Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberg - Summer 2018 - Firm Members Lead Norcal Wildfire Litigation

Sep 12, 2026

Summer 2018 issue highlights Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberg’s role in responding to devastating Northern California wildfires. Early investigation findings and evidence-preservation efforts are described alongside litigation aimed at holding PG&E accountable for ignition-caused damages, including safety failures and equipment maintenance. The publication also introduces Jade Smith-Williams as a new associate and summarizes firm members’ recent speaking engagements, awards, teaching, and professional contributions across trial advocacy, CLE programming, and legal education, including product-liability and medical recall-related matters.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

Firm Members SelectED to Lead Norcal Wildfire Litigation

Wildfire impact and investigation

Building a litigation consortium and victim support

Case consolidation efforts

Jade Smith-Williams Joins Firm as New Associate

Education and legal experience

Extracurricular leadership and awards

Transition from basketball to law school

Firm Updates and Professional Contributions

Teaching, speaking, and CLE participation

Awards and recognitions

Product liability and medical recall related updates

VOLUME XXII, NUMBER 1 SUMMER 2018 FIRM MEMBERS SELECTED TO LEAD NORCAL WILDFIRE LITIGATION Wide swaths of Northern California were devastated last October when electrically ignited wildfires raged over six counties. The fires burned thousands of acres, destroyed nearly 9,000 structures and killed 44 people. They were the most destructive fires in state history and the deadliest in a century. Early investigation pointed to PG&E electrical infra- preserve evidence at the ignition scenes. Building a five-firm consortium of experienced, aggressive and ethical civil litigation specialists, we worked to help victims with housing and safety issues, insurance claims, and rebuilding andrelocation challenges. Through community meetings and town hall gatherings we shared our knowledge with fire survivors. Once law firms began filing cases in multiple venues, it was equipment and service are safely maintained. Unfortunately, it has a long history of failing to protect public safety. In the aftermath of this disaster, Walkup firm members joined the investigation into fire cause and origin, demanding that PG&E structure, lines and equipment as the cause of the inferno. An investorowned, for-profit, public utility with monopolistic powers that delivers natural gas and electricity to 5.2 million customers throughout the northern two-thirds of California, PG&E is responsible for ensuring that its lines, clear that a streamlined process for litigating in a single court would best serve victims. Petitions were filed with the Judicial Council seeking to have the cases consolidated. While some lawyers argued for Sonoma, Napa and Sacramento, we Continued on page three Jade Smith-Williams Joins Firm as New Associate We are proud to welcome Jade Smith – Williams to the firm. Jade received her J.D. from UC Hastings in 2017 and her B.A. in Criminology from the University of California, Irvine. During her time at Hastings, she worked Justice Concentration program and successfully spearheaded a campaign that doubled the number of as a law clerk in the Civil Rights Enforcement Division of the California Department of Justice and represented low-wage earners in the Individual Representation Clinic and Workers’Rights Clinic. Jade was a member of the Social grants UC Hastings offered to law students pursuing public interest internships. She served as Senior Editor for the Hastings Law Journal and was on the Executive Board of the Black Law Students Association. She was selected as a 2016 San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association Fellow. While in law school Jade received multiple awards for academic excellence and exemplary leadership including the Nancy Stuart Public Interest Award (2017), the Outstanding Contributions to the UC Hastings Community Award (2016-17), and back-to-back Public Interest Awards (2015-16 and 2016-17) . Following undergraduate school at UC Irvine, Jade signed to play professional basketball overseas fulfilling a childhood dream. After two seasons playing in Slovakia, she took the plunge and entered law school. She recalls Continued on page two A Publication from the Law Offices of Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberg er |

Rich Schoeberger served as a faculty member at the NITA Western Regional Trial skills program… Spencer Pahlke was awarded the Eddie Ohlbaum Professionalism Award by Stetson University for outstanding trial advocacy teaching and for the success of the trial advocacy program at Berkeley Law (which he runs)… Mike Kelly was an invited speaker at 360 Advocacy’s “Go Big or Go Home “ damages seminar at the Encore Hotel in Las Vegas. Mike also presented at Trial Guides’ June seminar in San Francisco. Mike’s presentation was titled“Using Rules of the Road in Openings and Closings.” Mike was also honored with selection to the LawDragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America list for 2018-2019… In April Doris Cheng participated in a three day training of prosecutors in
Guyana as part o

FAQs

What was the focus of Walkup firm members’ work after the Northern California wildfires?

They joined investigations into fire cause and origin, emphasizing evidence preservation and litigation efforts aimed at accountability for ignition-related harm.

Why did the firms seek consolidation of cases?

A streamlined process for litigating in a single court was sought to best serve wildfire victims as petitions were filed with the Judicial Council.

Who is Jade Smith-Williams and what does she bring to the firm?

She joins as a new associate, bringing a J.D. from UC Hastings and prior legal experience including civil rights work and clinic representation, along with recognized leadership and academic awards.

Sep 12, 2026

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