Harlan Watkins
88 Kearny Street
10th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94108
Phone: 415.788.1900
Fax: 415.393.8087
Admissions
- All courts in the State of California
- Federal District Court for the State of California, Northern, Eastern and Central Districts
- Ninth and Tenth Circuit Courts of Appeal
Education
- J.D., Santa Clara University School of Law, 1994
- B.S., Political Science, University of Oregon, 1991; Phi Gamma Mu, International Honor Society in Social Science
Harlan Watkins
Shareholder
Mr. Watkins' practice emphasizes the defense of attorneys and insurance brokers and agents in malpractice litigation. His practice also focuses on the defense of judges before the California Commission on Judicial Performance and attorneys before the California State Bar.
Selected Client Representations
Novak v. Acceptance: Professional liability defense action involving alleged legal negligence in the handling of a $500,000 insurance bad-faith action. Case tried in San Francisco Superior Court, and resulted in a defense verdict on behalf of client.
Sutter v. Applied Systems: Plaintiff's breach of contract action involving a dispute over defective software. Case was tried in Federal District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and resulted in a recovery of approximately $400,000 for the client.
Musser v. Provencher, 28 Cal.4th 274: Successfully established before the California Supreme Court a right of indemnity between concurrent counsel where client brings a malpractice claim against one, but not both, attorneys.
Sutter v. Applied Systems, 393 F.3d 722: Successful appeal involving breach of contract issues before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
Guerrero v. University of San Francisco WL 2669262: Successfully defended the University of San Francisco from defamation claims based upon Civil Code section 47 before the First District California Court of Appeal.
Krause v. Krause: Successfully defended an attorney before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals from a claim from a former minor client based upon quasi-judicial immunity.
Pearce v. Romeo: Successfully defended attorneys from malicious prosecution claims from a former litigation opponent before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Publications
Santa Clara Computer & High Technology Law Journal “Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: ‘General Acceptance’ Rejected" 1994, Vol. 10, Issue 1
Professional Associations
Member, California State Bar Committee on Professional Liability Insurance