Welcome to Chavez & Gertler
Chavez & Gertler is a firm that consists of a group of lawyers and an outstanding support staff dedicated to the pursuit of our clients’ interests and public justice. We are committed to zealous advocacy, innovative thinking and winning court victories and settlements that vindicate the rights of our clients and the public at large. We have fought and won many battles for consumers, workers, and the victims of discrimination and unlawful treatment including fraud and unfair business practices.
Our mission is to vigorously advocate the interests of our clients and achieve the best results possible. While doing so, we endeavor to further the interests of both our clients and the public at large. Even as we fight hard, we maintain civility and integrity amongst our co-counsel, opponents and the court. Although we work in an adversarial setting, we attempt to achieve a consensus whenever possible, and obtain results that are fair and just for all parties according to the law.
Latest News
- Objections to Settlement Filed in a Class Action Against Facebook for Privacy Violations
Chavez & Gertler, along with Public Citizen and the Friedman Law Offices, filed objections on behalf of Ginger McCall to a proposed settlement in Lane v. Facebook (N.D. Cal. Civ. No: 08-cv-03845-RS) that would provide no value to potentially millions of Facebook users whose privacy rights were violated by Facebook's "Beacon" marketing program. Facebook users complained that online purchases they made from merchandisers participating in the Beacon program were published on Facebook without their permission.
But rather than compensate the millions of Facebook members whose rights were violated, the proposed settlement only called for the creation of a nonprofit foundation that would largely be controlled by Facebook and that would duplicate the work of already existing organizations such as the Electronic Privacy Information Center, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, and many other non profit foundations. Under the proposed settlement, Facebook would also terminate the Beacon program, but Facebook had already essentially ended the program in response to widespread negative publicity before the lawsuit was even filed. Although Facebook would pay $9.5 million to settle the lawsuit, only the named plaintiffs and their attorneys would receive any monetary benefit. The millions of Facebook users whose rights were violated would get nothing of value.
To view the objections, click here.
- Jon Gertler Elected President-Elect of the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association
Jon Gertler has been elected 2010 President-Elect of the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association. SFTLA is one of the oldest organizations representing consumers, workers and others in lawsuits protecting and vindicating individual civil rights in the United States. About 800 trial lawyers are members. Jon won the organization's "Trial Lawyer of the Year Award" in 2006, and was finalist for the award again in 2008.
- Mark Chavez Appointed to Public Citizen Board of Directors
Mark Chavez has been appointed to the Board of Directors of Public Citizen, one of the premier public interest organizations in the country. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., Public Citizen is a national, non-profit consumer advocacy organization founded in 1971 to represent consumer interests in Congress, the executive branch and the courts. It fights for openness, and democratic accountability in government, for the right of consumers to seek redress in the courts; for clean, safe and sustainable energy sources; for social and economic justice in trade policies; for strong health, safety and environmental protections; and for safe, effective and affordable prescription drugs and health care.
In Public Citizen’s release announcing his appointment, Chavez stated:
After over three decades of tireless work on an expansive array of issues, Public Citizen has achieved a well-deserved reputation as one of the leading and most effective public advocacy organizations in this country. I welcome the opportunity to serve on Public Citizen’s board at this critical juncture in its history.
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