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James J. Brosnahan

Senior Partner
San Francisco, (415) 268-7189
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Jim

Education

  • Boston College (BSBA, 1956)
  • ;
  • Harvard Law School (LL.B., 1959)

Practices

Trials
Litigation
Securities Litigation, Enforcement + White-Collar Defense

Bar Admissions

  • Arizona
  • California
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James J. Brosnahan is named among the top 30 trial lawyers in the United States, according to the Legal 500 US.  A lion of the trial bar, James J. Brosnahan is one of the most respected and recognized trial lawyers in the United States. Mr. Brosnahan has 50 years of expertise in both civil and criminal trial work. He has tried more than 140 cases to verdict, including many high-profile cases involving antitrust and competition law, complex commercial litigation, IP and patent litigation, employment law, product liability, and white-collar criminal defense. 

Mr. Brosnahan has received numerous awards and recognition throughout his distinguished career. In 1996, he was inducted into the State Bar of California's "Trial Lawyers Hall of Fame" and was awarded the Samuel E. Gates Award by the American College of Trial Lawyers in 2000 for his "significant, exceptional lasting contribution to the improvement of the litigation process."  In 2001, Mr. Brosnahan was named "Trial Lawyer of the Year" by the American Board of Trial Advocates, and the following year, the San Francisco Lawyers' Club honored Mr. Brosnahan with its "Legend of the Law" award.  In 2006, he was named one of America's most influential trial lawyers by the National Law Journal. In 2007, he received the American Inns of Court Lewis F. Powell Award for Professionalism and Ethics to recognize a "lifetime devoted to the highest standards of ethical practice, competence, and professionalism."  Mr. Brosnahan has been recommended as a leading lawyer by Chambers USA every year since its launch. He is also ranked by PLC Which Lawyer? 2011, The Best Lawyers in America 2012 (for the past 27 years), The Legal 500 US 2011, Benchmark Litigation 2010, The Lawdragon Top 3000 2010, Euromoney’s Expert Guides, and the top 10 in Northern California Super Lawyers since its launch in 2004.

Mr. Brosnahan is active in professional activities and is a past president of the Bar Association of San Francisco, whose Volunteer Lawyers Service Program he founded. He was also a National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA) Teacher of the Year.

Mr. Brosnahan has served as special counsel to the California Legislature's Joint Subcommittee on Crude Oil Pricing, the lawyer representative to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference and Chairman of the Delegation. Mr. Brosnahan also serves as Master Advocate on the faculty and member of the Board of Trustees of the National Institute for Trial Advocacy.

Mr. Brosnahan authored the "Trial Handbook for California Lawyers." 

Selected Press Coverage: 
  1. "Lions of the Trial Bar," ABA Journal, March 2009.
  2. "Brosnahan Still Fighting After 50 Years:  Veteran Trial Lawyer and MoFo senior partner has lost only 11 of 142 trials, is as busy as ever," Daily Journal, 6/25/09.
  3. "Top 10 Northern California Super Lawyers 2009," Super Lawyers,  2009. 
  4. "The Right to Counsel in Civil Cases:  If Not Now, When?", The Recorder, 4/18/2008.
  5. "The Man Who Hates Injustice," Super Lawyers, 2006.
  6. "The One That Got Away," California Lawyer,  January 1993.
    "End Game" originally published in the January 1993 issue of California Lawyer.
    Reprinted with permission. © 2010 Daily Journal Corporation, San Francisco, CA.
  7. "Who Gets the High-Profile cases?", California Lawyer, 2007.
  8. "Labor Woes Going Global," The Recorder, 2005.

Recipient of:
  1. 2011 Outside litigation counsel for the California Citizens Redistricting Committee
  2. AJC Learned Hand Award
  3. American Inns of Court Lewis F. Powell Award for Professionalism and Ethics
  4. Champion of Justice award from the Civil Justice Program at the Loyola Law School
  5. University of Virginia Justice William Brennan Award
  6. Lawyers Club of San Francisco inaugural "Legends of the Law" award
  7. California ABOTA "Trial Lawyer of the Year"
  8. American College of Trial Lawyers, Samuel E. Gates Award
  9. The Wiley E. Manuel Foundation's Community Service Award
  10. National Institute for Trial Advocacy Faculty Award (1991)
  11. National Jewish Fund, Tree of Life Award (1991)
  12. National Institute for Trial Advocate Award (1990)
  13. William O. Douglas Award (1988)
  14. Father Moriarty Central American Refugee Recognition (1987)
  15. American Bar Association Pro Bono Publico Award
  16. Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Legal Services Award (1985)
Defense of Technology Company
Successful defense of a former chairman of the board and technology company charged with securities civil fraud allegations after a 6 week jury trial in Los Angeles Superior Court. Achieved a complete defense verdict with jury out 3 hours.
Criminal Defense
Successful defense of Laotian American charged with the attempted overthrow of the Laotian government.
Patricia Dunn
Dismissal of all charges against Patricia Dunn, former chairperson of the board of Hewlett Packard Corporation.
Defense of Altera Corporation
Successful defense of the Altera Corporation in a patent case involving reprogrammable computer chips. Federal District Court, San Jose.
Defense of 3M in Breast Implant Litigation
Successfully defended a highly respected innovative product manufacturer in the first breast implant product liability jury trial in California. The plaintiff's science was excluded on motion and a non-suit was granted at the end of plaintiff's opening statement.
Representation of El Paso in California Energy Litigation
Lead counsel and chief negotiator in defense of the El Paso Corporation in all of its California litigation during the energy crisis.
Iran-Contra Prosecution
Associate member of Office of Independent Counsel: Iran-Contra. Lead prosecutor in U.S. v. Caspar Weinberger.
Oakland Raiders v. Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Successfully defended the City of Oakland and County of Alameda in the Oakland Raiders litigation and lead defense counsel for the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum and an individual defendant in a five-month jury trial.
Defense of John Walker Lindh
(USDC, Eastern District of Virginia) Obtained dismissal of all terrorism-related charges against John Walker Lindh in a leading case regarding the United States legal war on terrorism.
Edward Pressman, civil and criminal litigation
Obtained successful result in civil and criminal cases for producers of the movie, The Crow.
USA v Steven Elias Psinakis
Successful defense of Steve Psinakis on charges of Interstate transportation of explosive materials.
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