Elizabeth M. Pappy

Elizabeth M. Pappy

Pronouns: she, her, hers

Elizabeth Pappy has more than 31 years’ experience as a litigator in State and Federal Courts and Arbitration.  Her practice focuses on representation of businesses in a wide variety of legal disputes, and advice and counsel.  Her clients include businesses and individuals of all sizes and types, including the construction industry, temporary service agencies, recyclers, gas station operators, and high tech companies.  Elizabeth’s background as a bankruptcy attorney gives her the advantage of being able to counsel creditors on debtor-creditor rights issues and bankruptcy matters as well as litigate in Bankruptcy Court.

She has particular expertise in successfully handling difficult disputes between family members and matters involving highly emotional and sensitive issues, including probate, palimony and business issues arising in divorce actions.  Elizabeth’s personal attention and acuity to the needs of her clients within the context of the litigation system have brought her clients’ satisfactory results under what are otherwise very unsatisfactory circumstances.

In the past 10 years, Elizabeth’s work for business clients has included defense of ADA-construction barrier claims and housing discrimination claims, including a successful trial where the plaintiff sought a $200,000 modification to client premises.  She successfully tried the case to a defense verdict and which was upheld by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal.

  • Walters & Wolf Glass Company v. Alcoa, Inc. – successful settlement of product defect case on behalf of subcontractor client/purchaser of defective windows
  • Moore v. Robinson Oil Corporation – defense verdict in ADA-construction barrier case, upheld by Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal
  • Air Systems, Inc. v. Gilbane, Inc. and Regents of State of California – Successful Summary Judgment motion resulting in judgment in favor of client in excess of $1 million against contractor and bonding company
  • Hemminger v. City of San Jose Retirement Board – successful appeal of decision to deny employee disability based retirement benefits
  • Asher v. Bay Area SMACNA (Sheet Metal Air Conditioning National Association) – successful defense and settlement of complex legal dispute between attorney and trade association/client
  • Bartronics Asia Pvt. Ltd. v. Cloudeeva, Inc. – prosecution of complex case involving fraudulent scheme to take over company on behalf of majority shareholder including successfully obtaining restraining orders, injunction, and contempt order

  • J.D., Santa Clara University School of Law, 1991
  • B.A., University of California, San Diego, 1988
  • State Bar of California
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • United States District Court for the Central District of California
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of California
  • United States District Court for the Northern Northern of California
  • Unity Care Group, Inc., Board of Directors
  • National Association of Women Lawyers
  • Santa Clara County Bar Association, Judiciary Committee
  • National Association of Women in Construction, Santa Clara Chapter
  • American Jurisprudence Award in Legal Ethics
  • Selected to Northern California Super Lawyers 2017 and 2018