Britt K. Strottman

It's not uncommon for a lawyer to try multiple cases against one opponent. But few have battled so relentlessly with a single foe as Strottman.

"It feels like that is pretty much all I do now," said Strottman. "I never thought when I went to law school my specialty would be trying cases against PG&E."

That was before a Pacific Gas & Electric gas pipeline exploded in 2010 in the small Bay Area city of San Bruno. Eight people died in the blast, which leveled nearly 40 houses and left a crater 40 feet deep.

Strottman is a partner with Meyers Nave and special counsel to the city of San Bruno. She helped the city win a pair of settlements against PG&E, including $50 million for the cost of the fire and $70 million in restitution. Along the way, three things happened.

First, she became go-to counsel for entities suing the giant utility. She has since taken cases against PG&E on behalf of Calaveras County and the city of Carmel, also prompted by fires allegedly caused by faulty gas line or power line maintenance.

Second, she played a role in changing how utilities are regulated in California. A trove of 65,000 emails between PG&E and regulators obtained during discovery exposed an overly cozy relationship with the California Public Utilities Commission. In September, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a package of five bills increasing transparency and accountability at the agency.

Third, she showed that a small city and a law firm could partner to successfully pursue cases using a streamlined approach.

"We didn't have a team at Meyers Nave like you would at a big firm, with 50 people working on this," Strottman said. "I think it showed that you can use a small number of people and not bleed the client to death. We were able to be efficient and resourceful."

The team included two of her Meyers Nave colleagues - one working half-time on the project - and several non-attorneys: San Bruno City Manager Connie Jackson, financial adviser Craig Bettencourt with Prager & Company, and Sam Singer, president of the public relations firm Singer & Associates.

Strottman said they unapologetically pursued the case "in the court of public opinion." She said that founding partner Steven R. Meyers also worked on the case, but let her take the lead in court and in front of the news cameras.

"He let me take the limelight," said Strottman, adding, "A lot of partners don't do that."

— Malcolm Maclachlan