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. David McClain Rated by Super Lawyers loading … Mr. […]
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 23 years. Joseph D. Satterley Rated by Super Lawyers […]
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 […]
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 Harley, their daughters, Sara and True, and Phil’s mother and brothers. Philip A. Harley was a nationally recognized and certified civil […]
Denyse F. Clancy is a nationally recognized appellate and trial lawyer with prominent experience in asbestos and talc litigation and other toxic torts. She is a partner in the Oakland, CA law firm of Kazan, McClain, Satterley & Greenwood. Prior to joining Kazan Law as a partner in 2016, Ms. Clancy was a shareholder and […]
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 […]
Michael Stewart joined Kazan Law in 2006. He mostly works on writing projects in the trial and appellate courts. In recognition of Michael’s skill and professionalism, he was selected to Northern California Super Lawyers. Some examples of appellate cases that Michael helped to win include Bader v. Avon Products, Inc. (2020) 55 Cal.App.5th 186; Johnson […]
Henry Steinberg is a partner 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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Education Golden Gate University School of Law (J.D., 2005) UC, Berkeley, (B.A., History, 1990) Bar Admissions California (2005)
Michael T. Reid is an associate attorney who has worked with Kazan Law since June 2022. Michael has made it his life’s mission to remember the forgotten and be a voice for the voiceless. This pursuit for justice begins and ends with the client. Michael approaches each case focused on telling the client’s story. A […]
Angelina is a trial attorney. She advocates for individuals and families who have experienced asbestos exposure at work, at home, and everywhere in between. Prior to joining the Kazan law firm, Angelina’s practice areas included complex civil litigation, employment discrimination, catastrophic personal injury, and police misconduct. A passionate advocate for social justice and equality, Angelina […]
Will is an associate at Kazan Law, where he represents people suffering from mesothelioma as a result of their exposure to asbestos. Before joining Kazan Law, Will worked in state and federal court on behalf of clients injured by exploding lithium-ion batteries, as well as minor victims of sexual abuse against the private and public […]
Yemi Ajayi is an associate attorney who has worked at Kazan Law since October 2023. Yemi is a dedicated advocate who takes great pride in upholding the rights of individuals harmed by the intentional or negligent acts of others. His work in the areas of personal injury, product liability, pharmaceutical mass tort, and employment class […]