PETER P. EDRINGTON - partner - Bachelor of Arts Degree, cum laude, University of California at Los Angeles, 1972. Juris Doctor Degree, Hastings College of Law, University of California, 1976. Mr. Edrington's practice is in public entity defense throughout the greater Bay Area, including counties, cities, school districts, BART, East Bay MUD, sanitary and water districts, park and recreation districts, housing authorities and utility districts.  He has handled many high profile and politically sensitive cases.  Cases tried to verdict include catastrophic automobile accidents, dangerous condition claims against numerous public entities, civil rights, landslide, property damage, construction, discrimination as to employment, hostile work environment as well as gender/race/sexual preference and whistleblower claims.  He has represented police departments throughout the Bay Area as well as state and county law enforcement agencies.  He has provided advanced officer training to police in the area of civil liability, excessive force, racial discrimination, high-speed pursuits, report writing, and has taught at the Los Medanos Police Academy.  He has lectured at the annual Public Agency Risk Management Association (PARMA) Conference on developments in recent case law concerning county, municipal and school district liability.  He has spoken before the Association of Bay Area Governments, County Risk Managers and Public Works Directors as well as East Bay Adjusters on dangerous condition of public roads, highways and sidewalks.  He has addressed Northern California PARMA on a variety of litigation issues, and has been the featured speaker for the Bay Area City Attorneys (BACA) and the California Association of School Business Officials (CASBO).  He has lectured county department heads on sexual harassment in the workplace as well as hostile work environment.  Mr. Edrington has tried numerous cases to juries in both State and Federal courts and has had hundreds of court trials and judicial arbitrations. He has argued cases in both State and Federal Courts of Appeal.  He has an AV Preeminent rating through Martindale-Hubbell and has been selected as a 2011 Northern California Super Lawyer, a  designation limited to only 5% of lawyers in Northern California.  

Keith R. Schirmer - partner - Bachelor of Arts Degree, Stanford University, 1976.  Juris Doctor Degree, University of San Diego, 1979.  Admitted to California Bar, 1979.  Mr. Schirmer’s practice emphasizes defense of serious personal injury, commercial liability, construction defect and public entity actions. His practice includes all Bay Area Superior courts, resolving hundreds of cases through mediation and arbitration, including work with special masters, with over fifteen jury trials and briefing and oral argument in the California Court of Appeal.  Mr. Schirmer has served as Judge Pro Tem, Contra Costa Superior Court, and as Arbitrator for the Contra Costa Superior Court.

Timothy P. Murphy - partner - Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of California at Berkeley in 1982 and thereafter obtained his Juris Doctor Degree, cum laude, from the University of San Francisco School of Law in 1985.  During law school, Mr. Murphy earned membership in the prestigious McAuliffe Honor Society, and was awarded the American Jurisprudence Award for highest grade in Constitutional Law.  He was admitted to the California Bar in December, 1985.  He is also admitted to practice before the United States District Court, Northern, Central and Eastern Districts.  Mr. Murphy's practice emphasizes defense litigation in areas including dangerous conditions of public property, alleged excessive force by police or correctional officers, employment discrimination, alleged civil rights violations, premises liability, including commercial establishments and public accommodations, construction site accidents and automobile accidents.  He regularly represents public school districts and their employees, the California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation and its employees, cities, contractors, developers and individuals involved in civil litigation.  He has represented clients throughout the State and has successfully resolved cases in jury trials in State and Federal courts, in court trials, through dispositive motions, in binding arbitration, in mediation and through direct negotiations.  Recent trial successes include a defense verdict in United States District Court in an inmate excessive force case involving an inmate who lost an eye, a defense verdict in a Contra Costa County case involving two Hispanic employees who sued for race discrimination and harassment and a defense verdict in an Alameda County Superior Court case involving a former tenant suing for violation of her civil rights.  Mr. Murphy has successfully briefed and argued cases in the California Court of Appeal.  He has lectured and provided training to various groups, based on his areas of practice.  He has an AV Preeminent rating through Martindale-Hubbell and has been selected as a 2011 Northern California Super Lawyer, a designation limited to only 5% of lawyers in Northern California.

James M. Marzan - partner - Bachelor of Arts Degree, University of San Francisco, 1984.  Juris Doctor Degree, Hastings College of Law, University of California, 1987.  Admitted to California Bar, 1988.  Mr. Marzan’s practice emphasizes insurance defense and public entity defense, including the defense of cities, school districts, sanitary districts and BART.  Cases he has defended include dangerous condition/premises liability, civil rights violations, serious personal injury and wrongful death claims, wage and hour labor actions, employment discrimination, retaliation, harassment and wrongful termination, complex litigation involving asbestos personal injury, construction defect and breach of construction contract/delay claims, stop notice related matters and insurance declaratory relief/contribution actions.  Handled the landmark Vandal Watch Litigation for the Fremont Unified School District, obtaining a 12-0 defense verdict.  He has represented the Housing Authority in unlawful detainer actions.  Mr. Marzan has had over 20 court and jury trials in Superior court and briefing and oral argument in the California Court of Appeal.

Dolores M. Donohoe - associate - Bachelor of Arts Degree, California State University, San Francisco, 1980.  Juris Doctor Degree, Hastings College of the Law, 1983.  Admitted to California Bar, 1983.  Ms. Donohoe’s practice emphasizes insurance defense and public entity defense.  Ms. Donohoe has represented school districts, cities, other legal public entities and their employees in all phases of litigation. A growing component of her practice includes employment law, specifically the defense of discrimination and harassment claims involving public entitles.  Ms. Donohoe has represented the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in responding to federal subpoenas of employee records and has extensive knowledge of both federal and state law relating to the disclosure of public records.  She also has experience in complex securities litigation as well as insurance coverage litigation.  She has a working knowledge of the Brown Act and has actively participated in board meetings of Public Entities Risk Management Association, a joint powers insurance authority, located in Southern California.  She has tried cases in both State and Federal Courts and has argued cases in the California Court of Appeal.  She has an AV rating through Martindale-Hubbell.

Owen T. Rooney - associate - Bachelor of Arts Degree, Santa Clara University, 1980.  Juris Doctor Degree, Golden Gate University, San Francisco, 1986.  Admitted to California Bar, 1987.  Mr. Rooney’s emphasizes defense of serious personal injury and complex construction defect actions.  His practice includes jury trials and arbitrations and briefing in the California Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.  Mr. Rooney has represented cities and BART in various personal injury matters alleging a dangerous condition of public property; school districts in negligent supervision cases; and local police departments in civil rights and excessive force cases.   Mr. Rooney has had considerable success extricating clients from litigation for lack of compliance with the Tort Claims Act and other Government Code immunities.

Nancy A. McPherson - associate – Bachelor of Arts Degree, Pennsylvania State University, 1980.  Juris Doctor Degree, Western New England College, 1983.  Admitted to Pennsylvania Bar, 1983 and California Bar, 1987.  Began career as an appellate court clerk for the Honorable Joseph A. Del Sole (P.J. for the Appellate Court – Superior Court of PA). Ms. McPherson’s practice emphasizes defense in significant personal injury and complex construction defect litigation.  She has also handled large personal injury matters for plaintiffs.  Ms. McPherson also practices extensively in defense of public entities, including local municipalities, sanitary districts, housing authorities, cities and school districts.  She has represented public entities in matters related to:  inverse condemnation and nuisance, landslides, overflow claims, dangerous condition, collection and contract disputes.  The cases handled involve injunctive relief, as well as personal injury and property damage claims.  Her practice includes jury trials and arbitrations in Superior Court actions, including seven jury trials to verdict, and briefing in the California Court of Appeal.  Ms. McPherson also acts as a mediator for the Contra Costa, Solano and Alameda County Superior Courts. Her mediation training includes the Straus Institute of Dispute Resolution Program through Pepperdine University.

Eileen D. Boussina - associate - Bachelor of Arts Degrees in Political Science and Mass Communications, University of California, at Berkeley, 1996. Juris Doctor Degree, Southwestern University School of Law, 2000. Member of the Journal of Law and Trade in the Americas, member of Moot Court, Clerk for United States Federal District Court, Magistrate Judge R.J. Groh. Admitted to California State Bar, 2002. Mrs. Boussina’s practice emphasizes insurance defense and public entity defense. This includes personal injury, premises liability, construction defect, civil rights actions and public entity defense. She has a working knowledge of entertainment and First Amendment law, as well as complex representative and class action litigation, in environmental and consumer protection cases.       

Rhett R. Johnson -  associate - Bachelor of Arts Degree, California State University, Sacramento, 1997.  Juris Doctor Degree, John F. Kennedy School of Law, 2001.  Admitted to California Bar, 2002.  Mr. Johnson’s practice emphasizes insurance defense and real estate.  This includes personal injury, professional malpractice, premises liability, product liability, unfair business practices, wrongful death and broker/agent defense.

Vance R. Williams - associate - Bachelor of Science Degree, cum laude, Saint Mary's College of California, 1986. Master in Business Administration, University of Southern California, 1988. Chancellor, Delta Sigma Pi Business Fraternity. Juris Doctor Degree, John F. Kennedy School of Law, 1992. American Jurisprudence Award Constitutional Law. Admitted to California Bar, 1993. Mr. Williams’ practice emphasizes insurance defense, public entity defense and landlord tenant law. This includes personal injury, premises liability, construction defect litigation and landlord tenant disputes. His practice includes trials, arbitrations and mediations in California court actions. Mr. Williams also acts as an arbitrator for the California Better Business Bureau.

Furah Z. Faruqui - associate - Bachelor of Arts Degree, University of California at Los Angeles, 2000. Juris Doctor Degree, Santa Clara University School of Law, 2004.  Admitted to the California Bar, 2004. While at Santa Clara, Ms. Faruqui served as Articles Editor for the High Tech Law Journal and received the Best Moot Court Oral Advocate Award. Currently, Ms. Faruqui’s practice emphasizes defense of public entities (i.e. local municipalities including cities, counties, and park districts) in inverse condemnation, dangerous condition of public property, and civil rights actions.  Her practice includes jury trials, numerous mediations and arbitrations in Superior Court actions and United States District Court, as well as briefing in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, California Court of Appeal, and California Supreme Court.

Gary M. Lepper - of counsel - Bachelor of Arts Degree, Stanford University, 1965.   Juris Doctor Degree, University of California at Los Angeles, 1969. Admitted to the California Bar, 1970.  Mr. Lepper’s practice emphasizes civil and trial practice in federal and state courts.  He is a member of the Contra Costa County Bar Association, The State Bar of California and the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). His legal experience includes:  Law Offices of Gary M. Lepper; Lepper & Harrington (April 2000-January 2008); Lepper, Schaefer & Harrington, (January 1996-April 2000); civil trial practice, generally (July 1975-December 1995); felony trial deputy, Contra Costa County District Attorney (February 1972-July 1975); appointed trial counsel, United States Army (1970-1972).  His published appellate decisions include: City of Cloverdale v. Dept. of Transportation (2008) 166 Cal.App. 4th 488; Skoumbas v. City of Orinda (2008) 165 Cal.App. 4th 783; Zack's v City of Sausalito (2008) 165 Cal.App. 4th 1163; Arreola v. Monterey County, et al. (2002) 99 Cal.App. 4th 722; DiMartino v. City of Orinda (2000) 80 Cal.App. 4th 329; Bay Rea Addiction Research & Treatment v. City of Antioch (9th Cir. 1999) 179 F.3d 725; Adams v. City of Fremont (1998) 68 Cal.App. 4th 243; People v. Venegas (1998) 18 Cal.4th 47 (amicus curiae); Bunch v. Coachella Valley Water Dist. (1997) 15 Cal.4th 432 (amicus curiae); Locklin v. City of Lafayette (1994) 7 Cal.4th 327; Heather Farms HOA v. Robinson (1994) 21 Cal.App.4th 1568; Ullery v. County of Contra Costa (1988) 202 Cal.App.3d 562.  Seminars include:   Laws of evidence, civil liability of public employees, civil rights litigation (so-called §1983), inverse condemnation and wrongful termination; topics of civil litigation, communication and history.