CORNERSTONE LAW GROUP - Key Persons
Brian Brosnahan has represented clients in state and federal courts for over 40 years. He has practiced in a wide variety of subject areas but has a special interest in representing policyholders in disputes with insurance companies, particularly in life insurance, property insurance, and liability insurance cases.
Before joining Cornerstone, Brian was a partner in Heller Ehrman LLP for 19 years and a partner in Kasowitz Benson Torres LP for 10 years.
Brian received a B.A degree in Economics with High Honors from Swarthmore College in 1979. He graduated cum laude with a J.D. degree from Harvard University in 1983. Brian clerked for the Honorable Eugene F. Lynch, United States District Court for the Northern District of California. He has been featured in the California Daily Journal's Top Verdicts of 2011 for his representation of the Franciscan Friars. He has consistently been named as a Northern California Super Lawyer as well as among the Best Lawyers in America.
Brian Healy has established a highly regarded practice representing financial institutions and corporations in asset recovery and receivable enforcement, including both civil litigation and creditor's representation in bankruptcy. His practice includes debt enforcement, debt restructuring, workout agreements, sale of promissory notes and REO properties, and post-judgment enforcement.
Previously, Mr. Healy was a partner in the San Francisco law firm of Tarkington, O'Connor & O'Neill, where he managed the Commercial Collection Department. He also acted as managing attorney, representing creditors ranging from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Resolution Trust Corporation, national equipment leasing companies, to commercial landlords.
Mr. Healy is a graduate of the University of Santa Clara and received his J.D. from the University of San Francisco in 1983. He is a member of the California and San Francisco Bar Associations.
Job Titles:
- Immigration Paralegal With
- Senior Paralegal
Ms. Yang is an Immigration Paralegal with Cornerstone Law Group. A lawyer in her native country, China, Ms. Yang graduated with honors from Sun Yat-Sen University (Bachelor's of Law) and Wuhan University (Master's of Law), respectively. After practicing her profession in China and lecturing in International Trade Law at the University, Ms. Yang emigrated to the United States, receiving two additional Master's degrees - Applied Economics and Computer Science & Engineering - from the University of Florida. Fluent in English and Mandarin and proficient in Cantonese, Ms. Yang handles both family-based and employment-based immigration cases.
Job Titles:
- Representative Engagements
Gordon Renneisen has more than 25 years of experience in litigating complex cases. He represents plaintiffs in class actions and insurance recovery suits; and handles other commercial litigation.
In class actions, Mr. Renneisen represents consumers and employees. He has successfully prosecuted claims for fraud, unfair competition, and labor law violations. He has repeatedly defeated defendants' efforts to enforce involuntary arbitration provisions.
In insurance recovery litigation, Mr. Renneisen exclusively represents policyholders. He has successfully resolved first-party and third-party indemnity claims; business interruption and property damage claims; claims that insurance companies have breached the duty to defend their insureds or have failed to provide independent defense counsel as required by California law; and claims for bad-faith denial of coverage.
Mr. Renneisen has tried cases to juries and to the court. In addition, he has effectively resolved cases through motion practice, mediation, and arbitration.
Prior to joining Cornerstone Law Group, Mr. Renneisen practiced for 20 years with Heller Ehrman LLP. He currently is a member of the Cornerstone Law Group executive committee and is the head of its class action practice.
Mr. Renneisen writes and teaches extensively. He is a regular contributor to Law360. He has taught at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law; Bridgeport programs addressing labor law in California; the NITA Western Deposition Program; and the Duke Law School Intensive Trial Practice Workshop. Mr. Renneisen has served as a judge for the Alameda County Mock Trial Competition and the Hastings Moot Court Program. He is a past editor-in-chief of the San Francisco Barrister Law Journal.
Mr. Renneisen received his bachelor's degree at Williams College and his JD from Duke University. He is a member of the State Bar of California; the United States Supreme Court Bar; the Bar Associations of Marin and San Francisco, and the American Bar Association.
Harry Lewis has more than twenty years of experience representing private and public companies, non-profits, and individuals defending and prosecuting actions in federal and state court from inception through trial. He has litigated all types of employment related claims including wage and hour, misappropriation of trade secrets, sexual and other forms of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination and breach of contract. He also specializes in real estate, construction, and other commercial litigation.
His employment practice focuses on providing advice and counsel on all aspects of the employment relationship including employment and severance agreements, employee discipline, litigation avoidance, handbooks and policies, leaves of absences, layoffs, disability accommodation, and wage and hour compliance. He also conducts workplace investigations into employee misconduct and harassment. He also trains managers and employees on sexual harassment and other employment issues.
Mr. Lewis's business immigration practice includes all aspects of preparing non-immigrant and immigrant visa petitions, immigration compliance counseling and training, and litigation in federal court. His complete immigration law bio may be found at immigration.cornerlaw.com.
His overall practice is guided by a philosophy of working with clients as a partner to fashion legal strategies to address the myriad of issues facing employers and their employees. He does not "over lawyer" problems but provides concrete recommendations that strike a balance between legal responsibility and business necessity. An uncompromising dedication to client service and an ability to provide practical advice in a time-sensitive manner distinguishes him from other lawyers.
Mr. Lewis received his J.D. from William & Mary Law School in 1991 and his B.A. from the University of Virginia in 1988. He is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the California Bar.
Mr. Lewis also specializes in employment and human resources law. He has extensive experience litigating all types of employment related claims and counsels companies and their employees on an array of human resources issues. For more information, see Mr. Lewis' employment law biography.
Mr. Lewis' practice is guided by a philosophy of working with clients as a partner to fashion creative legal strategies that address the myriad of complex issues facing employers and their employees. He does not "over-lawyer" problems, but provides concrete recommendations that strike a balance between legal responsibility and business necessity. Mr. Lewis distinguishes himself from other lawyers by an uncompromising dedication to client service and an ability to provide practical, non-legalistic advice in a prompt and time-sensitive manner.
Mr. Lewis was previously a partner in the employment law firm of Curiale, Dellaverson, Hirschfeld, Kraemer and Sloan, LLP, where he headed-up the immigration practice. He received his J.D. from William & Mary Law School in 1991 and his B.A. from the University of Virginia in 1988. Mr. Lewis is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the California Bar. He regularly lecturers at Golden Gate University on a variety of immigration topics, and he serves on the Board of Directors for both Marin Humane Society (as Vice President) and GLS Payroll Solutions.
For more than 30 years, John Brown has helped businesses and individuals resolve disputes as efficiently and economically as possible.
After earning his undergraduate degree at the University of Virginia, Mr. Brown graduated from William & Mary Law School, which was ranked among the top law schools in the country by The National Jurist in the 1990s. He then clerked in two courts, building a foundation for his career and gaining valuable expertise in trial procedure.
Following the clerkships, Mr. Brown became a successful trial attorney. He has tried more than 35 cases. In his last jury trial, he obtained a six-figure verdict for a small technology start-up while successfully defending against a multi-million-dollar counterclaim after winning 13 of 14 pre-trial motions and excluding all testimony by the opponent's expert witness. In his previous jury trial, Mr. Brown was the lead counsel for a small Bay Area company seeking several million dollars from a Fortune 200 defendant for breach of contract. The defendant refused to make any settlement offer before trial, but Mr. Brown convinced nine of the twelve jurors to find for the plaintiff, ultimately leading to a favorable settlement of the case. In his last bench trial, Mr. Brown argued on behalf of two contractors for enforcement of oral pre-incorporation agreements for valuable ownership interests in a local start-up company. Mr. Brown obtained a judgment for each of the contractors, who collectively received a 10% ownership interest, resulting in a shift of control of the company.
Mr. Brown primarily handles commercial, employment and real estate matters, focusing on contract and fraud claims. He has represented employees, employers, contractors, corporate shareholders, professional service providers, and numerous business owners. He has particular expertise in employment law, having advised over 100 employees in negotiating severance packages and in pursuing related claims.
Prior to becoming a member of Cornerstone Law Group, Mr. Brown was a founding member of Redenbacher & Brown, LLP.
Jonathan Blum has a breadth of experience representing businesses and individuals with particular emphasis in practical legal advice and counsel, engaging in zealous negotiations and dispute resolution, and tenacious engagement litigating both plaintiff and defense positions.
His business experience includes the planning, formation, compliance, operations and sale of businesses; the purchase and sale of real estate, leases and related real estate transactions; and commercial and general litigation. Having worked in both a transactional lawyer and as a litigator, Mr. Blum has a deep and practical understanding of how businesses should be established and run, as well as how to respond to and resolve issues when they occur.
Mr. Blum's experience as a litigator representing individuals in personal injury actions marks a substantial and advantageous foundation against others to litigate, engage in settlement negotiations, and proceed to trial. He is particularly skilled at achieving optimal settlements for his clients (particularly after failed or inadequate offers or responses), ranging from dismissal of claims in defense matters to seven figure settlements for plaintiffs.
In addition to practicing law for over 30 years, Mr. Blum has also worked as an entrepreneur and real estate developer, including founding and operating several businesses and managing real estate developments. Prior to joining Cornerstone Law Group, he worked in the San Francisco offices of national law firms such as the litigation practice group of Paul LLP and the transaction practice group Kirkpatrick & Lockhart LLP. Mr. Blum also practiced in New York for a number of years on matters such as personal injury and criminal defense.
Since joining Cornerstone Law Group as a principal in 2004, Mr. Blum has worked on a wide variety of both business and litigation matters for individuals and privately held companies.
Job Titles:
- Member of the San Francisco County Bar Association
- Principal in Cornerstone Law Group 's San Francisco
Paul J. Byrne is a principal in Cornerstone Law Group's San Francisco office, where he concentrates his practice on commercial and employment litigation in both state and federal courts.
Mr. Byrne is a trained mediator and provides volunteer mediation services for San Francisco's Department of Police Accountability.
Mr. Byrne is a member of the San Francisco County Bar Association. He is a member of the California State Bar employment and business litigation sections. He is also a member of the Association of Workplace Investigators.
Job Titles:
- Insurance
- Principal in Cornerstone Law Group 's San Francisco
Renee Callantine is a principal in Cornerstone Law Group's San Francisco office and the head of its insurance coverage practice. Her practice primarily involves representing policy holders in coverage disputes, including litigation over bad-faith claims handling. She also has significant experience with many other insurance products, including professional liability, directors and officers, employment practices, and first and third party crime and cyber risks.
Ms. Callantine also provides coverage advice and representation at appraisal hearings, and she assists brokers in responding to Department of Insurance complaints. Ms. Callantine has extensive experience in property and casualty claims, ranging from personal lines homeowners and automobile policies to complex commercial lines policies. As a Certified Public Accountant, Ms. Callantine is often asked to assist with claims and litigation involving complex business interruption losses or other complicated accounting issues.
Ms. Callantine is a past Chair of the Bar Association of San Francisco's Insurance Practice section. She is also a Past Chair of the American Bar Association: Tort, Trial and Insurance Practice Section's Property Insurance Law Committee. She is a frequent writer and lecturer on insurance-related topics.
Ms. Callantine earned a J.D. from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.