problems for
our clients
since 1950
Attorney Information
Location
155 Grand Avenue, Suite 1050
Oakland, CA 94612
T: 510.832.7770
F: 510.832.0102
V-Card
Practice Groups
Construction
Products Liability
Real Estate
Admitted to Practice
– All courts in the State of California
Education
J.D., Santa Clara University School of Law, 1983
B.A., with Honors (History), California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, 1974
Presentations and Articles
– “Trial Preparation: Will Extrapolation Work?,” presented to the Western Construction Consultants Association, January, 2011
G. GEOFFREY WOOD, Of Counsel
Geoff is of Counsel in Ericksen Arbuthnot’s Oakland office and is a member of the Construction practice group. He has worked in the legal profession since 1976 and is AV® Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell.
He has worked on and handled numerous complex litigation cases, focusing primarily on construction and premises liability issues. He has represented owners, developers, general contractors and subcontractors in cases involving multi-tract single family residential developments, apartment buildings, condominiums, townhouses, and multi-story commercial buildings throughout Northern and Central California. Geoff has also defended and prosecuted express indemnity, breach of contract, license bond, and mechanic’s lien actions for individuals and companies in the construction trades.
Over the years he has been retained as defense counsel for insured and self-insured companies and individuals in high exposure personal injury, products liability and property damage litigation. For his private clients, he has assisted them with developing and interpreting construction contracts and indemnity agreements, creating individualized mechanic’s lien and certificate of insurance check lists, and analyzing and evaluating wrap insurance policies.
Geoff has trial and binding arbitration experience and he has participated in hundreds of mediations. He is one of the only defense counsel in Northern California to have successfully used the ruling of the Bobrow-Thomas decision to effect a settlement of the general contractor and its subcontractors directly with the HOA notwithstanding express indemnity owed to the owner/developer.
He has prosecuted a number of private homeowner claims for defective workmanship. He has represented and advised HOAs regarding contractual matters, membership issues, and sufficiency of their CC&Rs and governing documents. He has advised his commercial clients regarding lease and insurance issues, prosecuted their unlawful detainer actions, and assisted them in obtaining and collecting judgments.
Geoff is an active member and presenter at Western Construction Consultants Association (“Westcon”), an organization of construction forensic professionals. He is active in the Alameda County Bar Association and for a number of years was the Chairperson for the annual Bridging the Gap Program. He is also a member of the Eastern Alameda County Bar Association as well as the Contra Costa County Bar Association. He is a committee member of the Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the Board of Managers of the Tri-Valley YMCA.