Craig M. Peters

Partner

Craig M. Peters

Partner

Craig M. Peters

Partner

Practices

Education

  • JD, University of San Francisco, School of Law
  • BA Philosophy and BA Communications, ​UC San Diego

Admissions

  • Supreme Court of California
  • California Courts of Appeal
  • Superior Courts of California
  • United States District Court for the Central District of California
  • United States District Court for the Northern District of California
  • State Bar of Wisconsin

Craig M. Peters is a partner and trial attorney at Altair Law®. He handles complex and catastrophic cases involving severe injury or death.

He has experience dealing with product defects, dangerous property conditions, vehicle and machine accidents, and professional negligence. He has a record of success in both settling and trying cases to verdict.

Craig is proud to fight for justice on behalf of his clients and is committed to helping them through a difficult time in their lives. The clients he helps have suffered from brain and spinal cord injuries, neck and back injuries, bone fractures and nerve damage, burn injuries and psychiatric injuries. Craig has extensive trial experience representing families and individuals who are union members and laborers, service industry workers and white-collar professionals.

When other attorneys are unable to resolve their cases prior to trial, Craig is frequently asked to become trial counsel on their cases, including class action lawsuits. He has regularly been invited to speak on the issue of trial skills by law schools, professional organizations and outside agencies. The international non-profit agency International Bridges to Justice, which seeks to end torture and build criminal justice systems around the globe, invited Craig to help train lawyers in India who are representing the indigent, during a four-day training in New Delhi.

Prior to starting Altair Law, Craig was a trial attorney representing victims of asbestos exposure throughout the State of California. He was a criminal defense attorney for 13 years and went to trial on a full range of cases from misdemeanors to felonies. During the last three years of his criminal defense work, Craig was the Director of Training for the Office of the Public Defender in San Francisco.

In addition to teaching trial skills at Hastings College of Law and University of San Francisco School of Law, Craig has been a professor of Constitutional Law and Evidence at San Francisco Law School. Craig is the President of the Consumer Attorneys of California and is Secretary of the Council of Presidents for the American Association for Justice. He is a member of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, American Board of Trial Advocates, the American College of Trial Lawyers, a five-time finalist for the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association’s Trial Lawyer of the Year for the trial results he obtained for his clients in Staedler v. Galu (San Francisco), Doe v. Mazada (Alameda County), Will v. Caterpillar (Monterey County), Duncan v. Velasquez (Solano County) and Martinez v. Herndon Partners (Fresno County), and a finalist for the Consumer Attorneys of California’s Consumer Attorney of the Year. Craig is admitted to practice in all federal courts and state courts in California.

Craig grew up in Northern California and lives in San Francisco with his family. They enjoy traveling, attending Giants games, and exploring the city on their bicycles.

Recognition

  • Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers 2019 – 2024
  • Top 100: Northern California Super Lawyers, 2017-2022
  • Top 30 Plaintiffs Lawers, Daily Journal, 2019
  • National Law Journal’s Plaintiff’s Trial Lawyers Trailblazers, 2019
  • Best Lawyers in America, U.S. News & World Report, 2015-2024
  • Northern California Super Lawyers List, Super Lawyers, 2013-2024
  • Rated AV-Preeminent for Highest Level of Professional Excellence, Martindale-Hubbell, 2014-2024
  • Top 100 Trial Lawyers, The National Trial Lawyers, 2016- 2019
  • Consumer Attorney of the Year, Consumer Attorneys of California, 2018
  • Best Lawyers in America, Lawyer of the Year 2018
  • Finalist for Trial Lawyer of the Year, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, 2024, 2017, 2016, 2014 and 2013
  • Finalist for Trial Lawyer of the Year, Marin County Trial Lawyers Association, 2017
  • TopVerdict.com’s Top 50 Settlements in California, 2016-2017
  • Finalist for Consumer Attorney of the Year, Consumer Attorneys of California, 2015

Professional Associations

  • American Association for Justice, Secretary of the Council of Presidents, 2022
  • American Association for Justice, National Board Member, 2010-2022
  • American Board of Trial Attorneys, Treasurer 2024, National Board Member, 2013-2024
    – San Francisco American Board of Trial Attorneys, Executive Committee member, 2016-2022
  • American College of Trial Lawyers, Invited Fellow, 2015-2022
  • Bar Association of San Francisco, Active Member – Lawyer Referral & Information Service, 2013-2022
  • Consumer Attorneys of California, member 2010-2024
    – President, 2021-2022
    – Past President-elect – PAC, 2020-2021
    – Past 1st Vice President – Legislation, 2019-2020
    – Past 2nd Vice President – Membership, 2018-2019
    – Past 3rd Vice President – Education, 2017-2018
    – Past 4th Vice President – Communications, 2016-2017
    – Past Treasurer, 2015-2016
    – Past Parliamentarian, 2012-2015
    – Past Board of Governors members
  • International Academy of Trial Lawyers, 2024 Dean – Board of Officers, Invited Fellow, 2016-2024
  •   – Coalition Against Human Trafficking, Co-Chair, 2017-2022
  • International Society of Barristers, Invited Barrister, 2018-2024
  • San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, member, 2010-2024
    – Past Education Committee Co-Chair

Education

  • JD, University of San Francisco, School of Law
  • BA Philosophy and BA Communications, ​UC San Diego

Admissions

  • Supreme Court of California
  • California Courts of Appeal
  • Superior Courts of California
  • United States District Court for the Central District of California
  • United States District Court for the Northern District of California
  • State Bar of Wisconsin
SB 1107 Modernizes Mandatory Minimums for Auto Insurance in California
| OFFICE OF GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM
Governor Gavin Newsom today signed AB 35, legislation to modernize the system for awarding damages in medical malpractice cases in California. “Injured patients deserve to be fairly compensated when their rights have been violated, and we commend the leadership of Governor Newsom to help get this done. Injured patients and their families are better off under the modified MICRA, and we look forward to continuing to serve in the best interest of our clients,” said Consumer Attorneys of California President Craig M. Peters.
| POLITICO PRO
Craig Peters commented on California's long-overdue medical malpractice legislation rework: “CAOC has fought tirelessly alongside thousands of injured patients for the last fifty years to make sure they are fairly compensated when their rights have been violated [...] We look forward to working with Governor Newsom and legislative leaders in the coming weeks to expedite the passage of this landmark reform.”
| LOS ANGELES TIMES
Craig Peters commented on the overhaul to the longstanding Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act of 1975 (MICRA): "After decades of treating patients unfairly, California is finally opening the door of justice for those suffering from medical negligence [...] We are thrilled patients are going to get a fair shake at compensation for their injuries."
Today is a day for the history books: After nearly 50 years of relentlessly fighting for justice on behalf of victims of medical malpractice in California, Consumer Attorneys of California has reached an historic agreement to deliver on this vision. Following recent talks led by CAOC President Craig M. Peters, initiative proponent Nicholas Rowley, and the leader of the California Medical Association, the Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act (MICRA) of 1975 will finally be revised.
| SAN FRANCISCO TRIAL LAWYERS ASSOCIATION
Craig Peters spoke at "SFTLA - Let's Talk About CAPS: What You Need to Know About the 20% Contingent Fee Cap Initiative" on Wed, February 9, 2022, 12:00 PM - 12:45 PM PT.
| DAILY JOURNAL
A business group appears to have abandoned an effort to place a measure before voters in 2022 that would cap attorney contingency fees at 20%, plaintiffs lawyer groups said Friday.
Altair Law was recently asked to partner with two other law firms to help a young child who suffered an internal decapitation at birth due to medical malpractice.
Craig Peters spoke at the Consumer Attorneys of California 60th Convention, held November 18-21, 2021 in San Francisco. His presentation was titled "The Power of KISS."
| DAILY JOURNAL
Craig M. Peters will ascend to the presidency of the Consumer Attorneys of California at the organization's 60th annual convention in San Francisco.
| LOS ANGELES TIMES
Craig Peters, an attorney at Altair Law in San Francisco who represented the family of the late musician Cash Askew in the Ghost Ship venue fire, said "there certainly is a possibility" of similar charges related to Astroworld.
| CAOC FORUM MAGAZINE
As the largest organization of California plaintiff attorneys, CAOC finds itself, once again, in perilous times. We find ourselves faced with impending ballot initiatives from corporate America that will try to prevent our clients from getting the justice they deserve. Simultaneously, the State Bar is working with powerful forces to undermine consumer protections by trying to institute a “sandbox” approach to our legal system. In any single year, either of these challenges would be a massive battle. In 2022, we will face them both.
| LAWDRAGON
Altair Law boasts three attorneys on list of 500 leading plaintiff consumer attorneys in the country.
| DAILY JOURNAL
Altair Law is proud to have two of its own included in the Top 30 Plaintiff Lawyers in the State of California.
Altair attorneys are frequently asked to speak at legal conferences because of their vast experience and proven effectiveness at trial. Craig and Andje recently presented at the CAOC Sonoma seminar.
| KQED
After worker death on Muni construction project, KQED talks to Craig Peters at Altair Law about why this happened and how best to prevent these needless deaths in the future.
Altair Attorneys Kevin Morrison, Craig Peters, and Andje Medina all spoke at the Consumer Attorneys of California’s 57th Annual Convention in San Francisco.
| DAILY JOURNAL
Craig Peters awarded the honor of Consumer Attorney of the Year at the Consumer Attorneys of California’s 57th Annual Convention.
A compelling presentation of our case was made on behalf of Craig Peters to the CAOC Board.
Craig Peters presents on Employer Liability at CAALA’s 36th Annual Las Vegas Convention.
Best Lawyers has recognized Craig Peters and Andje Medina as Best Lawyers in 2018 for personal injury cases.
Best Lawyers has recognized Craig M. Peters as LAWYER OF THE YEAR 2018 for personal injury cases involving product liability.
This ABOTA tradition has been presented at Harvard, Dartmouth, and now Yale, bringing together the best in the legal profession to teach other attorneys how to hone and develop their trial skills. Altair partner, Craig Peters, was an one of the invited faculty members for this immersive experience. The week concludes with the students putting on a trail in front of a judge using local jurors who then deliberate on the case. Here, Craig Peters, as with other faculty members, has assumed the role of one of the witnesses for the trial
The Recorder listed one of Craig Peters’ resolved cases in its annual Top Verdicts and Settlements issue which highlights California’s top results based on dollar amount.
Craig Peters was included on the list of the Top 100 Northern California Super Lawyers.
All of our attorneys were named to the Super Lawyers’ lists this year. Craig Peters, Josh White, and Kevin Morrison were named to the Super Lawyers list, while Andje Medina and Jeremy Cloyd were included on the Rising Stars list.
Craig Peters spoke on a panel with Megan Demshki, Bob Simon, and Geoff Wells at the CAOC Palm Springs Seminar put on by CAOIE and OCTLA.
| ENTREPRENEUR
Andje Medina and Craig Peters explore the often overlooked impacts of the changing work structure on the community.
Wags & Walks, a non-profit animal rescue held their annual fundraising gala to expand their rescue efforts.

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This Web site presents general information about Altair Law and nothing on this site is intended as legal advice, and you should not consider it as such. While you are welcome to contact us, we will not represent you until we specifically agree to do so and are sure that doing so will not create a conflict of interest. Accordingly, please do not send us any information about any matter that may involve you until we have agreed in writing to act as your lawyers. If you do send us information in any form, we will be free to use it for any lawful reason even if it is damaging to you in some fashion. Please keep in mind that merely contacting Altair Law will not establish an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal representation from us, we will take you through our conflict-of-interest and other regular intake procedures to see if we can represent you. In no event will we agree to represent you in any matter unless one of our lawyers has had direct personal contact with you to learn about the matter. When you receive an engagement letter from this firm, you will be our client, and we may then exchange information freely. Clicking on the link below acknowledges that you understand and agree with this notice.

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