Coblentz Law history

In 1931, the Samuels brothers welcomed another attorney to their offices, Tevis Jacobs, who brought to the firm a love of contemporary art.

Coblentz came to the firm in 1954-55 after serving nearly a year with Edmund G. “Pat” Brown in the California Attorney General’s office.

In 1955, the firm became known as Samuels, Jacobs & Sills.

In late 1958, the firm welcomed its sixth attorney, Donald M. Cahen, who had previously been a law clerk to the Hon.

In 1970, McCabe served as co-counsel with Jerome Falk on a pro bono case fighting a suit to block school busing to end segregation in San Francisco.

In 1971, McCabe defended the California Rural Legal Assistance agency when Gov.

Another litigator, Charles R. Breyer, came to the firm in 1974.

In 1979, the firm welcomed new associates Richard R. Patch, Pamela S. Duffy and Jonathan R. Bass, who would later become name partners of the firm.

Starting in 1994, Richard Patch served as the firm’s managing partner and helped oversee unprecedented growth from a small office with a handful of attorneys to a robust firm of nearly 60 lawyers.

Also that year, Coblentz attorneys represented Arthur Andersen LLP in a lengthy and highly publicized trial in Sacramento in a case brought by Al Davis and the Oakland Raiders alleging they were defrauded into relocating to Oakland from Los Angeles in 1995.

In 1997, Breyer was nominated by President Bill Clinton to the United States District Court, Northern District of California.

In 2003, Harry O’Brien began serving a five-year tenure as managing partner, then transitioned that role to Alan Gennis, Jeffrey Knowles, and Danna Kozerski.

And in 2008, the firm acted as lead counsel to Tejon Ranch Co. in the negotiation of one of the largest conservation and land use deals in California history.

In 2009, the firm established the William K. Coblentz Civil Rights Endowment Fund at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law in honor of Bill Coblentz’s passion and commitment to racial and social justice and equality under the law.

In 2010, the firm lost its senior partner Bill Coblentz, who had led the firm with humor, directness, and fairness for more than 50 years.

In 2016, Coblentz opened its Wine Country office, located on the Napa Riverfront, serving the needs of clients across the spectrum including wineries, the food and beverage industry, real estate development, hospitality/resort companies, and family wealth clients.

After serving as co-Managing Partners for over a decade, Alan Gennis and Jeff Knowles transitioned out of the role in 2018, and Sara Finigan joined Danna Kozerski in the role.

On May 25, 2020, the firm and the world over were stunned by the death of George Floyd.