Oakland, CA Office
Brent Coon & Associates’ Oakland office acts as the central hub for the firm’s FELA litigation practice. Led by Rick Brody, the Oakland office has a wide array of practice areas, but focuses primarily on FELA and asbestos litigation and has argued several asbestos related cases in front of the California Supreme Court. Rick Brody and his team also carry a sizeable silica docket, helping workers who were exposed to silica seek damages against companies who failed to warn them of the risks and properly protect them. In addition to FELA and toxic tort cases, the Oakland team handles catastrophic vehicle accidents and product liability claims.
Rick Brody has a strong background in complex civil litigation, including trial law, settlement negotiations, appellate and bankruptcy matters. Mr. Brody has extensive experience managing multi-party litigation projects and excels in office management and employee development. As a graduate of UCLA School of Law, Mr. Brody has nearly 30 years of legal experience. He has been instrumental in helping develop new theories of liability pertaining to pumps and valves used in shipbuilding.
Cecil Crain joined Brent Coon & Associates in 2007. After earning his M.B.A. from the University of Mississippi, Mr. Crain headed west to attend Whittier Law School in Costa Mesa, California. After joining BCA, Mr. Crain turned his focus to personal injury, asbestos and product liability cases. He is a member of the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association and the Bar Association of San Francisco.
Paula Rasmussen joined BCA in October of 2009. Prior to joining the firm, Paula was an associate at Brayton Purcell. She also clerked for the San Francisco District Attorney's Office and was a legal extern for Magistrate Judge Wayne Brazil in the Northern District Court. Paula graduated with a specialization in litigation from Golden Gate University and participated in several national and local mock trials. After graduation, as a Lee Baxter Litigation Fellow, she became a coach and prepared several mock trial teams to compete locally and nationally.
Michael Levy joined the San Francisco office of Brent Coon & Associates in 2006, as a law clerk, while he was attending U.C. Hastings to earn his J.D. degree. He was hired as an associate attorney in 2010. During his time with the firm, he has worked mostly on cases related to asbestos and silica exposure.
