Obtaining Justice for the Injured
Todd is a partner in our San Francisco office who focuses his practice on personal injury and products liability litigation involving serious injuries and wrongful death. Todd is the Auto and Transportation Cases Chair in the firm's Torts Practice Group.
Over the past two decades, Todd has worked on virtually every type of injury case (burn injuries, orthopedic injuries, spine injuries, head injuries, neck and back injuries, limb crush injuries, and emotional injuries, including childhood sexual abuse). Todd has represented plaintiffs in cases involving automobile collisions and rollovers, fires, dangerous highways and roadways, medical malpractice, assault and battery, pedestrian accidents, bike and motorcycle accidents, car and truck accidents, ATV accidents, premises liability incidents, construction site accidents, factory accidents and many other types of cases.
He is currently representing numerous victims of Toyota sudden unintended acceleration incidents across the United States. Todd was previously involved in litigation against Yamaha Motor Corporation in multiple Rhino ATV rollover cases. He has handled a variety of automotive defect cases, with an emphasis on vehicle crashworthiness, fuel tank fires, rollovers, and seatbelt failures.
Todd has also represented victims of defective medical devices and pharmaceutical drugs, such as Guidant implantable defibrillators and pacemakers, Medtronic heart leads, Ortho-McNeil contraceptive patches, Baycol, Vioxx, and Fen-Phen. In addition, Todd was a key member of the litigation team in the groundbreaking University of Phoenix whistleblower case, which was resolved for $78.5 million.
Todd has been working on personal injury and products liability cases since 1992, when he started out as a file clerk and investigator for a prominent Oakland, California trial lawyer. Thereafter, Todd received the 1998 Leesfield/Association of Trial Lawyers of America scholarship. He is the author of "Powerful Mediation Briefs" in The Verdict (ACCTLA 2006). He was also the keynote speaker in presentations entitled "Products Liability Strategies before Trial" (SFTLA 2008), "Toyota Unintended Acceleration Litigation" (CAOC Annual Convention 2011), "Burn Injury Cases" (SFTLA/CAOC 2012), and Cutting Edge Damages (SFTLA/CAOC 2013; with NJP Litigation Consulting). In addition, Todd was named a "Rising Star for Northern California" by Super Lawyers in 2010, 2011 and 2012, a distinction awarded to less than 2.5% of California attorneys.
Awards & Honors
· Elected to the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, 2013-present
· Appointed to the Board of Governors of the Alameda-Contra Costa Trial Lawyers Association, 2012-present
· "Rising Star for Northern California," Super Lawyers, 2010-2012
· "National Winner," Leesfield / Association of Trial Lawyers of America Scholarship, 1998
Prior Employment
· Partner, Emison Hullverson Bonagofsky, LLP, 2007-2008
· Associate, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, 2005-2007
· Associate, Bennett, Johnson & Galler, 2001-2005
Publications and Presentations
· "Cutting Edge Damages," SFTLA/CAOC Webinar with NJP Litigation Consulting (February 2013)
· "Burn Injury Cases," SFTLA/CAOC Webinar (December 2012)
· "Toyota Unintended Acceleration Litigation," CAOC Annual Convention (November 2011)
· "Product Liability Strategies Before Trial," SFTLA Roundtable (October 2008)
· "Powerful Mediation Briefs," The Verdict (ACCTLA 2006)
Community Service
· Pro Bono Trial Attorney, Eviction Defense Project, Volunteer Legal Services Program of the Bar Association of San Francisco (2012-present)
Memberships
Alameda Contra Costa Trial Lawyers' Association
(Board of Governors, 2003-2005, 2012-2013)
American Association for Justice
(AIEG; Burn Injury Litigation Group; Motor Vehicle Collision, Highway and Premises Liability Section; Products Liability Section; Section on Toxic, Environmental and Pharmaceutical Torts; Spinal Cord Injury Litigation Group)
American Bar Association
(Tort, Trial, and Insurance Practice Section)
Bar Association of San Francisco
(Pro Bono Trial Attorney, Eviction Defense Project, Volunteer Legal Services Program)
Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles
Consumer Attorneys of California
Public Justice Foundation
San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association
(Board of Directors, 2013-present; Experts Committee, 2012-present; Education Committee, 2005-2007, 2012-present; Carlene Caldwell Scholarship Committee, 2005-2007)
Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International
State Bar of California
Association of Business Trial Lawyers
Representative Cases
Toyota Accident
Yamaha Rhino
Fen-Phen Diet Drugs
Medtronic Heart Lead Recall
Vioxx
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