Contact

Janet L. Everson

Shareholder

415.788.1900 jeverson@mpbf.com

Admissions

All Federal and State Courts of the State of California

9th Circuit Court of Appeals

7th Circuit Court of Appeals

U.S. Tax Court

Supreme Court of the United States

United States Court of Federal Claims

Practice Areas

Litigation

Tax

Professional Liability

Privacy & Cybersecurity

  • Profile
  • Experience
  • Affiliations
  • Publications
  • Presentations
  • Recognitions
  • Education

Profile

A shareholder in Murphy Pearson’s San Francisco office, Janet is an experienced trial attorney. Her practice focuses on professional liability defense of lawyers, law firms, accountants, accounting firms, nonprofits and judges. She is a certified specialist in legal malpractice law by the California State Bar. In addition to her civil trial practice, Janet earned an LLM in Tax and represents clients in examinations, appeals, and litigation with the Internal Revenue Service, California Franchise Tax Board, and other state and local governmental agencies.

Experience

Published Appellate Opinions

  • Clear Channel Outdoor, Inc. v. Advertising Display Systems, 2007 WL 2730399 – malicious prosecution defense
  • Hitchko v. Boreing, 2017 WL 2417906 – Trustee defense
  • Peter Knappe v. United States of America, 713 F.3d 1164, United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, April 4, 2013
  • Sutter Insurance Company v. Applied Systems, Inc., 393 F.3d 722, United States Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit, December 28, 2004

Affiliations

  • American Bar Association
  • California State Bar Association
  • Alameda County Bar Association
  • Women Lawyers of Alameda County
  • Association for Professional Women
    • Founding member
  • Thomas Jefferson School of Law, assistant coach, Mock Trial Team (2000 – 2001)
  • Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (2015-2016)
  • Proctor Elementary School Science Boosters
    • Board member
  • Creekside Middle School Athletic Boosters
    • Board member
  • Defense Research Institute (DRI)
    • Accountants Specialized Litigation Group, former Vice Chair

Publications

  • “The Calif. Court of Appeal Decision That Expands Negligence Exposure for Lawyers,” ALM The Recorder, August 29, 2018
  • “IRS Trust Fund Recovery Penalty – Are Your Clients at Risk?” Defense Research Institute, Volume 3, Issue 4, January 2012
  • “Falling on the Sword – How to Protect Your Client and Yourself,” Defense Research Institute, December 2010
  • “The Doctrine of Quasi-Judicial Immunity – Extending Beyond the Bench,” Defense Research Institute, May 26, 2010
  • “Quasi-Judicial Immunity: Promoting Impartiality without Sacrificing Accountability,” Daily Journal, August 11, 2010
  • “The Office of the Taxpayer Advocate – What Every Taxpayer Needs to Know,” Defense Research Institute, December 2009

Presentations

  • “Are you Ready? Risk Management Thoughts for This Tax Season’s Obstacle Course,” internal insurance client presentation, January 14, 2019
  • “Tax Claims, Defenses & Mitigation,” internal insurance client presentation, Las Vegas, April 11, 2018
  • “CPA as a Trustee,” CalCPA Estate and Trust Planning Conference, July 17, 2017
  • “Recent Trends in Miscellaneous Professional Liability Claims,” internal insurance client presentation, co-presented with Kimberly A. Shields, New York, May 2017
  • “School of Risk Control Excellence,” co-presenter, CNA Insurance, December 1, 2016
  • “Tax Damages and Defenses,” CPA client presentation, May 2016
  • “Strategies for Difficult to Settle Cases,” client presentation, March 2016
  • “Malpractice in Your International Tax Practice,” CalCPA International Tax Conference, November, 2015
  • “Ethical Issues and Avoiding Malpractice,” East Bay Trusts and Estates Lawyers, October 2015
  • “Notable Legal Issues,” co-presented to attorneys and CPA clients, June 2014
  • “How to Protect Your Firm This Tax Season,”  The ACA and More, January 2014
  • “Malpractice Avoidance,” Golden Gate University, October 2013
  • “Defending Legal Malpractice Cases Based on Excess and Unpaid Judgments,” ALADN Conference, Las Vegas, October 2013
  • “The Applicable Standards for Preparation of Tax Returns,” co-presented to attorneys and CPA clients, March 2013
  • “The Estate Planning Team,” co-presented to attorney and CPA clients, March 2013
  • “Recent Trends in Risk Management for the International Tax Practitioner,” co-presenter, CalCPA SF Chapter International Taxation Committee, January 2013
  • “How to Avoid a Malpractice Claim,” featured speaker, Estate Planning Council of Diablo Valley, November 2012
  • “How to Avoid a Malpractice Claim,” featured speaker, North Bay Society of Enrolled Agents, October, 2012
  • “How to Avoid a Malpractice Claim,” featured speaker, East Bay Society of Enrolled Agents, August 2012
  • “How to Avoid a Malpractice Claim,” featured speaker, Alameda County Estate Planning Council, May 2012
  • “Tax Damages & Defenses,” co-presented to attorneys and CPA clients, April 2012
  • “Form 706 Tax Training,” co-presented to attorneys and CPA clients, January 2012
  • “Five Ways to Avoid a Legal Malpractice Claim,” featured speaker, DRI Young Lawyers convention , Las Vegas, June 2009

Recognitions

  • Selected for inclusion in Northern California Super Lawyers Rising Stars (2010 – 2012)
  • Selected for inclusion in Northern California Super Lawyers (2017 – present)

Education

L.L.M. in Taxation, Golden Gate University

J.D., Thomas Jefferson School of Law

B.A., San Diego State University