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Karman Guadagni - San Francisco, CA
870 Market StreetSuite 1285 San Francisco, CA 94102
Stebner Gertler & Guadagni
San Francisco Elder Law Lawyer
Overview
Karman Guadagni is the Managing Partner at Stebner Gertler Guadagni & Kawamoto. Her practice primarily focuses on institutional elder abuse litigation, with an emphasis on litigating cases involving pressure ulcers, falls, sexual abuse and other serious injury and death cases against residential care facilities for the elderly and nursing homes throughout California.
Karman is committed to advocating on behalf of the elderly, dependent adults and their families to compensate them for wrongs they have suffered. She is also dedicated to fighting for reform within the long term care industry. She has achieved successful results for plaintiffs in trial, mediation and arbitration throughout California.
Karman was selected as a California Super Lawyer in 2022, and was recognized as a Rising Star annually between 2015-2021. She has served as a guest professor at Stanford Law since 2015, and is a frequent speaker and author on topics related to elder abuse and neglect. Karman is on the board of the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, where she co-chairs the New Lawyer’s Division and is the president of Friends of ECDC, a nonprofit benefitting Emeryville Child Development Center.
Karman Guadagni’s profile in the January 2021 edition of Plaintiffs Magazine.
Material Breach for Failure to Pay Arbitration Fees by Karman Guadagni and Kelsey Craven
Speaking Engagements
- “Group Dynamics and Jury Selection”, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association New Lawyer Division Adventure Conference, Santa Cruz, CA, June 2024
- Deposition Workshop, Co-Chair, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association New Lawyer Division Adventure Conference, Santa Cruz, CA, June 2024
- “How to be a Better Ally: Reconsidering Assumptions About Women Mediators”, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, San Francisco, CA, August 2024
- “Sexual Assault in Long Term Care Facilities”, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, San Francisco, CA, January 16, 2024
- Panel Discussion, Chairperson, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, San Francisco, CA, January 16, 2024
- “Using EADACPA in Cases Against Rehab and Mental Health Facilities”, Consumer Attorneys of California Hawaii Travel Seminar, Maui, Hawaii, November 29, 2023
- “Undermining Elder Abuse Defenses at Trial”, California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, November 17, 2023
- “The Art of War: Litigation and the Sun Tzu Way”, Santa Clara County Trial Lawyers Association Belli Trial Skills Seminar, San Jose, September 28, 2023
- “Elder Abuse & the Unruh Act: Stacking Fee Provisions to Benefit Your Client”, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association New Lawyer Division Adventure Conference, Santa Cruz, CA, June 2023
- “Using EADACPA in Cases Against Rehab and Mental Health Facilities”, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Ski & CLE, Tahoe, CA, January 2023
- “Ten Tips for Success from the Second Chair” San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, June 2022
- "Elder Abuse in the Age of COVID", November 20th, 2021, Consumer Attorneys of Calirfornia Annual Convention, San Francisco, CA
- "Elder Abuse- A Primer", June 19th, 2021, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association New Lawyers Division Adventure Conference, Santa Cruz, CA
- "The Art of War: Taking Depositions the Sun Tzu Way", October 15th, 2020, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association New Lawyer Division
- "Pre-Litigation Resolution: Mediation Strategies, Case Valuation, and Fulfilling Client Goals” November 23rd, 2019, CANHR’s 23rd Annual Elder Law Conference, Monterrey, CA
- “A Cluster What? Tips for Navigating Expedited Multi-Plaintiff Suits When Class and Mass Don’t Apply” November 13, 2019, CAOC
- "Gender Roles at Mediation and in Negotiations", July 25, 2019, SFTLA Women's Caucus Event
- "Elder Abuse Damages", April 30, 2019, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Panel, San Francisco, California
- "Sonoma Fire Cases- Lessons Learned", March 28, 2019, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Tahoe Ski Seminar
- “Timely Topics: Shifting the Balance”, November 16, 2018, CAOC Convention, San Francisco, CA.
- "Sexual Abuse Cases", November 2018- Consumer Attorneys of California Convention, San Francisco, California
- “Elder Abuse: Quick Hits from the Masters, Litigating Sexual Abuse in Elder Care Facilities”, March 16, 2018, The Donald L. Galine Sonoma Travel Seminar CAOC, Sonoma, CA
- "Dementia Specialist Facilities”, January 27, 2018, SFTLA Ski Seminar.
- “Bringing Cases Against Dementia Specialist Facilities” November 18, 2017, CAOC, San Francisco, CA
- “Litigating Elder Abuse/ Neglect in Assisted Living Facilities”, June 21, 2017, National Webinar
- “Elder Abuse in Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly –New Legislation and its Potential Impact on Elder Abuse Cases in California”, May 9, 2017, CAOC Elder Abuse Round Table, San Francisco, CA
- “From the Ground up: Proving Managing Agent Liability in Elder Abuse Cases”, March 10, 2017, SFTLA NLD Tahoe Conference
- “Liens: Practice Pointer from the Experts or Everything You (Never) Wanted to Know” –Moderator, April 1, 2016, the Donald L. Galine Travel Seminar CAOC, Sonoma, CA
- “Turning a Single Event into a Systems Case”, March 29, 2016, National Webinar
- “Having it All”, March 7, 2017, SFTLA Women’s Caucus, San Francisco, CA
- “Cases against Six Bed Assisted Living Facilities for Elders”, January 29, 2016, SFTLA –New Lawyers Division Tahoe Ski Seminar
- "Cases Against Assisted Living Facilities", September 30, 2015 – Practice Pointers –
- “Every Thing You Need to Know About Elder Abuse in 15 Minutes”, February 1, 2013, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association Tahoe Ski Seminar, San Francisco, CA
- “Medicare Liens and Standing in Survivorship Actions”, November 16, 2012, California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform Conference,
- “Bed Sores and Hospital Infections”, March 3, 2011, Med School for Lawyers-–CAOC Webinar
About Karman Guadagni
Current Employment Position(s)
- Managing Partner
Practice Areas
- Elder Law
- Nursing Home
- Personal Injury - Plaintiff
- Wrongful Death - Plaintiff
Qualifications
Bar Admissions
- California, 2009
- U.S. District Court Central District of California, 2009
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of California, 2009
- U.S. District Court Northern District of California, 2009
- U.S. District Court Southern District of California, 2009
Other Affiliations
- San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Women's Caucus (Member)
- San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, New Lawyer's Division (Member)
- Consumer Attorneys of California (Member)
- Queen's Bench (Member)
- Work/Life Balance and Employment Committee at Queen's Bench (Co-Chair)
- California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, 2023 - Present (Lawyer Referral Service Advisory Committee)
Past Positions
- Levy, Ram & Olson, San Francisco, California, Law Clerk, 2008
- First Amendment Project, Oakland, California, Intern, 2007
- Women's Initiative, San Francisco, California, Volunteer Writer, 2005
- Eugene Weekly, Eugene, Oregon, Freelance Writer, 2004
- Eugene Weekly, Eugene, Oregon, Editorial Intern, 2003 - 2004
Education
- University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings), San Francisco, California, 2009
J.D. - University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, 2003
B.A.
Honors: Dean's List
Honors: Phi Beta Kappa
Honors: Golden Key Society
Honors: Kappa Tau Alpha
Honors: National Society of Collegiate Honors
Honors: Dean's Scholar
Major: Journalism
Minor: Spanish
Articles
Published Works
- "CAOC’s Justice Day: Preserving the Right to a Jury Trial", The Trial Lawyer. San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association. Summer 2024
- “Unconscionable Actions”, Los Angeles Lawyer, The Los Angeles County Bar Association, June 2024
- "Understanding Residential Care Facilities", Chapter Four, California Elder Law Litigation: An Advocate's Guide (Co-Author), Continuing Education of the Bar, California 2023
- "Understanding Residential Care Facilities", Chapter Four, California Elder Law Litigation: An Advocate's Guide (Co-Author) Continuing Education of the Bar, California 2022
- Behind the curtain in California’s six-bed residential care facilities for the elderly, Forum Magazine, May-June, 2022
- The intersections of elder abuse and the Unruh Civil Rights Act, Forum Magazine, November-December, 2019
- Elders in the Inferno, Forum Magazine, May-June, 2019
- What's the Point, Forum Magazine, May-June, 2019
- "Know the Score", Trial Magazine, December, 2017
- Picking your battles – Arbitration Clauses in Nursing Homes, Forum Magazine, May-June, 2016
- Follow the Money Trail - Holding Corporate Owners of RCFEs Directly Liable as Licensees, Legal Network News, California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, Fall, 2013
Office Information
Address
870 Market StreetSuite 1285 San Francisco, CA 94102
Phone
Fax
- 415-362-9801
Websites
Achievements
Other Sources of Feedback About Karman Guadagni
Included on the 2025 Northern California Super Lawyers list
Past Lists
- 2024 Northern California Super Lawyers list
- 2023 Northern California Super Lawyers list
- 2022 Northern California Super Lawyers list
- 2021 Northern California Super Lawyers list
- 2020 Northern California Super Lawyers list
- 2019 Northern California Super Lawyers list
- 2018 Northern California Super Lawyers list
- 2017 Northern California Super Lawyers list
- 2016 Northern California Super Lawyers list
- 2015 Northern California Super Lawyers list
Honors
- Distinguished Female Attorney of the Year – SFTLA, 2019
- Rising Star - Northern California Super Lawyers, 2015 - 2017
- 2022 Super Lawyer
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