Law Offices of Thomas F. Schrag
SCHRAG & BAUM James S. Baum
Professional Corporation

280 Panoramic Way
Berkeley, CA  Phone (510) 849-1618
94704 Fax (510) 841-6050


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Our firm specializes in representing Plaintiffs in complex personal injury and business litigation. We limit our practice to one or two cases at a time. Please click here for information regarding the Gynecare Intergel Urgent Voluntary Market Withdrawal. Our experience is set forth below.  If you would like further information please contact us.

2000-Present: The firm represents an individual on behalf of the general public in a California Unfair Competition Law (UCL) action against Visa and MasterCard. The lawsuit alleges the failure to disclose a currency conversion fee that Visa and MasterCard impose on credit card transactions made by U.S. cardholders overseas. The lawsuit seeks an injunction requiring full disclosure of the fee and restitution of hundreds of millions of dollars in illegally collected fees. The firm recently completed a six month trial and is awaiting final judgment.

2000-Present: The firm represents twenty five Plaintiffs in a nationwide products liability action against Sulzer Orthopedics and related companies. Sulzer manufactured defective hip and knee prostheses causing injuries to over 4000 individuals in the United States. The firm was appointed co lead counsel in California Coordinated Action. Although the firm was not class counsel, the case settled in May of 2002 for over one billion dollars in a class action entitled: In Re: Sulzer Hip Prosthesis and Knee Prosthesis Liability Litigation (MDL No. 1401) Northern District of Ohio.

1995-1999: The firm was class counsel and a member of Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee in In Re Honda Dealer Relations Litigation, MDL No. 1069. Which resulted in a class settlement of $330 million. The case involved fraud and RICO claims arising from the corruption of the automobile allocation system over a fifteen year period.

1993-1995: The firm was co-lead and co-liaison counsel in In Re GCC Richmond Works Cases, California Judicial Council Coordinated Proceeding No. 2906 resulting in a $180 million settlement during discovery. The case involved the explosion of a tank car containing oleum which produced a large cloud of sulfuric acid over an urban area.

1989-1993: The firm was lead counsel in In Re Safeway Warehouse Fire Cases, California Judicial Council Coordinated Proceeding No. 2331.The cases settled during discovery for $50 million. The case involved a fire at a distribution warehouse which burned for five days creating a large toxic cloud over an extensive residential area.

1980-1986: The firm represented approximately 150 little girls, all of whom had undergone a surgical procedure known as an internal urethrotomy. The surgeries were performed improperly by a Kaiser physician rendering each child partially incontinent. The cases settled during the sixth week of trial. It is the largest medical malpractice settlement in the history of Kaiser. Trott v. Kaiser Hospital et. al Alameda County Superior Court No. 541311-7.

Prior to 1986 the firm handled all types of personal injury cases, mostly referred by other attorneys, with special emphasis upon products liability, third party worker injuries and medical malpractice.

The members of the firm are:

Thomas F. Schrag, born San Francisco, California April 24, 1942; admitted to bar 1967. Education: BA University of California, Berkeley, 1963: LLB Hastings College of the Law, 1966. Member American Board of Trial Advocates 1978-present, American Trial Lawyers Association 1967-1986, California Trial Lawyers Association and Alameda-Contra-Costa Trial Lawyers Association, 1967-1986; Board of Directors Alameda-Contra-Costa Trial Lawyers Association 1978-1985. Author: Preparing Witnesses for Trial, CEB 1983. Lectured for CEB, CTLA, Hastings, Boalt, and Alameda-Contra-Costa Trial Lawyers Association. Court appointed Discovery Commissioner, Alameda County Superior Court, 1987. Court appointed Settlement Commissioner Alameda and Contra-Costa County Superior Courts, 1978-present.Tried twenty civil jury cases to verdict, 1967-1985. Martindale & Hubbell Rating: AV.

James S. Baum, born November 29, 1944, Chicago, Illinois; admitted to bar 1972. Education: BA University of Wisconsin. Madison, 1966; JD University of California, Boalt Hall, 1972. American Trial Lawyers Association 1972-1986, California Trial Lawyers Association and Alameda-Contra-Costa Trial Lawyers Association, 1972-1986. Lectured for Alameda-Contra-Costa Trial Lawyers Association and CEB. Court appointed Discovery Commissioner, Alameda County Superior Court, 1987. Court appointed Settlement Commissioner Alameda and Contra-Costa County Superior Courts, 1978-present.Tried numerous civil jury and numerous non-jury cases to verdict, 1974-1985. Martindale & Hubbell Rating: AV .

Michael L. Schrag, born Berkeley, California January 14, 1967; admitted to bar 1996. Education: BA Columbia University, New York, NY, 1989; JD/MPP University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law, 1996. Associate, Milberg, Weiss, Bershad, Hynes & Lerach, 1996-1999. Law Clerk to U.S. District Judge Judith N. Keep, Southern District California, 1997.

References furnished upon request.

 
 

Email:

tom@schragbaum.com

jim@schragbaum.com