Merri A. Baldwin

Merri Baldwin represents both plaintiffs and defendants in complex litigation matters, including claims of breach of contract, fraud, and partnership disputes.  Ms. Baldwin has tried cases to jury verdict and has significant arbitration experience. A significant part of her practice involves handling attorney liability and conduct issues, particularly claims of legal malpractice and breach of fiduciary duty, as well as motions to disqualify and for sanctions. She regularly counsels lawyers and law firms on legal ethics and law practice management issues. She represents attorneys in disciplinary matters before the State Bar of California, and has significant experience handling attorney-client fee disputes. Ms. Baldwin also serves as an expert in the areas of legal ethics and attorney standard of care.

Ms. Baldwin is a member of the State Bar of California Committee on Professional Responsibility and Conduct. Ms. Baldwin is co-chair of the Legal Malpractice Section of the Bar Association of San Francisco. She is a committee co-chair for the American Bar Association Litigation Section Committee on Professional Liability Litigation. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Bar Association of San Francisco and as a vice-chair of the Attorney-Client Fee Dispute Program. Ms. Baldwin received an Award of Merit from the Bar Association of San Francisco for her role on the marriage fairness task force. She has been named by Super Lawyers magazine as one of the top attorneys in Northern California every year since 2006. Ms. Baldwin frequently lectures to attorneys and professional organizations on issues related to litigation, legal malpractice and ethics issues, and she is an adjunct professor at Golden Gate University School of Law. Ms. Baldwin co-edited a book entitled The Law of Lawyers' Liability (ABA/First Chair Press 2012) and has served as a consulting editor for the Attorney Fee Agreement Forms Manual, published by Continuing Education of the Bar, California. Prior to law school, Ms. Baldwin was a Fulbright Scholar at the London School of Economics.

Education

J.D., University of California at Berkeley, School of Law (Boalt Hall), 1989

B.A., Smith College, 1984, Magna Cum Laude with honors