Firm

Devoted to appeals

Some of California’s most experienced appellate lawyers practice with CALG. Five are individually ranked by Chambers & Partners. Eleven are certified appellate specialists — among the highest concentrations of any firm in California. Ten are fellows of the California Academy of Appellate Lawyers, and three have been California Lawyers of the Year. More than two-thirds of the firm is recognized by Best Lawyers in America or SuperLawyers. The Daily Journal has twice named CALG one of the Top Boutiques in California.

Most of our lawyers clerked on appellate courts — including the U.S. and California Supreme Courts, federal courts of appeals, and the California Court of Appeal — meaning they have seen firsthand what goes on behind the curtains. Many know the appellate judges and justices we appear before well enough to predict which arguments will have the best chance of persuading them. All have practiced appellate law for a decade or more, and many for their entire careers. We have no associates learning on the job.

The majority of our lawyers have extensive business and civil appellate experience. Some focus on appellate sub-specialties such as family law appeals, white-collar criminal appeals, or appellate writs. All our attorneys have practiced appellate law for a decade or more, and many for their entire careers. We have no associates learning on the job.

Unlike other firms, we give our lawyers extraordinary flexibility and control over their careers. We have no minimum billable mandates, which leaves our team focused and disciplined — and free to love what they do.

Our firm began in San Francisco, the hotbed of disruptors, and has expanded to Los Angeles, San Diego, and across the nation

In 2012, Ben Feuer and the late Bill Hancock started from scratch with the question, “how can we build a firm that does things better?”

The answer was an inventive firm structured to let experienced appellate lawyers do their best work without the constraints of traditional firms, like junior associates and billable targets. Instead, our lawyers collaborate seamlessly across offices, draw on each other’s individual strengths, and focus entirely on the cases in front of them. That leads to sharper appellate strategies, more persuasive briefs, and better results.

We handle cases in California’s Courts of Appeal and Supreme Court, the Ninth Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Our practice spans not just appeals, but also appellate writs — where inside knowledge of game-changing procedures can alter the course of litigation — as well as amicus briefs, Supreme Court petitions, and appellate consulting embedded in trial teams.

Our low turnover rate tells the story. No partner has ever left CALG for another firm.

Team See Our Team

Every member of our team is a leader in the field

The National Law Journal called Ben Feuer an “elite boutique trailblazer.” California Lawyer Magazine named Rex Heinke “California Lawyer of the Year” twice. The Daily Journal named Anna-Rose Mathieson one of the “top women lawyers” in California three times. Benchmark Litigation deemed Kelly Woodruff a “California Litigation Star.” Johanna Schiavoni was elected president of the Bar Association.

They and our other recognized, experienced, successful appellate leaders are ready to play for keeps.

We win a lot

Our lawyers have decades of experience representing companies and individuals, plaintiffs and defendants, in federal and state appellate courts, and in virtually all types of complex appellate matters. Here are a smattering of our recent wins.

California Supreme Court

John’s Grill v. Hartford Financial Services Group

Prevailed in Supreme Court challenge worth hundreds of millions of dollars concerning whether insurance policies must cover COVID-related business closures.

SEC v. Peterson, et al.

Obtained published 9th Circuit victory in $183 million appeal arising from notorious Ponzi scheme.

Wickline v. Schweder

Obtained reversal in multimillion-dollar partnership dispute involving international law and ownership of Southern California vacation resort.

Talented appellate lawyers interested in joining our practice are welcome to reach out

Our firm model gives our lawyers unmatched flexibility, and lets them build a portfolio of business that best leverages their experience. We have an innovative compensation structure that can rival or exceed the top of the market for appellate practice while also giving our attorneys the ability to lead vibrant personal lives.

We look for experienced appellate practitioners who have focused their careers on appeals — those who have excelled in private practice, spent years with the appellate courts, or taken on significant appellate roles in government agencies. We encourage junior lawyers interested in our firm to first serve as appellate law clerks and seek out appellate experiences during their associate years.

We think outside the box about how law should be practiced, as several leading journals have recognized.

“California Appellate Law Group Brings Work-Life Balance to a Niche Practice” by Law.com

Law.com’s “Mid-Market Report” profiled CALG and its unique approach to appellate practice in a 2020 interview with its chairman Ben Feuer.

“Top Boutiques in California” by the Daily Journal

The California Appellate Law Group was honored to be one of only 20 boutique law firms in California named to the Daily Journal’s “Top Boutiques of 2016” list.

“Flexibility First” by the Daily Journal

The California Appellate Law Group is made up of “seasoned, expert attorneys” and “thrives on subverting the typical law firm model,” according to a July 2018 profile of the firm in the Daily Journal.

If you’re interested in talking with us about whether your practice would be the right fit for our firm, feel free to email.

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