Bio
Kai Peters is a partner at the law firm Gordon & Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP, where he has practiced for over twenty years. He specializes in representing businesses in simple and complex litigation and as acting as outside general counsel for businesses on a broad range of corporate, commercial and litigation matters. He has a unique perspective developed from representing small start-up companies in the heart of the Bay Area and California and also from representing large, established national and international corporations. He enjoys practicing law, learning about the law, and teaching the law.
Mr. Peters has significant experience in litigation, including product liability, mass torts, class actions, breach of contract, and business disputes. He has a particular emphasis in complex commercial litigation representing pharmaceutical, medical device, and other FDA-regulated companies, solar companies, and hi-tech and new media companies. Mr. Peters acts as national and local litigation counsel for companies of all sizes in state and federal courts, including in Multidistrict Litigation and in coordinated proceedings. He has recovered significant sums in breach of contract matters as well. He also advises corporate clients in the area of avoidance of potential liability and litigation, from training and organization of sales representatives to the form and content of internal and external documents.
Mr. Peters has extensive experience in all phases of litigation, including the initial phases of litigation; development and preparation of witnesses for testimony; depositions of experts and company witnesses of all backgrounds; analysis and development of defenses, including those based on medical and scientific causation issues, labeling, and preemption; motion practice; written discovery; major document organization and review (including e-discovery); summary judgment motions; alternative dispute resolution including mediation; evaluation of cases with experts; and the trial phase.
As outside general counsel, Mr. Peters advises clients of all sizes in a variety of business matters, including entity formation and business liability protection; contract drafting, review, and negotiation; legal advice on operations, business strategy, and risk avoidance; pre-litigation business dispute resolution; and reorganizations, conversions, and acquisitions. Mr. Peters also has participated in building companies from the inside and so has an appreciation and respect for the people who establish and work to grow those companies.
Mr. Peters is admitted to practice in California state and federal courts, courts of appeal, and the United States Supreme Court. He has also been admitted to practice pro hac vice in many state courts across the country.
Mr. Peters also has been a member of the Defense Research Institute and the Food Drug & Law Institute. Through these associations and others, he has enjoyed giving presentations and writing articles for a variety of institutions and at multiple conferences throughout the nation, including for the National Institute of Health and for other organizations.
He has also enjoyed acting as a judge for a competition for California involving hundreds of start-up companies.
Mr. Peters also has a passion for athletics. He volunteers his time to USA Triathlon (USAT) as a member of its legal committee and acts as lead judge or judge in USAT Hearings and Appeals matters involving amateur and professional triathletes. He has participated in triathlons and has competed in Ironman competitions nationally and internationally, achieved All-American honors, and competed in the Hawaii Ironman for many years.
Education
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UC Law SF College of the Law
J.D. -
University of California, Santa Barbara
B.A., honors, Business – Economics