Jean L. Bertrand

Partner

Jean L. Bertrand practices primarily in the areas of real estate, toxic torts, and commercial litigation. In addition to trial and appellate experience, she has had extensive experience in the administration of complex litigation, emphasizing cost containment techniques.

Experience

• Recovered millions of dollars in settlement of fraud cases brought on behalf of mortgage banking companies
• Tried several jury cases for a national homebuilding company
• Successfully briefed and argued before the California Supreme Court in Alliance v. Rothwell, 10 Cal. 4th 1226 (1995)
• Tried several jury cases for a local real estate brokerage firm, as both plaintiff and defendant
• Successfully prosecuted numerous insurance coverage cases involving title, environmental, and other insurance policies
• Recovered millions of dollars from a title insurer involving multiple parcels of mining property with an extraordinarily complex title history
• Successfully represented a former railroad/landowner in a complex environmental contamination and insurance coverage dispute
• Successfully argued before the California Court of Appeals in Cadlo v. Owens-Illinois, Inc., 125 Cal. App. 4th 513 (2004)
• Served as lead outside counsel in several multimillion-dollar lawsuits contesting a utility's interpretation of long-term alternative energy contracts
• Extensive trial experience defending asbestos product liability cases for major national and multi-national corporations
• Responsible for administering a counsel-sharing agreement among several corporations, including coordinating the defense of approximately 10,000 asbestos cases in seven states, and supervising more than 80 lawyers and paralegals involved in that defense effort
  

Publications

"Thinking Outside The Box: Using ADR as a Settlement Component," San Francisco Attorney, pp. 28-30 (October/November 2000)

"Beware the Square Peg: Fitting the Right Alternative Billing Plan to the Client's Need," San Francisco Attorney, pp. 22-24 (October/November 1998)

"Alliance v. Rothwell, A Near Knock-Out Blow to the Full Credit Bid Rule," Mortgage Finance, pp. 9-10, 36-37 (November/December 1995)

"Getting the Most from Expert Testimony," San Francisco Attorney, pp. 28-32 (August 1995)

"Recovering Damages," 51 Mortgage Banking, pp. 61-65 (August 1991)

Previous Experience

Prior to coming to Morgenstein & Jubelirer as one of its founding attorneys, Ms. Bertrand joined Steinhart & Falconer in 1978. She served as Morgenstein & Jubelirer's managing partner from 1984 to 1986, and again from 1993 to 1997.

Awards and Honors

Super Lawyer — Civil Litigation: Defense; Real Estate; Class Action: Mass Torts, Northern California Super Lawyers

Top 50 Women Lawyers — Northern California Super Lawyers

AV Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell

Education

Professional Memberships

State Bar of California
Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation
Real Property Law Section
      Past Chair
Committee on Administration of Justice
      Past Chair
Committee on Rules and Procedures of Court
      Past Chair

Commercial Real Estate Women – San Francisco
Board of Directors

American College of Mortgage Attorneys
Former Regent