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Oakland Office Location

1340 Treat Blvd.
Suite 210
Walnut Creek, CA 94597

T (510) 444-1532
F (916) 442-1028

Practice Areas

Asbestos
Workers’ Compensation Defense

Background

Admitted to Practice by the State Bar of California: 2007
Number of years in Workers’ Compensation: 12
Number of years with Mullen & Filippi, LLP: 6
  • Juris Doctorate from University of The Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, Sacramento, CA in 2007
  • Bachelor of Psychology from San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA in 2004

James M. Cotter

Managing Senior Partner

jcotter@mulfil.com

Oakland Office Location

1340 Treat Blvd.
Suite 210
Walnut Creek, CA 94597

T (510) 444-1532
F (916) 442-1028

Practice Areas

Asbestos
Workers’ Compensation Defense

Background

Admitted to Practice by the State Bar of California: 2007
Number of years in Worker's Compensation: 12
Number of years with Mullen & Filippi, LLP: 2019
  • Juris Doctorate from University of The Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, Sacramento, CA in 2007
  • Psychology from San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA in 2004

Career Basics

Upon admission before all courts in California, Mr. Cotter practiced civil litigation for an established firm specializing in insurance defense and employment law, and then worked as a solo practitioner specializing in sports agency law, personal injury torts, contracts, and criminal defense. Since 2012, Mr. Cotter has focused on workers’ compensation defense practice. Prior to becoming an Associate at Mullen & Filippi in 2016, he specialized in defending workers’ compensation claims on behalf of large public entities, and also handled subrogation claims.

Education

Mr. Cotter received his law degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in 2007. While studying there, he received a Witkin Award for Academic Excellence, was on the Dean’s List, and was a member of the Justice Traynor Honors Society. In 2004 he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from San Francisco State University.

Professional Membership

Mr. Cotter is a member of the State Bar of California and a former member of the Labor and Employment Law and Litigation sections of the State Bar of California.

Personal Note

As an attorney, I’ve been privy to stories and dramas both epic and tumultuous, and have had the honor of working with a wide variety of clients. Every case and every client presents new and interesting challenges. Each deposition is a window into a different life and each claim presents new questions and opportunities for the client and me alike. As Samuel Johnson once said, when a person “tires of London, he tires of life.” The same could be said of litigation. What I love most about being a lawyer is “getting it right,” by obtaining the best resolution available to my client under the law, whether that means recognizing the value of compromise or recognizing the value of a principled stand.
When I’m not practicing law, I’m instructing classes as a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The mindfulness of drilling and the intensity of sparring are two modes in which I feel most fully human and alive. I also dabble in non-legal writing and have a podcast. Don’t ask me about it, I’ll tell you.
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Mullen & Filippi was founded in 1949 to provide counsel to employers, carriers, and third-party administrators in defense of Workers’ Compensation matters.

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