Biography

Carly O’Halloran Alameda represents clients in high-stakes disputes in mediation, arbitration, and the courtroom, with an emphasis on complex contractual claims, real estate and construction disputes, and California appeals. 

Carly is an accomplished litigator with experience at all stages of litigation, including trials and appeals.  In addition to fiercely advocating for her clients in legal proceedings, Carly frequently helps clients avoid or minimize litigation by providing strategic advice through crisis management, analysis of liability and damages exposure, assistance with forensic investigations, and by leading and supporting pre-litigation negotiations.  Carly's practical approach to dispute resolution is influenced by her experience serving in business roles, as outside general counsel to one privately held company and as a corporate board member for another.  She understands how problems or disputes fit with a client’s business needs so that she can effectively achieve the most favorable result.

Carly’s experience includes:

  • Lead trial counsel on behalf of a prominent developer in a complex real estate and easement dispute with a neighboring property in downtown San Francisco that was resolved favorably after a bench trial.
  • Lead trial counsel on behalf of a technology company through an arbitration award and judgment in which the client successfully rescinded a large commercial lease and recovered extensive damages.
  • Lead counsel on behalf of owners and developers of commercial properties to strategically navigate unexpected incidents and crises and resolve the resulting disputes and litigation, including with architects, contractors, and other third parties.
  • Obtained a multimillion-dollar settlement on behalf of a solar company in a contract dispute days before the arbitration hearing began.
  • Achieved an arbitration award on behalf of a manufacturer in an arbitration related to the alleged failure of components in a nuclear power plant, in which our client successfully enforced the contractual limitation of liability provisions against the opposing party’s $7 billion damages claims and recovered fees and costs as the prevailing party.

Carly’s practice also includes extensive appellate work. Carly served as a clerk to the Hon. Mark B. Simons of the California Court of Appeal (First District), where she now regularly briefs and argues cases.

Carly is a founding member of WISE (www.wiselawyers.org), a collaboration between in-house counsel and law firm partners to promote the advancement of women in the legal profession.  She co-authored a series of articles on corporate board service, published as an e-book (www.fbm.com/boardservice).  She recently completed a two-year term as president of the Berkeley Law Alumni Association Board and remains a member of that board and the board of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers.  She has also been a member of the McFetridge American Inn of Court.

Carly earned her J.D. in 2006 from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, where she taught Property Law to first-year law students as a teaching assistant and was associate editor of the Ecology Law Quarterly. She earned her B.S. in 2003 from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where she was an NCAA Division I volleyball player.

Distinctions

  • The Best Lawyers in America, Real Estate Law, Appellate Practice (2020-2023)
  • Benchmark Litigation - Future Star (California, 2023), "40 & Under Hotlist" (2017-2019)
  • Northern California Super Lawyers (2022)
  • Northern California Rising Stars by Super Lawyers (2012-2021)

Memberships and Affiliations

  • Founding Member, WISE (Women In-house Support Equality)
  • Board of Directors, Mammoth HR
  • Board of Directors, Berkeley Law Alumni Association
  • Board of Directors, The Association of Business Trial Lawyers
  • Former Member, Advisory Board, East Bay Community Law Center
  • Former Member, McFetridge American Inn of Court
  • Former Member, The ABA Woman Advocate Committee

Firm Highlights

Event

Bisnow: San Francisco State of the Market

At Bisnow's San Francisco State of the Market event, Ashley Breakfield will moderate the panel "Revitalizing San Francisco: Reconfiguring the city for a hybrid world, reimagining downtown, and uplifting the economy." Click  here  for more information and to...

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Publication

Nonprofit Basics: Meeting Minutes Best Practices

Welcome to  EO Radio Show – Your Nonprofit Legal Resource . This episode focuses on documenting decisions made at meetings of a nonprofit organization's board of directors or trustees. While everyone who attends a...

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Publication

Nonprofit Basics: Federal Tax Filing Deadlines and Penalties

Welcome to  EO Radio Show – Your Nonprofit Legal Resource . This episode focuses on the importance of meeting the federal tax filing deadlines that apply to charitable organizations. Most charitable organizations that are...

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Publication

Uncorking Accessibility: How Winery Websites Can Meet ADA Compliance Standards

Vanessa Ing and Kelsey Mollura discuss "Uncorking Accessibility: How Winery Websites Can Meet ADA Compliance Standards." The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities...

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News

Farella Braun + Martel Earns Mansfield Certification Plus Status

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Publication

Trends Guest Editorial: Wildfires and Wineries

Link to the article in Gradient's Trends  Spring 2023 newsletter. Recurring wildfires in the Napa and Sonoma Counties of California have created a set of niche problems for the surrounding wineries, on top of...

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News

Big Tech Breathes Sigh of Relief After Justices' Terror Rulings

Erik Olson spoke to Law360 for the article "Big Tech Breathes Sigh of Relief After Justices' Terror Rulings," covering the U.S. Supreme Court's decision not to review whether Section 230 insulates online platforms from...

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News

Chambers USA 2023 Recognizes Farella Braun + Martel Lawyers, Practices

Farella Braun + Martel is pleased to announce that Chambers USA has recognized 16 lawyers and six practice areas in the legal directory’s 2023 edition. Individual California and Western U.S. Rankings: Sarah Bell &ndash...

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News

Legal experts say Google, Twitter and other tech companies dodged a bullet at the Supreme Court

Erik Olson spoke to Silicon Valley Business Journal for the article "Legal experts say Google, Twitter and other tech companies dodged a bullet at the Supreme Court." The Supreme Court avoided taking a stand...

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Publication

Office-to-Housing Conversion: State and Local Efforts to Revitalize the Downtown

Originally published in The Registry . As office vacancies soar in traditional downtown areas like San Francisco’s Financial District, state and local officials are moving quickly to adopt incentives they hope will bring people...

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