David Streza

Managing Partner

David J. Streza has been practicing in California since 2000. Prior to joining Vogl Meredith Burke, Mr. Streza was a partner at a national firm comprised of over 700 attorneys. During his over 20 years of practice, Mr. Streza has developed extensive experience representing individuals, insurance companies, private businesses and public entities in the defense and prosecution of complex civil litigation, including construction site accidents, premises liability cases, automobile/trucking accidents, habitability, and product liability litigation. Mr. Streza also has significant experience handling construction defect cases, in addition to insurance litigation.

Legal Experience

  • Mr. Streza has tried numerous cases to verdict/judgment in California Superior Courts including motor vehicle/trucking accident, personal injury, premises liabiilty, product liability and construction defect cases.

  • Mr. Streza has successfully petitioned and argued before California’s First and Third Appellate District Courts of Appeal.

  • Mr. Streza’s general liability practice includes the defense of catastrophic personal injury cases, including claims for wrongful death, quadriplegia, paraplegia, and traumatic brain injury.

  • Mr. Streza defends individuals and businesses against claims for negligence and premises liability, and manufacturers and suppliers against product liability claims.

  • Mr. Streza represents businesses, including general contractors and subcontractors, in personal injury cases as well as claims for construction defects.

  • Mr. Streza’s practice has included the defense of bad faith actions, as well claims for breach of contract.

Education

  • California State University, Pomona (BA with honors, 1997)

  • University of San Francisco (JD 2000)

Associations

  • State Bar of California
  • U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Eastern Districts of California

  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

  • American Bar Association

  • Association of Defense Counsel of Northern California

  • Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM)

  • Defense Research Institute (DRI)

Trial Results

On December 14, 2023, Mr. Streza obtained a defense verdict following a 3 week trial in San Mateo County. Mr. Streza was assisted by co-counsel Mike Mengarelli through 5 ½ years of litigation and the trial of this matter. Jon Varnica was instrumental in handling the pre-trial litigation and preparing the defense for trial. The case involved a commercial lease. Former professional tennis player, plaintiff Alexander “Sandy” Mayer, was opening a second massage and therapeutic studio for his tennis clients. To that end, he rented a commercial space in Menlo Park from the defendants. Shortly after the lease term commenced, however, in January 2018, the building experienced significant water intrusion after heavy rains. Plaintiff sued the defendants claiming that his business was destroyed. He sought damages for his tenant improvements as well as the value and income stream from his business. Plaintiff alleged breach of contract, negligence, negligent misrepresentation, and concealment. Plaintiff also sought punitive damages from the defendants. The lease contained an attorney’s fees provision. Prior to trial, the parties went to numerous mediations without success. In July 2023, the defendants offered $350,000 to plaintiff by way of CCP 998 offer to compromise. Thereafter, defendants offered half a million dollars to resolve the case, but all offers were rejected. After the close of evidence, the jury deliberated for a day and a half and came back with a unanimous defense verdict on all causes of action.

In December 2020, Mr. Streza and Mr. Varnica tried a products liability case against a brush mower manufacturer on behalf of an individual defendant. The individual defendant in that case was accused of causing a 200 acre brush fire in Lake County while operating a brush mower. The individual defendant settled the underlying lawsuit with Cal-Fire for $1.25 million. Mr. Streza and Mr. Varnica handled the defense of that case and then successfully prosecuted a cross-complaint against the brush mower manufacturer. After a week of trial, Mr. Streza and Mr. Varnica were able to prove that the brush mower was defective in its design and establish the fault of the brush mower manufacturer for causing the fire. Following trial, the brush mower manufacturer changed the design of its mower.

On March 6, 2020, Mr. Streza obtained a defense verdict (9-3) on behalf of Tutor Perini Corporation and the City and County of San Francisco in a premises liability action involving a catastrophic lower extremity injury which occurred in connection with San Francisco’s Central Subway Project. The plaintiff’s attorney was a finalist for the 2018 San Francisco Trial Lawyers’ Association Trial Lawyer of the Year Award and was also named a Northern California “Super Lawyer” for 5 consecutive years. Prior to trial, the plaintiff rejected a $264,000 offer of settlement. At trial, the plaintiff asked for over $2 million in damages.

In August 2017, Mr. Streza obtained a defense verdict (12-0) from a Tulare County Jury against a plaintiff truck driver who tripped and fell in a shipping and receiving yard, and claimed permanent injury to his ulnar nerve as a result of cutting open his hand during his fall.

After 4 days of trial in an admitted liability case arising out of a Safeway delivery truck which T-boned the plaintiff’s vehicle, the plaintiff accepted defendant’s pre-trial settlement offer following the cross-examination of plaintiff’s medical expert.

Mr. Streza obtained a defense verdict (11-1) from a San Francisco County Jury on behalf of Safeway against a plaintiff who slipped and fell in a Safeway store and suffered a neck injury requiring a three level cervical fusion.

Following a week long trial in San Mateo County, Mr. Streza obtained a $9,073,181.80 judgment against a property owner who did not have worker’s compensation insurance covering employees of his 166 acre horse ranch.

Cost-effective, quality legal representation in the State of California.