Appellate Law 

KDG's appellate attorneys are well versed in identifying appealable judgments and discerning when statutory or common-law writs may be the only relief available. We know appeals and writs policies and procedures in various courts, and are experienced in brief writing and oral argument. We also help clients at the trial court level with respect to posting and challenging appellate bonds, with post-trial motions, and other issues.

An appellate lawyer knows and understands the presumptions on appeal and the standards of review, which can make or break your appeal or writ.  An appellate lawyer also brings a fresh perspective to a case.  As the Court of Appeal wrote in a published decision:  "Trial attorneys who prosecute their own appeals...may have 'tunnel vision.' Having tried the case themselves, they become convinced of the merits of their cause. They may lose objectivity and would be well served by consulting and taking the advice of disinterested members of the bar, schooled in appellate practice." (Estate of Gilkinson (1998) 65 Cal.App.4th 1443, 1449-1450.)

For aggressive representation on appeal, KDG offers the most experienced appellate attorneys in the San Joaquin Valley.

Catherine E. Bennett, Senior Counsel

David J. Cooper, Partner
Kurt D. Van Sciver, Associate