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D. David Steele

Partner

The firm continues to expand its partner and trial ranks by welcoming D. David Steele to the firm. Mr. Steele is a seasoned litigator with extensive trial experience representing shipyards, joint power authorities, and public entities on complex legal matters. He focuses his practice on the defense of government tort claims and catastrophic personal injury claims.

Mr. Steele was born in Michigan and graduated in 1990 from UCLA with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics with an emphasis on International Relations. In 1993, he obtained his Juris Doctor from Golden Gate University Law School in San Francisco.

While attending college and law school, Mr. Steele served in the United States Navy Reserves as a non-commissioned officer, attached to the U.S.S. Midway out of Pt. Mugu in Oxnard, California and later at N.A.S. Alameda from 1985 through 1993, before obtaining an Honorable Discharge.

Before joining Allen, Glaessner, Hazelwood and Werth, Mr. Steele was a partner at Demler, Armstrong & Rowland and Yaron & Associates in San Francisco and Oakland, specializing in toxic torts and serving as National Counsel for trials in other states including, Illinois, Missouri, Hawaii, Washington, and New York. Mr. Steele has extensive trial experience in California Superior Court and United States Districts Courts in California. In his previous firms, David has taken more than a dozen jury trials to verdict covering a variety of subjects.

Mr. Steele has published articles in the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel’s Journal “Verdict” and Association of Defense Counsel’s Journal “Defense Comment.”

Mr. Steele is a member of the State Bar of California, Santa Clara Bar Association, and San Francisco Bar Association. Mr. Steele, his wife, Christina, and their children, Michael and Clara, live in Berkeley. His hobbies include sports, history, coaching CYO basketball, playing chess and reading novels.

  • EDUCATION

    • U.C.L.A, B.A. in Economics/International Studies, 1989
    • Golden Gate University, J.D., 1993

  • ADMISSIONS

    •  State Bar of California
    • United States District Court for the Northern District of California
    •  United States District Court for the Southern District of California
    •  United States District Court for the Central District of California
    •  United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania  

  • AFFILIATIONS

    • Bar Association of San Francisco, Member
    • Association of Defense Counsel, Member
    • Judge Pro Tempo Rare, Superior Court of Santa Clara

  • REPRESENTATIVE CASES

    • Lilienthal v Todd et al.  (1999), San Francisco Superior Court. Defense verdict in living mesothelioma case.
    • Chiasson v. Todd et al. (2000), Los Angeles Superior Court. Plaintiff verdict in living mesothelioma case, but below the final pre-trial offer.
    • Campbell v. Todd et al. (2000), Alameda Superior Court. Settled for nominal amount after opening statement in living mesothelioma case.
    • Workman v. Klapperich (2004), San Francisco Superior Court. Verdict on behalf of client, Plaintiff.
    • Kelly v. CBS Corporation, No. 2:11-67269-ER, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11282 (E.D. Pa. Jan 29, 2014). Living Mesothelioma case, settled after two weeks of trial in Federal Court.
    • Mack v. General Electric Co., 896 F.Supp.2d 333 (E.D. Pa. 2012) (cited 74 times as of 1/2025) Prevailed on Motion for Summary Judgment in case, where court determined that a U.S. Navy ship was not a product for purposes of strict liability claims against the shipbuilder.
    • Salcido v. Viacom, Inc., Case No. 05-01461, MDL 875 2:09-CV-63991-ER, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 88612 (E.D. Pa. June 14, 2012.) Prevailed on Motion for Summary Judgment in living mesothelioma case.
    • Kizor v. Bru Architects, (June 8, 2011, A125423, Court of Appeals of California, First District, Division Three.) Not Certified for Publication, under Cal Rules of Court, 8.1115(a). Prevailed on Motion for Summary Judgment in construction defect case under Krusi opinion, that buyer of new property could not maintain cause of action against the seller’s builder, except in limited circumstances.  Upheld on Appeal.
    • Ballenger v. Agco Corp., No. C 06-2271 CW, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 47042 (N.D. Cal. June 22, 2007).  Successful removal of living mesothelioma case to United States District Court, and successful opposition to Plaintiff’s Motion to Remand.

  • SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

    • “Water Intrusion and Mold Claims in California,” Sterling Education Services, Presenter at CLE Course (July 23, 2003)

  • PUBLICATIONS

    • “Insurrectionists, Birthers and the Disqualification Clause of the 14th Amendment,” Defense Comment, Association of Defense Counsel of Northern California and Nevada (Volume 38, #3, Winter, 2023)
    • “Revisiting the RAND Report on Asbestos,” Verdict, Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, (Third Quarter, 2011)
    • “Damages for Fear of Cancer – The Latest Word from the United States Supreme Court,” Verdict, Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, (Second Quarter, 2009)

  • LANGUAGE

    • English

  • RECOGNITIONS

    • Merit Tuition Scholar, 1990