History
Pacific Legal Group, PC is a professional law corporation headquartered in San Francisco, California but with a practice throughout the western United States. In addition to prosecuting and defending all stages of civil litigation and prosecuting probate claims in both California and Hawaii, our firm specializes in representing clients in appeals in the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (California, Hawaii, Washington State, Oregon, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Arizona, Alaska, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands) and the state appellate courts in California and Hawaii. For demonstrated experience, knowledge and expertise, the firm's founder has been certified as an appellate specialist by the California Board of Legal Specialization.
Our attorneys have decades of experience in helping people and businesses resolve their disputes, both before a lawsuit has been filed and afterward, from the inception of case all the way to the United States Supreme Court. Whether you are confronting a business dispute and hope to avoid the court system through mediation, arbitration or other alternative dispute processes, or whether you have already been through a grueling trial and are now facing an appeal, we can help.
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Finding the right attorney is not always easy. That is why we offer free consultations to discuss your needs and to assist you in deciding if we are the right choice for you.
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Managing Attorney
FOUNDER
Douglas A. Applegate
Since 1989, Doug has worked in San Francisco as a civil trial and appellate lawyer. He has represented clients in all phases of civil litigation, and his practice has included jury trials, arbitration proceedings and bench trials, together with appeals in both the state and federal courts. He acted as the primary appellate counsel in several leading cases that established new law, including North South Finance Corp. v. Al-Turki (2nd Cir. 1996), in which the New York federal appellate court established new standards for the extra-territorial reach of the federal racketeering laws, County of Contra Costa v. Pinole Point Properties, Inc. (Cal. App. 1994), in which the California appellate court established new rules governing the use of appraisals in eminent domain proceedings, Montgomery v. McMath (9th Cir. 2000), addressing the federal preemption doctrine under ERISA, and Zack’s, Inc. v. City of Sausalito (Cal. App. 2008), discussing the public trust doctrine and limitations on the public use of underwater streets. Doug is certified as an appellate specialist by the California Board of Legal Specialization.
Doug holds the highest AV 5 star peer rating from Martindale-Hubbell, is certified as a top attorney in North America by Who's Who and for more than ten years has been designated as Super Lawyer with a ranking in the top 5% of attorneys practicing in Northern California.
Education
The Law School
The University of Chicago
Juris Doctor, 1989, with honors
University of Dayton
B.A., summa cum laude, 1986
Activities & Affiliations
• Senior Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
• Bar Association of San Francisco
• Who's Who in American Law, 14th edition
• Super Lawyer
• Who's Who Top Attorneys in North America
Bar Admissions
• United States Supreme Court
• State Bar of California
• State Bar of Hawaii
• United States Court of Appeal for the Ninth Circuit
• United States District Court for the Northern District of California
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of California
• United States District Court for the Central District of California
• United States District Court for the District of Hawaii
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin