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Firm Location

Lankford & Crawford LLP is located in the San Francisco Bay Area and less than twenty miles from downtown San Francisco.

The firm's offices are located at the corner of Brookwood and Moraga Way. Please contact Office Manager Katherine Nguyen for more information at 925.258.901 x 302 or knguyen@lclaw.com.Click here for directions on MapQuestAttorney Profiles

Partner Paul V. Lankfordplankford@lclaw.com925.258.9091 x 304More

Partner Dawson G. Crawforddcrawford@lclaw.com925.258.9091 x 300More

Partner Paula C. Morenopmoreno@lclaw.com925.258.9091 x 305More

Welcome to the Firm

With over thirty years of combined experience, Lankford & Crawford LLP provides expertise in commercial and estate litigation, estate planning and transactional matters. Our clients include both individuals and international corporations such as Ford Motor Company and General Motors Corporation.

Prior to forming Lankford & Crawford LLP, Paul Lankford served as a partner in a 500-attorney international law firm where he was also co-chair of the firm’s products liability department. After several years of intensive litigation work in a firm recognized for its trial expertise, Dawson Crawford has spent the last decade heading a law practice specializing in estate planning and probate and trust litigation. Partner Paula Moreno has spent her career specializing in complex and high-stakes litigation.

Practice Areas

Commercial Litigation, Toxic Tort & Products Liability

Lankford & Crawford LLP attorneys have worked on numerous commercial litigation, product liability, toxic tort and asbestos cases. They provide representation to a diverse group of industries, including aerospace, automotive, petroleum, medical device, industrial and commercial construction, semiconductor manufacturing and diet product manufacturing and distribution.More Information

Trust & Probate Litigation

Probate litigation is a complex and unique area of law. Not only are the firm's attorneys experienced litigators, they are extremely knowledgeable in the particular issues that arise in this domain such as: disputes over a will, trust, power of attorney, the administration of an estate or trust, or the appointment of a conservator or guardian.

More Information

Estate Planning, Probate & Trust Administration

When you meet with an attorney at Lankford & Crawford LLP, they will help you decide the best way to provide for and protect your loved ones. If a loved one has recently passed away, the firm's attorneys can guide and assist you with the sometimes overwhelming and confusing probate and trust process.More Information

Serving estate planning and probate litigation clients throughout the Bay Area, including in Moraga, Lafayette, Lamorinda, Walnut Creek, Berkeley, Montclair, Danville, Alamo, Piedmont and Contra Costa

Commercial Litigation

Commercial LitigationPractice Areas

* Antitrust and trade actions * Breach of fiduciary duty * Business dissolutions * Consumer fraud and consumer protection issues * Contract disputes * Corporate management and control * Debt collection actions * Employment disputes * Franchise disputes * Non-competition agreements * Partnership and shareholder conflicts * Tortuous interference with contracts or business relationships * Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) disputes

Commercial Litigation

Business relationships and commercial transactions many times can turn into heated disputes, resulting in costly litigation. If the parties are unable to resolve the conflict through negotiations or settlement discussions, litigation may be the only option. When you are faced with a commercial litigation dispute, you need the assistance of experienced commercial litigation attorneys.Toxic Torts & Product Liability

The attorneys at Lankford & Crawford LLP have successfully defended a wide array of product liability and toxic tort actions, including claims of fiber inhalation, chemical exposure, groundwater contamination, product defects, medical device defects, and automotive defects. They have examined hundreds of lay and expert witnesses and many years of trial experience.

The firm's legal team is national counsel and national trial counsel for

Toxic Tort & Products LiabilityPractice Areas

* Asbestos personal injury * Automotive defect * Chemical exposure * Diet and herbal product defect * Fiber inhalation * Groundwater contamination * Medical device defect * Personal injury * Silica personal injury * Wrongful death

asbestos litigation for Ford Motor Company and General Motors Corporation. They are also Ford Motor Company’s national counsel for silica litigation. In these capacities, the firm oversees the defense of thousands of personal injury and wrongful death claims in thirty states. The firm's attorneys have also held positions such as national science counsel, national trial counsel and national counsel for several other companies. With more than a decade of experience, the attorneys at Lankford & Crawford LLP have successfully defended asbestos personal injury matters in all phases of litigation, including the appellate level.

Trust & Probate Litigation

Practice Areas

* Actions involving “No contest” clauses * Actions to remove fiduciaries * Claims of an estate against third parties * Conservatorships * Contests based upon undue influence or lack of capacity * Defense and prosecution of breach of fiduciary duties, such as mismanagement or misallocation of assets and avoiding conflicts of interest * Disputed property claims under Probate Code § 850 * Inventory and appraisal litigation

Trust & Probate Litigation

The attorneys at Lankford & Crawford LLP are seasoned trial lawyers with many years of experience in the probate courts. The firm's lawyers possess extensive knowledge of the substantive law and unique procedures applicable to trust and probate disputes, whether that involves mediation, settlement discussions, or going to trial. They know when to negotiate and when to litigate. If you are experiencing issues or problems surrounding a probate or trust, contact Lankford & Crawford LLP to ensure you are protected.

Practice Areas (Cont.)

* Lawsuits invalidating gifts under Probate Code § 21350 * Petitions for property not properly titled in a trust * Probate Code § 11700 proceedings to determine who takes under a will or as an heir * Proceedings involving ambiguous provisions in a will or trust and trust reformation * Property rights disputes * Third-party claims against an estate * Trust and estate accounting disputes * Valuation disagreements * Will and trust contests

Estate Planning & Probate

Estate PlanningPractice Areas

* Advance Health Care Directives * Living Trusts * Minors Irrevocable Trusts * Powers of Attorney * Special Needs Trusts * Wills

Estate Planning Questionnaire

Estate Planning

No matter what your age, marital status, or financial wealth, if you have assets, you should have an estate plan in the event of your death or incapacitation. Without this, your loved ones could be exposed to additional grief and expense. The attorneys at Lankford & Crawford LLP can work with you to develop an estate plan to best suit your priorities, resources, and responsibilities.Probate & Trust Administration

The death of a loved one is a very difficult time in a person’s life. The firm’s attorneys are experienced with assisting clients during this emotional time, and guiding you thought this process. Regardless of whether your loved one passed away with a trust, a will, or without specifying their wishes, Lankford & Crawford LLP can help you during your time of need.

Probate & Trust AdministrationPractice Areas

* Advising trustees and personal representatives with legal and tax issues * Compiling an inventory and valuation of assets * Dealing with creditor claims * Distributing and selling assets * Filing estate and fiduciary income tax returns * Notifying trust beneficiaries and heirs * Preparing necessary court documents * Reviewing how assets are titled

Probate & Trust Administration Questionnaire

Attorneys

Paul V. Lankford

Partner

Paul Lankford represents clients on both the local and national levels in all phases of commercial litigation, toxic tort litigation, and products liability litigation.

EmailDawson G. Crawford

Partner

Dawson Crawford practice focuses on estate and probate litigation, estate administration, and estate planning.

EmailPaula C. Moreno

Partner

Paula Moreno’s practice concentrates on commercial litigation with an emphasis on toxic tort, product liability, and contract disputes, and has trial experience in each of these areas.

Email

Lankford & Crawford Attorneys

Click a Bio button to the left to view a full Biography

Paul V. Lankford

Paul V. Lankford

Partner

Paul Lankford represents clients on both the local and national levels in all phases of commercial litigation, toxic tort litigation, and products liability litigation.

EmailDawson G. Crawford

Partner

Dawson Crawford practice focuses on estate and probate litigation, estate administration, and estate planning.

EmailPaula C. Moreno

Partner

Paula Moreno’s practice concentrates on commercial litigation with an emphasis on toxic tort, product liability, and contract disputes, and has trial experience in each of these areas.

Email

Paul V. Lankford

Primary Areas of Legal Practice

Commercial Litigation, Products Liability and Toxic Tort

Professional Experience

In 2005, Mr. Lankford was selected by San Francisco Magazine as a "Northern California Super Lawyer."

Mr. Lankford represents clients on both the local and national levels in all phases of commercial litigation, toxic tort litigation and products liability litigation. He provides representation to a diverse group of industries, including aerospace, automotive, petroleum, medical device, industrial and commercial construction, semiconductor manufacturing and diet product manufacturing and distribution.

He has successfully defended a wide array of product liability and toxic tort actions, including claims of fiber inhalation, chemical exposure, groundwater contamination, diet and

herbal product defect, medical device defect and automotive defect. Mr. Lankford has examined hundreds of lay and expert witnesses and has extensive trial experience.

Mr. Lankford is national counsel and national trial counsel for asbestos litigation for Ford Motor Company and General Motors Corporation. In that capacity, he oversees the defense of thousands of asbestos personal injury and wrongful death claims in thirty states. In addition, he has held positions as national science counsel, national trial counsel and national counsel for several other companies. For more than a decade, he has successfully defended asbestos personal injury matters in all phases of litigation, including the appellate level. He also serves as Ford Motor Company’s national counsel for silica litigation.

Prior to founding Lankford & Crawford, Mr. Lankford was a partner at the 600 attorney international law firm Thelan Reid Brown Raysman. He was also co-chair of Thelan's Toxic Torts and Products Liability Department.

Past and Present Representative Clients

Ford Motor Company, General Motors Corporation, Chrysler Corporation, Shell Oil Company, Bechtel Corporation, Texaco Refining & Marketing, Inc., Dole Foods, AXT Inc., ADNC Inc., Olympus and Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation.

Representative Matters

Lead trial counsel in numerous asbestos litigation matters.

Former national trial counsel for asbestos litigation for Shell Oil Company.

Represented Bechtel Corporation as part of national counsel team defending thousands of personal injury and wrongful death cases involving exposure from asbestos.

Represented Shell Oil Company as part of national counsel team defending thousands of personal injury and wrongful death cases involving exposure from asbestos.

Represented

semiconductor manufacturer in personal injury action alleging severe birth defects from in utero exposures to chemicals used in the manufacturing process.

Represented product supplier in multidistrict litigation involving personal injury and wrongful death claims from consumption of diet product.

Represented leading medical device manufacturer in claim of respiratory disease from alleged defective medical device.

Represented contractor in action alleging respiratory disease from inhalation of fiberglass.

Represented equipment manufacturer in claims of career ending injuries as a result of alleged defects in industrial construction equipment.

Represented manufacturer in action alleging personal injury from inhalation of cleaning chemicals.

Represented manufacturer in action alleging millions of dollars in crop damage from defective product.

Represented property owner in action alleging contaminated groundwater from leaking underground fuel tanks.

Represented manufacturer of semiconductor manufacturing equipment in personal injury action alleging exposure to chemicals from alleged defects in design of equipment.

Education

University of San Francisco (J.D., 1995)University of San Francisco Maritime Law Journal Technical Editor, 1993-1994

University of California, Riverside (B.A., 1991)Political ScienceDean's Honor List

Bar Admissions

California, 1995

Dawson G. Crawford

Paul V. Lankford

Partner

Paul Lankford represents clients on both the local and national levels in all phases of commercial litigation, toxic tort litigation, and products liability litigation.

EmailDawson G. Crawford

Partner

Dawson Crawford practice focuses on estate and probate litigation, estate administration, and estate planning.

EmailPaula C. Moreno

Partner

Paula Moreno’s practice concentrates on commercial litigation with an emphasis on toxic tort, product liability, and contract disputes, and has trial experience in each of these areas.

Email

Dawson G. Crawford

Primary Areas of Legal Practice

Estate and Trust Litigation, Inheritance Disputes, Probate, Trust Administration, Estate Planning.

Professional Experience

Mr. Crawford’s practice focuses on the representation of trustees, executors, and beneficiaries in estate and trust litigation, in particular the defense or prosecution of will and trust contests, property disputes, undue influence, fraud, spousal rights, inheritance and insurance disputes, and accountings. He has successfully litigated estates ranging from $46 million to $460,000.00, winning cases before judges and juries.

In addition, Mr. Crawford has also completed the estate plans for over 1000 clients, which have involved Living Trusts, Wills, Powers of Attorney, Health Care Directives, Deeds, and Irrevocable Trusts.

Prior to founding Lankford & Crawford, LLP, Mr. Crawford was a partner at Eagle & Crawford, LLP, and from 1995 to 1998 he was an associate at the litigation firm of Clapp, Moroney, Bellagamba, Davis & Vucinich in Menlo Park, CA.

Education

Santa Clara University School of Law (J.D., 1995);Pomona College (B.A. 1991);Bellarmine College Preparatory (1985).

Bar Admissions

California, 1995Hawaii, 2003

Professional Affiliations

Member: Santa Clara County Bar AssociationSan Francisco County Bar AssociationHawaii State Bar Association

Paula C. Moreno

Paul V. Lankford

Partner

Paul Lankford represents clients on both the local and national levels in all phases of commercial litigation, toxic tort litigation, and products liability litigation.

EmailDawson G. Crawford

Partner

Dawson Crawford practice focuses on estate and probate litigation, estate administration, and estate planning.

EmailPaula C. Moreno

Partner

Paula Moreno’s practice concentrates on commercial litigation with an emphasis on toxic tort, product liability, and contract disputes, and has trial experience in each of these areas.

Email

Paula C. Moreno

Primary Areas of Legal Practice

Commercial Litigation, Products Liability and Toxic Tort

Professional Experience

Ms. Moreno's practice focuses on commercial litigation with an emphasis on toxic tort, product liability, and contract disputes and has trial experience in each of these areas. Ms. Moreno has served as local and national counsel in cases involving asbestos-containing products, benzene, and chemical exposures, and has managed and supported all phases of litigation, including discovery, experts, and trial in jurisdictions throughout the U.S. She is currently Ford Motor Company and General Motors Corporation’s national asbestos litigation counsel in over thirty states and is national silica counsel for Ford Motor Company. Ms. Moreno has also represented clients in antitrust and other commercial litigation matters and was an

associate at Thelen Reid Brown Raysman & Steiner LLP from 2002-2008.

Past and Present Representative Clients

Ford Motor Company, General Motors Corporation, Chrysler Corporation, NEC, Texaco Refining and Marketing, Inc., Sims Metal, AXT Inc., Shell Oil Company, Olympus, and Fitatallis North America, Inc., Jiffy Lube

Representative Matters

Obtained defense verdict for international furniture wholesaler in case involving breach of contract claim.

Lead case attorney in numerous asbestos matters for Ford Motor Company, Chrysler Corporation, Shell Oil Company, New Holland and other companies.

Represented property and business owners in matters involving ground water contamination from leaking waste storage tanks.

Represented leading medical device manufacturer in claim of respiratory disease from alleged defective medical

device.

Represented one of world’s largest oil companies in contract dispute with service station dealer involving fuel pricing and lost profit allegations.

Represented major metal processor and exporter in California Unfair Competition action.

Represented manufacturer in personal injury action alleging birth defects from in utero exposures to chemicals used in semiconductor manufacturing process.

Education

Santa Clara University School of Law (J.D., 2002)

University of California, Berkeley (B.A., 1999)Political Science

Bar Admissions

California, 2002

Professional Affiliations

San Francisco La Raza Lawyers Association, Past Director At Large

After-School All-Stars, Board Member