After naval combat in World War II in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, David S. Casey, Sr. decided that he wanted to spend the rest of his legal career in San Diego. When he arrived in San Diego, there were fewer than 400 lawyers. Only a small number of them would actually go to trial, which is where he excelled, trying over 600 jury trials in his career. Since he launched his practice, CaseyGerry has emerged as one of the region’s preeminent plaintiffs’ firms – known for taking on high profile, complex litigation in a range of practice areas. Through it all, the firm has remained true to its original mission: Protecting the rights of individuals who have been seriously injured or lost loved ones.
A vibrant history marked by larger than life personalities
The firm’s long history is marked by many colorful characters and anecdotes. Founding partner David S. Casey Sr. was the first plaintiffs’ attorney ever elected president of the State Bar of California. A former U.S. Navy lieutenant and son of a St. Louis attorney, Casey Sr. graduated from St. Louis University School of Law in 1937 and entered the Navy Air Force until the conclusion of World War II. He later moved west, founding The Law Offices of David S. Casey Sr. in 1947. In 1961, he moved his firm to the site of the current offices at 110 Laurel St. in San Diego’s Banker’s Hill neighborhood.
In 1969, another legendary attorney, Richard Gerry, joined the firm which was then known as Casey, McClenahan, Fraley, and Hauser. Born in Winona, Minn., and raised in Billings, Mont., Gerry started off his career building flying fortresses for Boeing and was a member of the Merchant Marine from 1942 to 1950, participating in South Pacific campaigns during World War II. He embarked on a law career upon earning bachelor’s and law degrees at Columbia University. After moving to the Bay Area in 1956, he worked for Melvin Belli, the famed “King of Torts” and two years later became a partner in Belli’s firm.
Gerry was followed in 1976 by David S. Casey Jr., then a city prosecutor, who is now the firm’s managing partner. Today, current partners also include Gayle M. Blatt, Robert J. Francavilla, Thomas D. Penfield, Jeremy K. Robinson, Thomas D. Luneau, P. Camille Guerra and Jason C. Evans.
Milestone cases that have contributed to our firm’s national reputation
Over seven decades, CaseyGerry attorneys have handled thousands of cases with precedent-setting results. Following is a brief look at some of the major cases that have contributed to CaseyGerry’s national reputation – and led to the recovery of billions of dollars for consumers:
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