Sarah E. Kelly-Kilgore 

Sarah E. Kelly-Kilgore is the managing partner of Greenberg Gross LLP’s Los Angeles office, where she represents prominent clients in high-stakes complex litigation at the trial and appellate levels. She joined the firm in 2017.

“I was at Paul Hastings, in securities litigation, and I loved it but I was in the back, not in court, and I found Greenberg Gross offered unparalleled opportunity to try cases against Big Law firms.” She said. “I could get up on my feet as a younger attorney and do as much as I wanted.”

Kelly-Kilgore represents the trustee of the PG&E Fire Victim Trust in pursuing assigned claims against former PG&E vegetation management contractors for their responsibility in contributing to the causes of the deadly Northern California wildfires in 2017 and 2018.

“These are the folks who did the tree trimming,” she said. This year she attained settlements of $171 million and $25 million in separate cases with the contractors and the management consulting firm, McKinsley & Co. A trial with a remaining contractor defendant, The Davey Tree Expert Co., is set for October. California North Bay Fire Cases, JCCP 4955 (S.F. Super. Ct., coordinated Jan. 4. 2018).

“We’re seeking in excess of $150 million,” Kelly-Kilgore said. “We intend to recoup as much as possible for the trust.”

Kelly-Kilgore represents Los Angeles-based Buchalter APC in multiple active cases. Among them is an employment lawsuit filed by one of the firm’s former paralegals, Karen Hurdle, who worked with Gary A. Wolensky, the former chair of Buchalter’s products liability group, for decades before the pair joined Buchaler in 2016. She alleges that Wolensky harassed and retaliated against her while at Buchalter and that Buchalter knew of Wolensky’s conduct. Hurdle v. Buchalter, 22STCV23133 (L.A. Super. Ct., filed July 18, 2022).

In a statement to a media outlet shortly after the suit was filed, Buchalter said it was “deeply committed to maintaining a respectful workplace environment for all of our colleagues” but declined to address specifics of the complaint. Wolensky now works at another firm.

In early June, Kelly-Kilgore successfully moved to compel the matter to arbitration. “The plaintiff is a long-standing colleague who called herself a friend of Gary Wolensky,” Kelly-Kilgore said. “We have a lot of evidence that cuts against her position. Her counsel admitted that Buchalter had no notice of any harm until last year. Arbitration is obviously the right forum for this case.”

She added that the parties are now working to select an arbitrator and a forum.

— John Roemer