado has a deep and rich history of work experience as well as philanthropic endeavor. Ms. Hurtado began her career in 1998 as a Deputy Public Defender for the City and County of San Francisco. Since that first position, Arcelia has represented indigent death row inmates as a Deputy State Public Defender, been the […]
Denise Smith joined the firm in May 2013 as a summer law clerk. She accepted an associate position in 2016. Denise is proud to dedicate her practice to fighting for clients who have been harmed by exposure to asbestos. Denise earned her J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. While there, […]
Laurel Halbany litigates for people suffering from mesothelioma resulting from asbestos exposure in the workplace or home. She has extensive trial experience successfully trying cases to verdict in California courts as well as obtaining favorable settlements on behalf of her clients. She has served as lead trial counsel for plaintiffs in asbestos personal injury and […]
Toven Lim is the newest attorney to join the Kazan Law Team. During law school, he interned with the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Northern District of California, where he helped defend individuals charged with federal crimes; and the Homeless Advocacy Project in San Francisco helping at-risk individuals in low income neighborhoods […]
Our beloved friend and partner, Philip A. “Phil” Harley, passed away peacefully on Thursday July 2, 2009. Phil spent his last moments at home, in the company of his loved ones, his husband Mark Kalend, their daughters, Sara and True, and Phil’s mother and brothers. Philip A. Harley was a nationally recognized and certified civil […]