Duncan MacDonald
Partner
PRACTICE AREAS
Insurance,
Product Liability,
Real Estate & Construction
Duncan MacDonald is a partner whose civil litigation practice since 1990 has focused on contract and business tort litigation, insurance coverage and defense of contractual and extra-contractual insurance claims, labor and employment litigation and counseling, defense of broker professional liability claims, product liability defense, premises liability litigation, and real estate and construction litigation. He has garnered significant trial experience before both state and federal courts throughout California.
Mr. MacDonald also is an active mediator and arbitrator. In mediation, he has successfully helped parties settle cases involving personal injuries, product liability, discrimination in employment, education, and housing, and real estate disputes. He was recently selected as one of the mediators for the Bar Association of San Francisco's mediation program. His focus in arbitration has been on product liability and premises liability cases, and related insurance issues.
Outside the office, Mr. MacDonald has worked with Legal Services for Children in San Francisco, acted as a judge for various Moot Court competitions, been a member of La Raza Lawyers Association, and mentored San Francisco high school students. He also served two terms as a member of the Board of Directors for Palcare, a nationally-recognized childcare facility.
Mr. MacDonald is an honors graduate of the University of Michigan (B.A. 1987) where he was designated a James B. Angell Scholar. He received his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 1990.
Representative Cases
- Represented owner in construction dispute involving alleged delays and disruptions in constructing a multi-million dollar arts and industries building for a California state university.
- Successfully defended claims of nondisclosure in sale of multi-unit California residential property.
- Defended professional liability claims brought against various insurance brokers - ranging in size from individual brokers to one of the largest brokers in California.
- Represented national manufacturers regarding a variety of product liability claims and actions.
- Represented national professional liability carrier in breach of contract and rescission action regarding nondisclosure of potential claims in a law firm's insurance application.
- Successfully defended action alleging breach of duty to defend under advertising injury coverage in California business liability policies.
CONTACT
phone: (415) 352-3000
fax: (415) 352-3030
dmacdonald@chapop.com
Recent Publications
Contributing author, California Liability Insurance Practice: Claims and Litigation, Continuing Education of the Bar (2007, 2008 and 2009)
Author, "When is Enough, Enough: Compensation for Employees Terminated After a Work-Related Injury," Compensation and Benefits Review
Recent Presentations
Speaker, "Recent Developments in Civil Litigation," Continuing Education of the Bar (2006 and 2007)
Speaker, "Premises Liability," Property Loss Research Bureau Western Regional Conference (2007 and 2008)
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