Walnut Creek California Attorney
H. Larry Elam
larry@vefirm.com
Toll Free: (866) 451-9693
Born:
Los Angeles, California, April 9, 1962
Education:
California State University at Los Angeles, B.A., 1991
Santa Clara University School of Law, J.D., 1995
Practice Areas:
Asbestos Litigation, Personal Injury, Business Litigation, Auto Accident , Commercial Litigation, Wrongful Death , Maritime Personal Injury, Employment Law (Harassment, Discrimination and Whistleblower Protection cases), Insurance Bad Faith, Construction Defects, Consumer Protection & Products Liability (Segway Accidents), Mass Torts
Peer Review Rating: AV Rated
Membership:
San Francisco and American Bar Associations; State Bar of California; American Trial Lawyers Association.
Admissions:
1995, California
Biography:
Finalist, Russell M. Galloway Moot Court Competition, 1992-1993. Author, "United States: Toxic Torts: An Overview, May 21, 2004. Contributing Author, "California Supreme Court to Decide Issues of Preemption and Primary Jurisdiction in Mass Tort Groundwater Contamination Cases, May 14, 2001. Speaker, "Civil Litigation and Discovery for the Litigation Paralegal" National Business Institute, June 2001 and 2002.
Henry Larry Elam III was born in Los Angeles, California in 1962. He is married to Felicia Elam and they have two children. He is a Christian and a member of The Market Street Seventh Day Adventist Church, Oakland, where he is an Elder.
In the early 1990s, Mr. Elam was hired by the U.S. Attorney’s Office as a clerk in its civil division. He eventually worked his way up to the criminal division where he was the Grand Jury Coordinator for the federal grand juries utilized in the Central District of California. It was from this experience that he was convinced that he wanted to become a lawyer. The journey began in 1992, when he attended Santa Clara University Law School after graduating from California State University at Los Angeles in 1991. He was accorded the degree of Juris Doctor from the University of Santa Clara in 1995.
In December 1995, he became a member of the State Bar of California. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Elam began his career as a lawyer with the Washington, D.C.-based McKenna & Cuneo, LLP in its San Francisco Office. Mr. Elam started his career as a general litigation associate where he practiced law in the areas of product liability, labor and employment and business disputes.
In February 1998, Mr. Elam left the San Francisco Office of McKenna & Cuneo and joined the California-based law firm of Carroll, Burdick & McDonough, LLP in San Francisco, where his practice focused on toxic tort defense and lemon law defense of auto manufacturers Volvo Cars of North America and Mitsubishi Motors of North America.
In July 2001, Mr. Elam joined the national law firm of Holland and Knight, LLP as an associate where his practice focused on defense of Fortune 500 businesses in the areas of product liability, personal injury, trademark infringement, construction defects, and breach of contract matters. In 2003, Mr. Elam was elevated to Partner and continued his representation of Fortune 500 businesses.
After becoming a partner at Holland & Knight, Mr. Elam co-founded the plaintiff firm of The Venardi Elam Firm, LLP in October 2004. Since that time, he has represented injured individuals and consumers in recovering damages arising from industrial accidents, construction accidents, motor vehicle accidents, and defective products. In addition, Mr. Elam continues to represent businesses in disputes with other businesses, as well as individuals in residential and commercial construction defect matters, employees wrongfully terminated, and automobile lemon law matters.
Mr. Elam’s expertise also includes the following:
- Amputation injuries
- Asbestos cases
- Automobile Lemon law
- Catastrophic injury from automobile accidents
- Construction defects (residential/commercial)
- Wrongful deaths resulting from serious injuries
- Locomotive/train related injuries
- Products liability
- Wrongful termination / harassment of employees
The majority of our clients are wrongfully terminated employees and injured persons whose injuries are of such severity as to reduce or eliminate their earning capacities in their chosen occupation. In addition, we represent small business owners in disputes with other businesses. We have been very successful in the initial two years of our plaintiffs’ practice with verdicts or settlements currently excess of $10 million.
Mr. Elam was honored with the distinguished designation of Martindale-Hubbell’s AV rating, which is the highest peer reviewed rating awarded to lawyers. He is a member of the Association of Trial Lawyers Association, the Consumer Attorneys of California, and the State Bar of California. He is also a Commissioner in the City of Pittsburg’s Recreation Commission.
His other activities include serving as a commissioner for the City of Pittsburg’s Recreation Commission, and also serving as a Judge Pro Tem for the San Francisco Superior Court. AV Peer Review Rated
