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          Attorneys

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          Lauren E. Tate


          Lauren Tate is the owner of Tate & Associates founded in 2003.  Ms. Tate has more than 30 years experience representing hospitals, pharmacies and physicians in medical malpractice cases and a variety of clients in personal injury cases with an emphasis on premises liability. Ms. Tate uses the skills developed from working with health care providers and medical experts to focus on damage and causation issues through effective use of treating physician depositions and expert witnesses which gives her client a distinct advantage in defending cases and reducing damages.


          Mediation Services

          Lauren has mediated all types of civil cases since 2012.  As the majority of her legal practice was defense representation, she speaks with credibility to defense counsel and claims professionals whose jobs are to assess and manage risk.  Lauren’s strength is connecting with the parties and earning their trust so they can listen to opposing positions.  She is particularly skilled at maintaining control of negotiations, managing expectations, and reaching settlements in emotionally charged cases, and makes sure the parties feel empowered and stay committed to resolution. Lauren’s extensive experience with medical malpractice cases enables her to understand and discuss complex medical and causation issues which facilitates resolution in personal injury cases.  With a strong belief in the power of the mediation, Lauren brings to bear her extensive legal experience, emotional intelligence, warmth, and professionalism to create an atmosphere in which all of the necessary legal and non-legal issues are addressed and cases are resolved.  Lauren is a member of the Mediation Society, the mediation panels in Alameda, Contra Costa and Marin Counties, and is a Settlement Conference Officer in San Francisco.  Lauren was honored to be named the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association Distinguished Mediator in 2021.

           

          Education

          University of California, Davis, JD, 1986
          University of California, Berkeley, BA Economics 1982
          Admitted to practice before all State and Federal Courts in California in 1986


          Mediation Training

          Mediation Certificate Program, Steven Rosenberg - October, 2012 
          Advanced Mediation Training, Steven Rosenberg - October, 2015
          Mediation and Collaborative Practice, Woody Motsen - April, 2016
          Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution
            Pepperdine University - Advanced Mediation Skills and Training - June, 2016
          Working Creatively with Conflict
            The Center for Understanding in Conflict - April, 2021


          Mediation Award

          San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association - Distinguished Mediator 2021


          Court ADR Program Panelist

          Alameda County Mediation Program Panelist
          Contra Costa County Superior Court ADR Program Panelist
          Marin County Settlement Conference Panelist
          San Francisco County Mediation/Settlement Conference Programs


          Membership

          The Mediation Society, Alameda and Contra Costa County Bar Association, Queen's Bench



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          Rachel H. Leonard

           

          Rachel H. Leonard has over eleven years of litigation experience and specializes in defending clients in all aspects of premises liability and medical malpractice litigation representing retailed businesses, hospitals and other healthcare providers. Ms. Leonard's experience includes representing mechanical contractors, flooring and ship decking contractors, car manufacturers, and product manufacturers in asbestos litigation, as well as handling all aspects of auto accident insurance defense cases. Ms. Leonard formerly served as a prosecutor for the Contra Costa District Attorney's office where she personally tried numerous criminal jury trials to verdict. In addition to her trial experience, Ms. Leonard has considerable experience in law and motion practice, including targeted and successful motions for summary judgment, depositions, discovery, oral argument, settlement conferences, mediations, and arbitrations.  


          Ms. Leonard's significant litigation experience enables her to efficiently identify the strengths and weaknesses of each case and realistically evaluate damages. Her considerable trial experience enables her to recognize which cases are appropriate for trial and which should be resolved.


          Education and Bar Admissions

          Golden Gate University, JD, 2005 where she received a Litigation Certificate, Criminal Law
          Certificate and Public Interest Law Certificate, all with Distinction
          Franklin & Marshall College, BA Government 2001
          Admitted to practice before all State Courts in California and Oregon
          Admitted to practice before the United States District Court, Northern District of California
          Admitted to practice before the United States District Court, Central District of California

           

          Memberships

          Contra Costa Bar Association


          Awards and Recognitions

          2016 Northern California Rising Star

          2017 Northern California Rising Star



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          Maria Zeyrek

           

          Ms. Zeyrek has practiced law in California since January 1997.  She spent many years as a defense attorney with midsize to large law firms before moving in-house with a Fortune 100 company. She has handled litigation matters involving claims of moderate to high levels of complexity.  Her commercial general liability matters have included automobile and heavy truck accident cases, product liability claims, as well as slip/trip and fall matters. Ms. Zeyrek has also defended against high value construction defect and construction site injury lawsuits. Given her interest in science and medicine, she spent her early years defending companies in toxic tort, CERCLA, groundwater contamination, "sick" building, Proposition 65, and other traditional environmental tort matters as well as claimant representation in Social Security Disability matters.

          Ms. Zeyrek has developed her skills throughout the years to ensure effective and efficient representation of her clients.  She believes that early case assessment is vital to a strong defense.  She has successfully resolved lawsuits through arbitration, summary judgment/adjudication, and negotiated settlement. 

          Education

          Whittier Law School, Los Angeles Campus, JD, 1995
          University of California, Berkeley, BA English with Honors, 1993
          Admitted to practice before all State Courts in California in 1997 and Federal Courts in California in 2002



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