Paul Caleo is a Partner in the Walnut Creek office of GRSM. Mr. Caleo has 35 years of experience in trying cases. He is skilled in defending and protecting his clients’ interests before juries and fact finders. He is a member of the San Francisco Chapter of ABOTA and has successfully tried to verdict large loss/high risk personal injury cases in what are regarded as some of the most defendant hostile and plaintiff friendly venues in the country. His extensive experience allows him to economically and efficiently manage the risks presented to his clients by litigation throughout California both in the Claims stage and once the lawsuit is filed. Paul’s experience and reputation for integrity allows him to create a relationship with opposing counsel that can lead to early resolution.
Practice Experience
- Premier trial lawyer who has extensive experience in complex tort, personal injury and large loss cases involving claims of products liability, premises liability, government and public entity defense, construction site accidents and trucking/motor carrier accidents.
- Specializes in the defense of claims of traumatic brain injury (TBI).
- Routinely represents retail corporations of all sizes in a wide variety of cases including wrongful death, serious personal injuries, traumatic brain injury (TBI), loss prevention and retail theft cases, and injuries caused by the criminal acts of third parties, in addition to prosecuting and defending contractual indemnity claims and breach of retail lease contract claims.
- Represents Landlords in breach of warranty of habitability claims and in toxic mold exposure cases.
- Practiced law in his native Australia for four and one half years as a criminal defense attorney with one of the country's leading trial lawyers, Frank Galbally, and had the opportunity to defend clients charged with offenses ranging from murder and other serious felonies to misdemeanor battery and miscellaneous drug charges.
- Defends manufacturers, retailers and distributors of commercial and consumer products in cases involving claims of strict product liability, design defect, manufacturing defect, failure to warn and breach of warranty.
- Continues to represent trucking companies and motor carriers in catastrophic accidents and regulatory compliance matters.
- Represents restaurants and hospitality industry clients in a wide variety of litigation matters.
- Experience in defending toxic exposure cases.
Litigation
- Substantial trial experience including approximately 48 jury trials overall involving cases ranging from a wrongful death product liability suit; multiple retail store negligence cases; a retail theft battery and false imprisonment case; design defect and failure to warn; multiple cases involving traumatic brain injuries, PTSD and related cognitive deficits; and landlord/tenant cases involving exposure to toxic mold.
- His jury trial experience includes defending a tortious business interference case, as well as defending injury claims at trial involving a permanent vegetative state, fibromyalgia and TMJ syndrome. In the bifurcated phase of the wrongful death product liability trial, he successfully defended the claim against his client of successor liability.
- Tried through to jury verdict at least six trials involving claims of TBI.
Advice & Counsel
- Provides risk management and strategic advice and counsel to clients on litigation avoidance and Medicare Reimbursement Claims.
- Author, “Workers’ Compensation or Premises Liability – You Can’t Have It Both Ways”, Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM) – Safety National, June 16, 2020.
Admissions
- Australia
- California
- U.S. District Court, Northern, Eastern, Southern, and Central Districts of California
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth and Ninth Circuits
Memberships
- State Bar of California
- Alameda County Association
- Advance Australia
- American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) – San Francisco Chapter
- Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM)
- Defense Research Institute (DRI)
- Housing Authority Defense Attorneys (HADA)
- National Retail & Restaurant Defense Association (NRRDA)
- National Retail Federation (NRF)
- Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS)
Education
- LL.B., University of Melbourne, Australia, 1984
- B.A., University of Melbourne, Australia
Honors
- Highest available rating in Legal Ability and Ethics from Martindale-Hubbell.