Sheryl A. Traum
Top rated Construction Litigation attorney in Walnut Creek, California
Practice Areas:
Construction Litigation,
Real Estate,
Personal Injury
Education Qualification:
University of California College of the Law, San Francisco
Practice Areas:
Construction litigation,
Real estate,
Personal injury
1600 South Main Plaza Suite 325Walnut Creek, California, 94596
First Admitted: 1989, California
Professional Webpage: https://www.vanlevylaw.com/our-team/
Bar/Professional Activity:
- CEB (Continuing Education of the Bar) presenter regarding Civil Procedure, including 2007 (San Francisco, Ca), Effective Discovery Tactics, and 2008 (San Francisco and Sacramento, CA), Getting the Most Out of Discovery
- DRI (Defense Research Institute) - Conference Panel Speaker on Effecitve Use of Experts in Construction Litigation, Las Vegas, Nevada
- California State Bar, Real Property Section, Panel Speaker at Real Property Section Retreat (Napa, Ca), "The Effects of Bias in the Construction Industry"
Verdicts/Settlements (Case Results):
- MacDonald v. Bowles - Obtained favorable settlement for Plaintiffs against general contractor in a construction defect matter, including obtaining settlement from CIGA, 2006
- McClintock v RP Coatings - Obtained 7 figure settlement for Plaintiff McClintock for severe injuries sustained when flooring contractor's overloaded delivery truck lost control and rammed into the back of Plaintiffs' car., 2013
- Willhelmsson v Tesla, Chubb Insurance - Obtained favorable 7 figure settlement in follow-on Insurance Code Section 11580 action to enforce default judgment for damages arising from head-on motorcycle collision., 2013
- Wilhelmsson v Monnington - Obtained default judgment in the amount of $4.7 Million for severe personal injuries sustained by Plaintiff Michael Wilhelmsson when defendant drove car on wrong side of highway, causing head-on collision. , 2012
- Ryan, et al v. Taylor Mountain Development, et al - Obtained favorable settlement for developer / general contractor in action where Plaintiffs claimed indoor air contamination in a newly constructed home had caused injuries and rendered home uninhabitable. Discovery revealed Plaintiffs' pre-existing phycial and mental issues were the source of complaints, substantially diminishing value of claim. Result included substantial contribution by subcontractors under Cross-Complaint for indemnity due to contribution of their scopes of work to the alleged defective conditions., 2013
- Torres v Oakland Unified School District - Obtained favorable settlement for client school district in premises liability matter in which Plaintiff admitted her own lack of due care leading to the accident., 2013
- Brantley v Boyd (Client: Praveen Chandra): (United States District Court for the Northern District) Obtained Summary Judgment in favor of client / lender in a "Truth in Lending" / Wrongful Foreclosure action on client's Cross-Complaint against Escrow Officer for breach of escrow contract and negligence due to the improper disbursement of loan funds to a third party who was not in contract with the client / lender. Client ultimately recieved reimbursement of loan funds, as well as fees and costs., 2010
- Centex v. CDR Enterprises (Centex Central Valley Cases) - Obtained favorable settlement for stucco subcontractor, CDR Enterprises, in coordinated case involving over 30 seperate construction defect law suits and over 3000 homes. Initial demand to CDR had been over $10,000,000, but case ultimate settled for a confidential amount of less than one tenth of the demand., 2006
- Castillo v. SP, et al - Obtained favorable settlement for client, Cross Defendant, Ron Sandahl Earth Moving, in a construction defect case alleging mold infestation. Shortly before trial, client was dismissed for a nuisance value settlement., 2006
- Gucciardi v. Lee - Obtained verdict for Plaintiff, including recovery of attorney fees, in matter involving trespass, wrongful cutting and destruction of trees and landscaping and harrassment, 2005
- Cornell v. Beard - Obtained favorable settlement for Plaintiff in case involving trespass and wrongful cutting of several Oak trees at Plaintiff's Alamo residence by Plaintiff's neighbors, 2006
- Stephens v. Nolan - Obtained favorable settlement for client, cross-defendant AnC Roofing, in a constructio defect matter involving extremely high-end luxury estate in Napa, California, 2006
- Bishop v. Gress - Non-Suit for client Roto Rooter of Marin in real estate non-disclosure / alleged mold contamination case, 2007
- California Highlands HOA v. KB Homes - Obtained favorable settlement for client, cross-defendant Marina Plumbing, in a construction defect action, 2006
- Gold v. Scooter Media, et al - Obtained favorable settlement in a confidential amount for Plaintiff in a negligence / product liability personal injury case in which Plaintiff sustained serious permanent nerve damage to her arm and hand in an accident involving a scooter trailing an illuminated advertising billboard., 2008
- Antioch v. DuPont - Obtained a favorable settlement for client, Top Grade Construction, a short time before trial. Plaintiff claimed many miles of roadway was defectively built and had to be completely reconstructed due to defective road base manufactured by DuPont and installed by various builders. Plaintiff had originally demanded $100,000,000 in damages, but case settled globally for approximately one tenth of the demand with Top Grade paying only a small fraction of overall settlement, 2004
- Cal State University (San Francisco) v. Perini - Obtained favorable settlement (after 6 weeks of trial) for client, North Bay Drywall (the EIFS / drywall subcontractor) in a matter in which Plaintiff had originally demanded $100,000,000. Plaintiff claimed the 17-story multi-use student apartment building was so defective and mold-infested that it needed to be demolished and re-built. Case settled globally for amount offered by defense before trial began, less than one third of demand, and the building was successfully repaired., 2002
- Palmateer v. Ventura, et al - Obtained favorable settlement for client, Palmateer, in mold, trespass, and HOA CC&R enforcement action, 2007
- Danials v. Washington Mutual - Successfully set aside foreclosure sale of client, Daniels, primary residence, to allow client's sale to private buyer to be achieved at a profit to client, 2006
- Chavez v. Cabrera - Achieved court order setting aside prior binding arbitration award against client, Cabrera, a general contractor, then obtained a total defense arbitration award in favor of Cabrera at subsequent binding arbitration, 2007
- Whitsett v. Layne - Obtained favorable settlement for client Layne in defamation and "hacking" case (confidential settlement amount), 2008
- Ryer v. Muchlinski -Obtained favorable settlement for client, plaintiff, in real estate non-disclosure / construction defect case (amount of settlement confidential), 2008
- Lythgoe v. Commercial Mechanical Services - Obtained settlement of Dismissal with Prejudice for waiver of costs for client, Commercial Mechanical Services, in an alleged mold / fiberglass contamination case, 2008
Representative Clients:
- Taylor Mountain Development, Oakland Unified School District, RH Tinney, Daniel Aarons, Theodore and Queta Aarons, Michael Wilhelmsson, Scottsdale Insurance Company, Cedar Valley Shingles, Maui Waterproofing, 2013
- Steve Cornell, Rhoda and Terry MacDonald, Isa Gucciardi, CNA Insurance, CDR Construction, Top Grade Construction, 2004
- Marina Plumbing, CDR Construction, Erica Ryer, Cathy Palmateer, Commercial Mechanical Services, CNA Insurance, 2006
- All-Weather Architectural Aluminum, Carreiro Homes, Advanced Roofing, Inc., Manuel Medina, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Century Surety, 2014
- Praveen Chandra, Erica Ryer, Heather Gold, Lois Lane, Humphrey Wesenhegen, Alton Roofing, Roto Rooter (Don Calegari), CNA Insurance, Nationwide Insurance, 2007
- Daniel Aarons, Praveen Chandra, Roto Rooter (Don Calegari), Commercial Mechanical Services, CNA Insurance, Nationwide Insurance, 2008
- Parkland Homes, Midstate Construction, 2010
- Parkland Homes, 2009
- Parkland Homes, Daniel Aarons, Morgan Stanley, 2011
- Parkland Homes, Michael Wilhelmsson, 2012
- Top Grade Construction, CDR Construction, Daniel Aarons, Rhoda and Terry MacDonald, 2005
Pro bono/Community Service:
- Judge Pro Tem, Contra Costa Superior CourtAlternative Dispute Resolution Panel, Alameda Superior Court
Honors/Awards:
- "Top Lawyers of Bay Area", Bay Area Lawyer Magazine, 2005
- A-V Rating, Martindale Hubbell, 2004
- Earned "Superb" rating on Avvo.com, Avvo.com, 2013
Educational Background:
- BA - English Pre-Law from Washington State University, cum laude, 2004
- JD - University of California, Hastings College of Law, 1988
- Intensive Mediator Training (50 hours) - Pepperdine University, Strauss Institute for Dispute Resolution, 2005
- Mediation Training (40 Hours) - University of California, Berkeley, 2005
- Arbitrator Training I & II - American Arbitration Association, 2003
Other Outstanding Achievements:
- Won "Best Overall Program" for 2014 Earl Warren American Inn of Court, Team 4 Presentation, "Damn Giants" concerning Major League Baseball's Anti-Trust Exemption, 2014
Industry Groups:
- Earl Warren Inn Of Court
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