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 has completed numerous jury trials including serious felonies and homicides.

In 1995, Ms. DeJesus accepted an opportunity to practice business law with a privately held company in Costa Mesa. As General Counsel for ETM Entertainment Network, she supervised all legal matters during its growth from a start-up company of 25 employees to a national live event and movie ticketing company with approximately 400 employees with offices located in the United States and internationally.

Ms. DeJesus joined Kazan Law in February 2000, excited to return to litigation. She represents workers, bystanders, and their families who are ill or have died from exposure to asbestos. Ms. DeJesus sees the firm’s clients as the backbone of our country, and without their contribution, the United States would not be the industrial giant it is today. She feels it is an honor to represent her clients against the industries that refuse to acknowledge their culpability or to compensate the workers for their workplace injuries. During her tenure, she has undergone extensive litigation and trial experience, including product identification research, and depositions of clients, co-workers, company representatives, experts and others.

As a Commissioner for the San Francisco Police Commission, Ms. DeJesus has worked on a variety of issues, the highlights of which include the election of the first transgender president of the Commission; review of the Police Department’s policy on use of Tasers; approval of Language Access Service for Limited English Proficient Persons, the most comprehensive General Order to guarantee access of police services for all community members; approval of strict Policies and Procedures for Juvenile Detention, Arrest and Custody to protect the rights of juveniles; modification of the Vehicle Towing Procedures for unlicensed drivers; and voted to develop and implement the first mental health crisis team in the Police Department.

Education

• Hastings College of the Law, University of California (J.D., 1982) Public Interest Law Graduate, Third Year Class president, Commencement Speaker, Extern California Supreme Court, Central Staff
• San Francisco State University (B.A., 1979) Deans List

Bar Admissions

• California (1982)

Organizations

• Alameda-Contra Costa Trial Lawyers (former Director)
• San Francisco La Raza Bar Association (former President)
• Consumer Attorneys of California
• National Lawyers Guild
• American Association for Justice
• San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association
• San Francisco Bar Association
• American Bar Association
• Public Justice Foundation
• California State Bar Association (Ethnic Minority Relations Committee 1985-1988)

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 zealous advocate and trial attorney, Michael passionately represents clients who have been harmed by the negligence and recklessness of others. A testament to his dedication, Michael tried his first case within weeks of getting his law license and first-chaired a trial within the year.

Prior to joining Kazan, Michael negotiated multi-million-dollar settlements and tried cases successfully to verdict on behalf of his clients. His practice primarily focuses on litigating personal injury matters, with an emphasis on cases involving asbestos and talcum powder products. Additionally, he has experience litigating cases involving catastrophic personal injuries, wrongful death, and defective products.

Outside of the courtroom, Michael continues his commitment to the community as a mentor, coach, and volunteer. As a first-generation college student, Michael knows the value of providing students the resources and tools needed to succeed. As a result, he leads a mentorship program for struggling students. He also coaches Pepperdine University’s undergraduate mock trial team, which competes nationally each year.

Michael graduated with his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Sociology from Pepperdine University. He received his Juris Doctor from Pepperdine School of Law, where he received numerous awards for his trial advocacy skills and was a faculty scholar. Michael is licensed to practice in California and the United States District Courts for the Northern, Southern, and Central Districts of California.

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 promotes those goals as a board member of Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom Foundation (BALIF Foundation) and the Women Lawyers of Alameda County (WLAC).

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 institutions that failed to protect them.

Will graduated from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings). He is licensed to practice in California State Courts and in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.

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 action has resulted in the recovery of millions of dollars for his clients.

Prior to joining Kazan Law, Yemi represented the rights of survivors of childhood sexual abuse across the country, primarily in California and Washington state.

Yemi received his law degree from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles and undergraduate degree from the University of California, Riverside, where he was a Division I Track & Field athlete.

In his free time, Yemi enjoys traveling, running and spending time with his family.

Education
Loyola Law School, Los Angeles (J.D., 2012)
University of California – Riverside (B.A., 2007)

Bar Admissions
California (2012)
Washington (2016)