We have centuries of combined experience in appellate courts
Our lawyers have spent their careers steeped in appellate practice and procedure, so our clients have the best possible chance of success on appeal.
Boutique service, no compromises.
Our firm is one of the nation’s most highly regarded legal practices for high-stakes appeals, especially in the California and federal appellate courts. Major companies and individuals turn to us when everything is at stake.
We also have exceptional experience with appellate writs, amicus briefs, and Supreme Court petitions, and we consult with and embed into trial teams, ensuring appellate perspectives are a central part of our clients’ litigation strategy.
Because we are a specialty boutique, our costs are often substantially less than what larger firms charge, and each case matters to us more.
Our lawyers are seasoned appellate attorneys, with extensive experience at elite law firms and behind the scenes of state and federal appellate courts. They have devoted their careers — often decades — to appellate work. We have no associates learning on the job. Few firms can match our level of knowledge about the courts, judges, and justices who will decide your appeal.
Our lawyers regularly win awards recognizing their expertise. They frequently publish expert articles on appellate topics, teach about appellate practice, and serve on important committees related to the appellate courts.
Read on to learn more about us.
Our lawyers have spent their careers steeped in appellate practice and procedure, so our clients have the best possible chance of success on appeal.
In SEC v. Peterson, et al., CALG persuaded the 9th Circuit to …
The Complex Appellate Litigation Group is proud to announce that Kelly Woodruff …
CALG's Kelly Woodruff and Pat Benke successfully persuaded the California Court of …
A significant part of my practice entails writing friend of the court, …
This article was authored by M.C. Sungaila in conjunction with Stacy Bratcher, …
A statute with origins in 1872 has potentially dramatic implications for the …
The Daily Journal named our firm one of the Top 20 Boutiques in California in 2016, the only appellate boutique in the state to make that list.
The prestigious Chambers & Partners describes CALG as a “[d]istinguished appellate boutique which acts for an impressive client base of major corporates, mid-market companies and individuals in complex appeals.” It also includes several CALG attorneys by name, including Rex Heinke and M.C. Sungaila.
The Daily Journal has named M.C. Sungaila one of the Top 100 Women Lawyers in California each year for the past 13 years, more than any other appellate lawyer.
The Daily Journal also named Anna-Rose Mathieson one of the Top 100 Women Lawyers in California in 2017, 2019, and 2020.
Johanna Schiavoni has repeatedly been included as one of San Diego’s “Top 25 Women Attorneys” by Super Lawyers.
Kelly Woodruff has been named one of the “Top Women Attorneys in Northern California” by San Francisco Magazine every year since 2018.