Porterfield, Alison

Brenda D. Posada joined Brayton Purcell as an associate attorney in 2011 and is active in our asbestos department at our Novato, California law offices. She is an AV Preeminent Rated (Martindale–Hubbell®)attorney with 20 years of legal experience in California.

Ms. Posada graduated from the University of San Francisco, School of Law in 1990. She received judicial clerkship with Hon. Robert L. Dossee (Ret.) of San Francisco Superior Court (1989-1990). While attending law school, she successfully completed a legal studies program in Private and Public International Law in Geneva, Switzerland and Strasbourg, France. Ms. Posada received her bachelor’s degree from the University of San Francisco in Political Science and French. During the course of pursuing her undergraduate studies, she received a graduate certificate from the Université de la Sorbonne, Paris, France for successfully attending and completing a French language program. Besides French, Ms. Posada speaks fluent Spanish.

Throughout her practice, Ms. Posada has handled all phases of personal injury litigation on behalf of plaintiffs—from preparing clients for depositions and drafting researched memoranda on various issues of law to successfully representing clients in arbitrations, mediations, hearings and civil trials. Her work has resulted in successful settlement recoveries in the millions of dollars on behalf of her clients.

In 2006, Ms. Posada successfully argued against exclusion of an expert at a Daubert Hearing (2006 WL 2690064, C.D. Cal). Attended and argued before Florida's Third District Appellate Court, while admitted Pro Hac Vice, and succeeded in overturning a lower state court decision. It is reported as:  Bosdorf v. Sinnamon, 804 So.2d 500 (Fia. App. Dist. 3, 12/26/2001). She also successfully argued against dismissal of a Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) airline action brought under the international treaty commonly known as the Warsaw Convention. It was the only case of its kind to survive summary judgment and proceed to trial. The decision received local and international media attention in October of 2007.

Ms. Posada is the author of various publications, including an article entitled, “Current Status of DVT/Airline Litigation—Overview” published in Volume XXXI of the Annals of Air and Space Law, Montreal, Quebec, 2006. She was an invited speaker at the 12th Annual Aviation Litigation CLE Seminar in New York City, New York and the 32nd Annual Pacific Northwest Aviation Law & Insurance Seminar in Semiahmoo, Washington.

Ms. Posada is the former Vice-President of Communications for San Francisco La Raza Lawyers Association and a former co–editor of the San Francisco Barristers Law Journal. Currently, she volunteers as a mediator at Community Boards in San Francisco, a non-profit organization offering low cost mediation to persons in conflict.

She is admitted to practice law in California and has been admitted pro hac vice in Nevada, Florida, Hawaii, Texas and North Carolina. Born and raised in San Francisco, California, she currently lives in the East Bay with her son. Her hobbies include photography, cooking and spending time with her yellow lab, Sasha.