Welcome to Our Silicon Valley Trial Law Firm
With more than 80 years of combined legal experience, the partners in the San Mateo County law firm of Hartnett, Smith & Paetkau are uniquely qualified to handle any litigation in the San Francisco Bay Area or Silicon Valley and to provide legal counsel in a variety of business and real estate matters. From complex commercial disputes to sensitive criminal matters, our firm has an unparalleled record of success litigating matters for our clients and for providing legal counsel that accomplishes client objectives.
Our clients are a diverse group of individuals and businesses, including professional athletes, venture capitalists, "mom and pop" businesses, publicly traded companies, international businesses, young people, and the elderly. Our trial expertise stands out equally in both criminal and civil litigation. For further information on our areas of representation, please see our Practice Areas Overview.
Aggressive and highly professional
We enjoy a reputation as a firm that is aggressive and highly professional. We have completed more than 200 jury trials to conclusion in both state and federal courts, and we have represented a variety of individuals and businesses in arbitration and mediation. Our excellent trial and litigation record has led to numerous referrals from large firms seeking trial attorneys to take over a case going to trial.
We are also known for the trusted legal advice we provide to businesses and individuals on a host of issues, including employment, business, and real estate matters.
Our practice philosophy is simple—as a small, efficient firm charging fair rates and providing excellent personal service, we obtain results that match or exceed any firm of any size in Northern California or elsewhere. Let one of our attorneys examine the facts of your case today and get you on the path to resolution of your legal problems. Whether you seek a Silicon Valley trial lawyer or a law firm in the San Francisco Bay Area or Silicon Valley and anywhere else, we can help.
Contact skilled Silicon Valley attorneys in Redwood City
If you are seeking exceptional legal representation from experienced trial lawyers or experienced, strategic legal counsel, contact Hartnett, Smith & Paetkau today. Our small firm gets big results.
RECENT NEWS
Firm Scores Big Trade Secrets Trial Victory:
Jury Mostly Backs Employees Who Broke Away from Bike Company
In August, a jury returned a $310 million verdict in litigation over the Bratz doll. A month later, an L.A. hedge fund manager won $60 million in his still-unfinished feud with the hedge fund he left to start his own firm.
The Supreme Court of California, in California Grocers Association v. City of Los Angeles, recently held, by a 6-to-1 vote, that the National Labor Relations Act ("NLRA")1 does not preempt a local worker retention ordinance, despite the law's obvious effects on "successor" employers' traditional rights.
At our September 13 Hot Topics Workshop, Tyler Paetkau and Jim Hartnett, Hartnett, Smith and Paetkau, Attorneys at Law shared their expertise with members of our Chamber over lunch about the Top Ten Hot Employment Law Issues for Employers'.
The Supreme Court of California, in Reid v. Google, Rejects and Redefines the Federal 'Stray Remarks Doctrine': Everything That the Employer Wishes Had Not Been Said
Silicon Valley Giants, Victims of their Own Success: DOJ Claims Otherwise Lawful "No Cold Calling" Agreements Among Tech Heavyweights Violate the Sherman Antitrust Act
California Hiring and Firing Update 2011: New Traps, New Laws
- Live Seminar - Mar. 14, 2011
San Francisco, CA - Webcast - Mar. 14, 2011
Webcast
In The News
MEDIA
Legal expert Charles J. Smith on the Scott Peterson murder trial, Larry King Live, 2004
HP sues Hurd in hurry
