Merri A. Baldwin
Partner
PRACTICE AREAS
Alternative Dispute Resolution,
Business Litigation,
Civil Rights & Public Interest,
Professional Liability
Merri A. Baldwin is a partner of the firm whose practice focuses on litigating business disputes and attorney liability matters, including trials, arbitration and mediation. Ms. Baldwin is also an experienced mediator and mediates business and commercial disputes.
Ms. Baldwin represents both plaintiffs and defendants in complex litigation matters, including claims of breach of contract, fraud, misrepresentation and unfair competition. A significant part of her practice involves attorney conduct issues, particularly claims of legal malpractice, breach of fiduciary duty, and malicious prosecution. Ms. Baldwin has obtained numerous summary judgments and favorable settlements, and has tried cases to jury verdict. She has both brought and defended against motions to disqualify attorneys, and she counsels lawyers and law firms on legal ethics issues and malpractice. She also represents attorneys before the State Bar of California, and has significant experience handling attorney-client fee disputes. Ms. Baldwin has testified as an expert in the areas of legal ethics and attorney standard of care.
Ms. Baldwin is on the Board of Directors of the Bar Association of San Francisco. She is a member and past chair of the Executive Committee of the Litigation Section of the Bar Association of San Francisco. In 2008, she received an Award of Merit from the Bar Association of San Francisco. She is a committee chair for the American Bar Association Committee on Professional Responsibility and serves as a panelist for the San Francisco Superior Court Early Settlement Program. She is a former vice-chair of the Bar Association of San Francisco’s Attorney-Client Fee Dispute Program. Ms. Baldwin frequently lectures to attorneys and professional organizations on issues related to litigation, legal malpractice and ethics issues, and she has taught at the University of California at Berkeley, School of Law (Boalt Hall).
Ms. Baldwin graduated magna cum laude from Smith College and was a Fulbright scholar at the London School of Economics. She received a Juris Doctor degree from UC Berkeley School of Law, Boalt Hall.
Representative Cases
- First-chaired jury trial of bifurcated legal malpractice case concerning "continuous representation" tolling provision of CCP section 340.6.
- Arbitrated significant contract claim brought by former executive of international investment bank.
- Defended attorney against threatened sanctions arising from alleged discovery violations.
- Defended Silicon Valley law firm against claims of conflict of interest, malpractice and breach of fiduciary duty arising from failed start-up venture; settled prior to trial.
- Outside counsel to numerous law firms on issues including conflicts, ethical duties, fee issues and related matters.
- Represented international corporation in action against major law firm alleging conflict of interest, breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty; case settled on eve of trial.
- Arbitrated significant fee dispute between Silicon Valley law firm and its former client; obtained favorable ruling including attorney fees.
- Defended international law firm against class action alleging breach of fiduciary duty arising from firm's representation of investment partnership.
- Ethics and standard of care expert in matters involving attorney fee issues, litigation standard of care, and fiduciary duty.
CONTACT
phone: (415) 352-3000
direct: (415) 277-9012
fax: (415) 352-3030
mbaldwin@chapop.com
Recent Publications
Co-author, "How to Anticipate (and Avoid) Mediation Impasse," American Bar Association, Commercial & Business Litigation Newsletter, Spring 2009
Consulting Editor, Fee Agreement Forms Manual (2d ed.) Continuing Education of the Bar 2007 - 2010
Recent Presentations
Panelist, "How to Ethically - and Effectively - Prepare Witnesses to Testify," American Bar Association Professional Responsibility Conference
(Seattle, June 3-5, 2010)
Panelist, Privacy and Data Security Law Institute (Eleventh Annual), Practicing Law Institute (May 24-25, 2010)
Panelist, "Latest Issues in Legal Ethics," California MCLE Marathon 2009, Practicing Law Institute
(December 7, 2009)
Panelist and author, "Ethical Aspects of Privacy and Information Security for Lawyers," Tenth Annual Institute on Privacy and Data Security Law, Practicing Law Institute (June 2, 2009)
Panelist, "Ethical Issues and Web 2.0," Information Technology, Practicing Law Institute (2009)
Panelist and author, "Practicing What We Preach: Current Issues in Information Management, Legal Practice and Legal Ethics," Practicing Law Institute (2008)
©2010 Chapman, Popik & White LLP | 650 California Street, 19th Floor, San Francisco, California 94108 | Tel: (415) 352-3000
