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About

Brian’s “formal” legal career began on Tuesday, June 12, 1990 when he was sworn in at the Masonic Auditorium in San Francisco, California. Brian’s “informal” legal career, however, began long before his admission to the State Bar of California. Brian is the third generation in his family to become a lawyer. Brian remembers well the late night conversations between his father and grandfather regarding their various cases. Whether it was “nature or nurture”, a career in law was the best choice for him.

Brian graduated from the University of Michigan Law School in May 1989. Before starting with the San Francisco office of Hancock Rothert & Bunshoft LLP, he spent six months working in the Melbourne, Australia office of Minter Ellison. During his stint with Minter Ellison, Brian analyzed liability and insurance coverage issues regarding a dam collapse in Papua New Guinea. On the weekends, he continued his college passion by playing American football (“gridiron” in Australia) for the Peninsula Sweathogs. In 2000, Brian was inducted into the Denison University Athletic Hall of Fame as an offensive tackle for the school’s last undefeated football team.

Brian stayed with the Hancock Rothert & Bunshoft from 1989 through 1998, focusing on insurance defense and insurance coverage matters. He participated in two trials during his tenure at the Hancock firm. After making partner in 1997, Brian left to join the Trial Team at the Office of the City Attorney in San Francisco. He successfully tried eight jury trials before leaving in June 2004. While at the Office of the City Attorney, Brian represented a variety of employees of the City and County of San Francisco, focusing on defending police officers and sheriff’s deputies. In 2001, he was admitted to the United States Supreme Court when he filed a petition for writ of certiorari on behalf of the Sheriff’s Department.

Brian founded the Gearinger Law Group on January 1, 2008 and hasn’t looked back. He moved the office to Santa Rosa in February 2015 and practices almost exclusively in Sonoma County Superior Court or the Northern District of California in federal court.

Outside of the office, Brian enjoys traveling. He has visited many of the major cities of the world and counts Buenos Aires, Dublin, Edinburgh, Florence, Hong Kong, London, Melbourne, Paris, Seoul, Singapore and Sydney among his various stops.

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