Oakland Employment law and personal injury firm since 1978

Since 1978, our mission has been clear: helping people who are injured and suffering get the compensation and results they need to move forward. In turn, we endeavor to help create safer and more just communities for everyone. We are a 100% contingency law firm.

J. Gary Gwilliam

Legend of The Law Lifetime Achievement Award

Congratulations, J. Gary Gwilliam! In January 2025, The Alameda Contra Costa Trial Lawyers Association (ACCTLA) presented J. Gary Gwilliam with the first ever Legend of The Law Lifetime Achievement Award.

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Law Firm of the Year

Alameda County Bar Association

On 1-23-25, the firm was recognized as the Law Firm of the Year by the Alameda County Bar Association as a part of their Annual Distinguished Service Awards program.

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Practice Areas

Employment Law

Are you a victim of a workplace injustice? We will stand up for you.

Personal Injury

Injured due to someone else’s negligence? We can help you pursue compensation.

Medical Malpractice

Medical negligence can be truly devastating. We offer the legal support victims need.

Wrongful Death

Pursue the answers and the compensation you need to move forward with our help.

Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries

We will seek the results you need to achieve the best possible quality of life after a serious injury.

Business Disputes

Our team of business litigation attorneys can guide you through partnership disputes, business fraud issues and more.

Insurance Disputes/Bad Faith

We take on providers of homeowners’ insurance, disability insurance and more, forcing them to honor legitimate claims.

Compassion

Compassionate Legal Representation

At Gwilliam Ivary Chiosso Cavalli & Brewer, our lawyers and legal team seek justice for those who have been wronged. For 45 years, our purpose has remained unchanged: We strive to achieve the best possible results for our clients, and in doing so, we contribute to the betterment of the City of Oakland and neighboring communities in the Bay Area. We are proud to focus our work on those who need us most in matters of severe injury, death cases, employment and civil rights matters. Our clients include individuals suffering from traumatic and serious injuries due to someone else´s negligence, families mourning the loss of loved ones and people who are being discriminated against or sexually harassed at work. When you entrust your legal needs to our firm, you can feel confident that we are committed to your total recovery. We are a Plaintiff only law firm.

Superior Experience and Dedication

You deserve to work with a legal team that has what it takes to protect you from further harm and obtain the results that you need to move forward. Gwilliam Ivary Chiosso Cavalli & Brewer is one of the most successful law firms in Northern California — thanks to the sincere dedication and vast skills of our trial lawyers. If we accept your case, you can rest assured that we have the experience and knowledge to handle your matter with the utmost care. We have a long history of going to great lengths for our clients. We would be honored to serve you and your family.

Getting The best results for our clients

Our attorneys have relentlessly demonstrated that they are willing and able to take a case all the way to trial if that is what it takes to obtain the best possible result for our clients. We have achieved many multimillion-dollar settlements, including for clients who were turned down by other firms. However, getting our clients the “most money” is never our single goal. Undoubtedly, we work hard to get you the maximum compensation you are entitled to, but our ultimate desired outcome is to make you whole again — that means providing resources from our network to make sure you get the medical attention or grief counseling you need or getting you your job back. Ultimately, we seek true justice for our clients so that we can improve the quality of their lives.

For the last 45 years, Gwilliam Ivary Chiosso Cavalli & Brewer has become one of the most successful personal injury, employment and consumer law firms in Northern California and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Let`s Get Started

We invite you to contact our law office today to schedule a free case review. Call 510-832-5411 or reach us online for a no-fee, no-obligation consultation. We look forward to learning your story and determining whether we can be of service. We dedicate significant resources to winning each case we take on, so we limit our caseload to those in which we believe we can make a difference.

$2.1 Million Settlement in Brain Injury Case

Plaintiff was injured when an unbolted post from a cyclone fence fell and struck her in the head while she was doing a closing property inspection in the course and scope of her employment with CBRE Property Management on May 2, 2011.

37.25 Million Settlement in Layoff Case

Gwilliam, Ivary, Chiosso, Cavalli & Brewer has extensive experience representing plaintiffs who have been unfairly laid off. We represented 130 former employees at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, all of whom were laid off in May 2008, shortly after the lab was privatized.

Result: $3.7 million jury verdict

A 30 year old photographer sustained severe injuries to his major hand when the defendant ran a red light and broadsided the plaintiff’s vehicle…read more.

What Our Clients Say

“No one ever ‘wants’ to hire an attorney, but this is one attorney we are thankful for every single day of our lives.” – B. & R. (former client)

We Accept Referrals

We built our practice on word-of-mouth referrals. Many of our clients are referred to us by other attorneys and current and former clients.

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Disclaimer

The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. We invite you to contact us and welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send any confidential information to us until such time as an attorney-client relationship has been established.

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