Stephen Squillario

Stephen J. Squillario's professional E&O practice focuses on the defense of lawyers and accountants. Stephen has worked with both domestic and London-based insurance companies, and his clients regularly entrust him to defend them against high-value, complex claims. For these matters, the underlying representation has concerned such fields as real property transactions, unlawful detainer, Ellis Act evictions, administrative law, employment law, insurance coverage/bad faith, corporate law, business dissolution, mechanics’ lien, family law, elder law, contracts, torts, estate planning, probate, intellectual property, and debt collection. In addition, Mr. Squillario provides risk management counseling to clients and has defended lawyers against malicious prosecution claims, in each instance filing successful anti-SLAPP motions resulting in prompt dismissal. Moreover, he served as a co-first chair in a legal malpractice binding arbitration where the arbitrator awarded the claimant less than 15% of his requested damages.

With respect to his appellate practice, Stephen has successfully handled appeals from start to finish. This included drafting the Respondents’ Briefs and arguing the matters to the First Appellate District of the California Court of Appeal, which, in one instance, affirmed the trial court’s decision granting his clients’ anti-SLAPP Motion and, in the other, affirmed the trial court’s decision imposing terminating sanctions. In addition, he has drafted an Appellants’ Opening Brief, Petitions for Writ of Mandate, and a Petition for Review to the California Supreme Court.

Stephen also has extensive experience representing small, medium, and large businesses in California state and federal courts. These matters have involved trade secret misappropriation claims, personal injury claims, product liability, property damage, construction defect, premises liability, contractor liability, employment law, Proposition 65, breach of contract claims, business disputes, and transportation litigation. In particular, he represents trucking companies involved in vehicular and workplace accidents as part of the firm’s Immediate Response protocol and in litigation in Northern California. Such accidents have involved multiple vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles, and/or fatalities.