Alicia Ryan Kennon

Alicia specializes in the litigation of claims involving employment practices, professional liability, and construction-both defect and catastrophic personal injury. She is a fierce advocate for individual, public, and private clients facing allegations of unfair employment practices, negligence, and products liability. She likewise has a proven track record in her defense of various types of professionals including physicians, nurses, hospitals, dentists, optometrists, veterinarians, construction, real estate and insurance professionals. Alicia has secured dismissals of physicians and insurance professionals by way of summary judgment. She has also been successful in securing favorable verdicts for veterinarians in small claims trials by providing pre-trial analysis, support, and preparation of trial materials and testimony. Alicia has successfully appealed a number of unfavorable verdicts against veterinary clients resulting in dismissals and reduction of damages awards. Alicia also handles cybersecurity and data privacy matters as a member of the Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Team.

She likewise has a proven track record in her defense of physicians, nurses, hospitals, dentists, optometrists, veterinarians and insurance professionals whose professional credentials and skills have been called into question by former clients and patients. She is widely known for her success in handling complex employment issues, both at the counseling stage and after a legal or administrative process has been initiated, for businesses ranging from small shops to Fortune 500 companies. Alicia is regarded by peers, clients, mediators, and judges as being a creative pragmatist that is adept at assessing risk and formulating legal strategies that yield positive results for her clients.

Alicia also provides HR counseling and training to various business entities and non-profit associations. She assists in the development and implementation of policies, protocols, and procedures that minimize risk and exposure on employment related matters including but not limited to wage/hour violations, medical leaves, and sensitivity training.

Alicia is an active member of the DRI Construction Law Committee and CLM. After successfully completing CLM’s Litigation Management Institute at Columbia Law School, Alicia received the designation of Certified Litigation Management Professional. She is also an Associate Member of the National Association for Professional Employer Organization (NAPEO).

As a compliment to her practice of law, Alicia served as adjunct professor of Employment Law at the University of the Pacific where she spent several semesters educating undergraduate and MBA students on the pitfalls and perils attendant to Human Resource component of running a business. Alicia also volunteers her time serving as the president of the Delta Epsilon Chapter of Delta Gamma House Corporation board, a 501(c)(7) organization. As Board President, she is responsible for the strategic management of 10 employees, a significant capital budget, and overseeing large scale construction projects annually that keep the privately owned chapter home on campus beautiful and habitable for the 75 women who reside there.

Awards & Accomplishments

AV Preeminent Lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell

Super Lawyers Magazine Northern California Rising Star, 2015 - 2019

Completed the CLM Litigation Management Institute and earned the designation of Certified Litigation Management Professional, 2015

Events, Seminars & Presentations

As the Market Soars, So Do the Lawsuits: How Market Conditions Impact Real Estate Professional Liability Claims, CLM Management & Professional Liability Conference, Boston, Massachusetts, June 21, 2018.

The CEO said, What? Crisis Management (Before, During, and After a Public Relations Disaster) and the Corporate Client, DRI National Construction Seminar, Las Vegas, Nevada, March 2, 2017.

Publications

Author, “Closing Escrow and Opening Claims” in the CLM Magazine, September 2018.