Paul A. Peters
T: 415.247.8300
F: 415.247.8310
ppeters@kllaw.com
Paul is a partner at Kaufman & Logan. He has special expertise in civil litigation and negotiation, with over 16 years experience emphasizing insurance coverage, contract, and environmental matters. With his colleagues at Kaufman & Logan, Paul routinely handles matters ranging from multi-million dollar, multi-party, multi-state litigation and negotiation for major financial institutions through helping local families, associations and small businesses with advice, counsel and litigation in insurance, contract, real estate, environmental, and other areas. Paul emphasizes cost-effective, aggressive solutions to legal problems with full client engagement, so that each client obtains optimum results.
Paul's insurance practice includes toxic tort and products liability claims, environmental, construction defect, real estate, and a variety of other coverage issues. For example, with his partner Jeff Kaufman, Paul recently co-tried AstenJohnson v. American, et. al., winning a complete defense for The American Insurance Company against an asbestos-coverage claim of over $100 million. Paul also guided Fireman's Fund Insurance Company through the Dresser Companies' (aka Halliburton) asbestos bankruptcy and related declaratory relief actions and court-supervised mediation. These actions involved insurance claims exceeding $4 billion against multiple domestic and UK insurers, including over nine figures sought from Fireman's Fund. Paul sat on the Steering Committee of the insurer group, playing a principal role in resolving the matter via a series of interlocking settlement agreements at substantial savings to Fireman's Fund. Paul has also represented AIG in coverage matters, and has defended policyholders on behalf of CNA, Grain Dealers, and other insurers.
Paul has also successfully tried commercial contract and environmental enforcement actions. In 2003 he participated as lead trial counsel in portions of San Francisco Bay Association v. Dept. of the Interior, regarding water allocation for environmental and agricultural purposes in operations of California's Central Valley project. He also has experience handling land use, air quality, hazardous waste, and real estate transactional disputes both in and out of court.
Paul is a triathlete, and when he's not working or competing, enjoys skiing and carpentry.
Education
- University of California, Hastings College of the Law, J.D., 1990
- California State University Humboldt, Arcata, CA, B.S. (Forestry Resources Management), cum laude, 1987
Admitted To Practice
- State Bar of California (1990)
- State Bar of Illinois (1995)
Professional Affiliations
- American Bar Association
- San Francisco Bar Association, Environmental Law Executive Committee Member (2001-2004)
- Save San Francisco Bay Association, Board Member (1997-2006), Advisory Counsel, Pro Bono Litigation Counsel
Articles and Presentations
- Allocating Settlements to Avoid Coverage of Punitive Damages, ABA Torts and Insurance Practice Quarterly (2004)
- New Developments in Takings Law, Presentation to Bar Association of San Francisco (2003)
- Environmental Impairment Insurance Coverage and Claims, Address to Bar Association of San Francisco (2002)
- Powerine-California Supreme Court on Issue of Indemnifying PRP Claims, Presentation to Bar Association of San Francisco (2000)