I am a plaintiffs’ class action attorney with eighteen years of litigation experience at the trial and appellate levels. My law firm is The Kralowec Law Group in San Francisco. Formerly, I was a partner with Severson & Werson, P.C., also in San Francisco, where I regularly defended UCL and other types of class actions. My judicial clerkship was with Judge David Mannheimer of the Alaska Court of Appeals. I also worked for two years with my father, Arthur C. Kralowec, a solo practitioner.
I currently serve as the Secretary of the Antitrust and Unfair Competition Law Section of the State Bar of California, and as a member of the Board of Governors of Consumer Attorneys of California. I write and speak extensively on the UCL and class action practice (scroll down for more details).
I am actively accepting new co-counseling arrangements in pending and prospective contingency-fee class action cases. If you're interested in working together on a case, or working up a case together, give me a call at (415) 546-6800 or drop me a line by email at uclpractitioner@gmail.com.
My current practice focuses on four substantive areas: antitrust class actions; consumer class actions; wage and hour class actions; and civil rights class actions. My strong suit is complex brief-writing. I have drafted over 50 appellate briefs in my career. I am also an experienced oral advocate. I have argued before the California Supreme Court and repeatedly in the California Court of Appeal.
In appropriate cases, I can handle your appeal or writ proceeding on a contingency-fee basis. I can also write specific trial-level motions (or opposition briefs) for your case and argue them in the trial court on your behalf. I can associate into your case to do this. As a behind-the-scenes consultant, I can advise you on the class action, UCL, or appellate aspects of your case. Feel free to contact me about any of the above.
Web
- The UCL Practitioner (Oct. 2003-present)
- The Appellate Practitioner (Feb. 2007-Mar. 2009)
- “UCL Class Actions After In re Tobacco,” Forum, September/October 2009
- “A Tool for Mischief: Preemptive Defense Motions Under BCBG Overtime Cases to Reject Class Certification,” Forum, January/February 2009 (with Kevin K. Green)
- “UCL Standing to Seek Injunctive Relief: Is a Restitutionary Loss Required?” Forum, July/August 2008
- “Three Evolving Facets of UCL Restitution,” Forum, November 2007
- “UCL Injunctions to Remedy the Past Effects of Wrongful Conduct: Before and After Proposition 64,” Forum, September 2007
- “The UCL’s ‘Unfair’ Prong: Recent Case Law Muddies the Waters Even More,” Forum, July/August 2007
- “The Class Representative’s Pre-Certification Bill of Rights,” Daily Journal, April 6, 2007
- “The Consumers Legal Remedies Act: An Alternative to the UCL in the Post-Prop. 64 World,” Forum, November 2006
- “Proposition 64 and the ‘Statutory Repeal Rule,’ ” Daily Journal, May 31, 2006
- “Estoppel Claims Against ERISA Employee Benefit Plans,” 25 U.C. Davis L. Rev. 487 (1992)
- American Bar Association, Section of Antitrust Law Spring Meeting, March 2012 (forthcoming)
- 21st Annual Golden State Antitrust and Unfair Competition Law Institute, State Bar of California, Antitrust and Unfair Competition Law Section, October 27, 2011 (co-organizer)
- American Bar Association, Section of Antitrust Law, "State Consumer Protection Laws: Enforcement and Litigation Trends in California," May 11, 2011
- 5th Annual Class Action Seminar, Consumer Attorneys of California, January 26, 2011 (moderator)
- Starting Right: Conflicts Management, Engagement Letters and Other Ethics Matters, BASF Solo and Small Firm Committee, January 19, 2011 (moderator)
- The Year in Review: Employment Law Updates, Consumer Attorneys of California Annual Convention, November 19, 2010
- 20th Annual Golden State Antitrust and Unfair Competition Law Institute, State Bar of California, Antitrust and Unfair Competition Law Section, October 21, 2010 (co-organizer)
- Third Annual Class Action Symposium, Consumer Attorneys of San Diego, October 8, 2010
- Strategies for Growing Your Practice, Bar Association of San Francisco Solo & Small Firm Committee, August 10, 2010
- The Potential Impact of Dukes on Class Certification in Antitrust and UCL Cases in the Ninth Circuit, State Bar of California, Antitrust and Unfair Competition Law Section, July 22, 2010
- Antitrust Institute 2010: Developments & Hot Topics, Practising Law Institute, May 21, 2010
- The Rutter Group §17200 Practice: The Impact of Tobacco II Cases, March 1 and 3, 2010
- Consumer Attorneys of California Annual Convention, November 14, 2009
- Second Annual Class Action Symposium, Consumer Attorneys of San Diego, October 23, 2009
- 19th Annual Golden State Antitrust and Unfair Competition Law Institute, State Bar of California, Antitrust and Unfair Competition Law Section, October 22, 2009
- Need a Light? Understanding Voter Limits on Unfair Competition Actions After Tobacco II, Los Angeles County Bar Association, October 6, 2009
- Proposition 64: Are the Standards Changing? (Recorder Roundtable), July 22, 2009
- 5th Annual Advanced Wage and Hour Seminar, California Employment Lawyers Association, May 1, 2009
- Wage & Hour: The Essential Update, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, April 7, 2009
- 3rd Annual Class Action Seminar: Class Action Hurdles From the Plaintiff's Perspective, Consumer Attorneys of California College of Trial Arts, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Bar Association of San Francisco (co-sponsors), January 28, 2009
- 47th Annual Convention, Consumer Attorneys of California, "Discovery Techniques in Class Action Cases," November 7, 2008
- 6th Annual Unfair Competition Law Program, State Bar of California, Antitrust and Unfair Competition Law Section, May 14, 2008
- Annual Tahoe Ski Seminar, "Update On Section 17200," Consumer Attorneys of California College of Trial Arts, Capitol City Trial Lawyers Association, March 28-29, 2008
- 2nd Annual Class Action Seminar: Class Action Hurdles From the Plaintiff's Perspective, “Discovery Techniques in Class Action Cases,” Consumer Attorneys of California College of Trial Arts, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Bar Association of San Francisco (co-sponsors), March 5, 2008
- “Law Blogging for Fun and Profit: Building Your Audience, Building Your Practice,” West Legalworks, February 21, 2008
- 17th Annual Litigation & Resolution of Complex Class Actions Conference, West Legalworks, November 1, 2007
- 5th Annual Unfair Competition Law Program, State Bar of California, Antitrust and Unfair Competition Law Section, May 18, 2007
- 2006 Class Action and UCL Conference, “UCL Remedies: The Scope of Restitution and Injunctive Relief,” Bridgeport Continuing Education, May 18, 2006
- “Blogs and RSS Feeds,” The Law Library 2006: Skills, Strategies, and Solutions, Practising Law Institute, March 1, 2006
- “Be Careful What You Wish For: The UCL After Prop. 64,” Santa Clara County Bar Association, December 1, 2005 (with Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge James P. Kleinfeld)
- “The Impact of Proposition 64,” Unfair Competition Claims 2005, Practising Law Institute, May 10, 2005 (with San Francisco County Superior Court Judge Richard A. Kramer)
- “Blogs – Cutting Edge or Bleeding Edge?” The Future of Legal Research: Legal Resources and Access Today and Tomorrow, Northern California Association of Law Librarians, April 16, 2005
- “Appellate Practice 101: Master the Basics, Avoid the Traps,” Solano County Bar Association, November 3, 2000, Bar Association of San Francisco, Appellate Practice Section, May 16, 2000 (with First District Court of Appeal Justice Barbara J.R. Jones)
- “Persuasive Statements of Fact,” Bar Association of San Francisco, Appellate Practice Section, October 29, 1999
- “Effective Legal Writing for Paralegals in California,” Institute for Paralegal Education, September 13, 2000 and August 11, 1999
- Selected for Inclusion in Northern California Super Lawyers, 2011
CAOC Women's Caucus, Consumer Advocate of the Year, 2010
CAOC Presidential Award of Merit, 2009
CAOC Presidential Award of Merit, 2008
U.S. Davis Law School, Hopkins Memorial Writing Award, 1992
Pomona College, F.S. Jennings Prize in Expository Writing, 1986
- Click here for a list of my press mentions since 2004.
- Click here for a sample of the feedback I've received from readers since I created The UCL Practitioner.
- J.D., 1992, University of California, Davis, School of Law
- Publication: Comment, “Estoppel Claims Against ERISA Employee Benefit Plans,” 25 U.C. Davis L. Rev. 487 (1992)
- Patrick J. Hopkins Memorial Writing Award (Best Student Law Review Article of the Year)
- Publication: Comment, “Estoppel Claims Against ERISA Employee Benefit Plans,” 25 U.C. Davis L. Rev. 487 (1992)
- B.A. English, cum laude, 1989, Pomona College, Claremont, California
- F.S. Jennings Prize in Expository Writing (Pomona College Department of English Prize)
- Pomona College Scholar
- Pomona College Honors at Entrance
I am admitted to practice in California, the United States Courts of Appeals for the Ninth, Fifth and Eleventh Circuits, all United States District Courts in California, and the United States Supreme Court.
The Kralowec Law Group
188 The Embarcadero, Suite 800
San Francisco, CA 94105
Telephone: (415) 546-6800
Facsimile: (415) 546-6801
Website: http://www.kraloweclaw.com
Email address: uclpractitioner@gmail.com
