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Goldberg Segalla Expands into Northern California with the Addition of Five Veteran Litigators

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Goldberg Segalla Expands into Northern California with the Addition of Five Veteran Litigators

Goldberg Segalla is expanding its presence in Northern California with an experienced team of litigators and trial attorneys practicing out of a newly opened San Francisco office. Partners Gabriel A. Jackson, Peter K. Renstrom, Todd M. Thacker, Rosie Badgett, and Stephen L. Jenkins have a depth of asbestos and other toxic tort, environmental, and product liability experience that continues to bolster the firm’s capabilities nationwide.

“Our firm’s growth strategy is client- and industry-focused,” said Christopher J. Belter, chief operating officer at Goldberg Segalla. “With the addition of this team we are amplifying high-demand practices with a tremendous wealth of experience. We’ve been steadily growing in southern California with our Los Angeles and Orange County offices; moving into San Francisco allows us to meet client demand in northern California and throughout the West Coast”

“This team represents an important expansion of our national Toxic Tort and Environmental practice,” said Joseph J. Welter, co-chair of the firm’s Toxic Tort and Environmental Law groups. “With our team in Los Angeles and the addition of these five trial-tested attorneys, we’ve enhanced our ability to serve clients in Southern California, Northern California, and beyond as local, regional, and national counsel.”

Gabriel A. Jackson is one of the nation’s foremost attorneys in asbestos litigation. For over 40 years, she has counseled and defended product manufacturers and premises owners in jurisdictions throughout the U.S. in complex toxic tort and product liability matters. Jackson has tried 10 complex multi-party cases to verdict in California, West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Clients trust her with their regional and national caseloads in toxic tort and product liability litigation. Jackson has served as national coordinating counsel for manufacturers of asbestos products, drywall, electrical components and fixtures, power generation, wire and cable, and food products.

Peter K. Renstrom is an accomplished litigator who concentrates his practice on asbestos, toxic tort, product liability, and premises liability matters. He has managed complex civil litigation for more than 25 years, developing regional and national strategies for manufacturers, suppliers, premises owners, and contractors. He has taken on the role of national coordinating counsel for several clients. Renstrom handles all aspects of case management and analysis, from trial to appellate work. He develops and defends corporate witnesses and defense experts as well as deposing and cross-examining plaintiff medical and technical experts. He has tried cases throughout California and Washington.

“I’ve known and worked closely with Gaby and Peter for more than 20 years,” said Joseph Cagnoli Jr., co-chair of the Toxic Tort and Environmental Law groups. “They, along with their team, bring decades of trial experience to our group and, more importantly, are great people who fit well within Goldberg Segalla’s culture. We’re thrilled to have them join Team GS and the Toxic Tort practice group.”

“The impressive breadth and depth of Goldberg Segalla’s practice groups brings a deep bench of legal talent to our clients,” Jackson said. “Although my core practice has been in asbestos litigation, our clients will be well served on many issues by the legal expertise across Goldberg Segalla’s broad spectrum of practice groups.”

Todd M. Thacker is an experienced litigator who represents clients in toxic tort, asbestos litigation, and business and commercial matters. The California State Bar has certified him as an appellate specialist. Thacker has directed and drafted numerous appeals and writs in California, both as an appellate and a respondent. He has appeared before the First, Second, Fourth, and Fifth District Courts of Appeal in California and federally before the Ninth Circuit. He also devotes a portion of his time to dispositive and other complex motion practice.

Rosie Badgett has litigated environmental matters coast to coast, including in California, Texas, Missouri, Illinois and Maryland. She represents manufacturers of stucco and drywall, flooring, gaskets, automotive parts, and airplanes, and has been second chair of five critical asbestos trials. Badgett has defended multiple defendants in benzene litigation, and has negotiated large settlements for clients in product liability cases. She has also handled matters on behalf of manufacturers and suppliers of pesticides and fertilizers in California’s medical cannabis industry.

Stephen L. Jenkins counsels and defends clients in complex civil litigation matters, including toxic tort, mass tort, product liability, property damage, construction defects, and insurance claims. He defends clients in matters involving wrongful death and catastrophic injury. Jenkins draws on more than 10 years of experience working for two high-profile toxic tort defense firms, where he represented boiler manufacturers, printing press manufacturers, drywall suppliers, and multiple contractors, and negotiated settlements for numerous multimillion-dollar cases.