Petra DeJesus joined Kazan, McClain, Satterley & Greenwood (Kazan Law) in 2000 after practicing both public interest law and business law. Ms. DeJesus’s work at Kazan Law focuses on representing individuals who have suffered adverse health conditions as a result of exposure to asbestos. Ms. DeJesus is an eager and passionate advocate in the courtroom for the rights of those who have been irreparably harmed in the course of performing their jobs. Using her extensive experience in litigation, Ms. DeJesus has won significant verdicts on behalf of her clients and has succeeded in holding large corporations and industrial giants accountable for their actions.
Ms. DeJesus began her legal career as a public interest advocate. She worked with low income and disadvantaged clients at California Rural Legal Assistance, Mission Community Legal Defense and the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office. Ms. DeJesus has handled all aspects of litigation in an array of criminal matters, including homicides, as a senior Public Defender. In 1995, Ms. DeJesus switched gears to practice corporate law and became General Counsel for ETM Entertainment Network in Costa Mesa. In her role as General Counsel, Ms. DeJesus oversaw all of the company’s various legal matters. During her employment as General Counsel, the company grew from a small start-up venture with 25 employees to a large entertainment company with 400 employees and offices located throughout the world. Upon returning to litigation, Ms. DeJesus has represented clients affected by asbestos exposure using her expertise in various phases of litigation and trial work.
In addition to her professional role as a trial lawyer, Ms. DeJesus has devoted her time to community projects and public service. Ms. DeJesus was appointed as Commissioner of the San Francisco Police Commission where she undertook various initiatives to promote equality and fairness and protect the rights of all citizens in the community. Ms. DeJesus’s most significant achievements as Commissioner include electing the first transgender president of the Commission, conducting an investigation of Taser use by the Police Department, extending language services for non-fluent citizens, establishing a mandate to provide police services to all members of the community, reviewing policies related to Juvenile Detention, and establishing the Police Department’s first mental health team.
Ms. DeJesus attended San Francisco State University and graduated with a B.A. in 1979. She received her J.D. from Hastings College of the Law at the University of California in 1982 where she was a Public Interest Law graduate, commencement speaker and an extern for the California Supreme Court. Ms. DeJesus is active in a variety of professional organizations. She is the former Director of Alameda-Contra Costa Trial Lawyers and the former President of the San Francisco La Raza Bar Association. Ms. DeJesus is a member of the National Lawyers Guild, the American Association for Justice, the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, the San Francisco Bar Association and the American Bar Association. She is admitted to practice law in the state of California.
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