The Law Offices of Belli & McLean are dedicated to continuing the outstanding legal traditions of Melvin M. Belli, Sr. (1907 - 1996)

Melvin Belli, a pioneer in the area of trial law, was well known for defending the rights of the individual, and was widely known as the "Father of Demonstrative Evidence" and "The King of Torts". The founder and former president of the American Trial Lawyers Association ("ATLA"), Melvin Belli was the author of sixty-two books on civil and criminal trial techniques and procedures.

High profile clients of Melvin Belli's law firm have included Mae West, Errol Flynn, Tony Curtis, Lenny Bruce, Zsa Zsa Gabor, The Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry, Muhammad Ali, Alex Haley, Nick Nolte, Mickey Cohen and the criminal defense of Jack Ruby, on trial for the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald, the assassin of President John F. Kennedy. Melvin Belli won a reversal on Jack Ruby's death penalty conviction from the Texas Appellate Court as well as a new trial outside of Dallas, but Ruby died of brain cancer soon afterwards, and before a second trial. Mr. Belli's book, "Dallas Justice", chronicles his perspective of the Jack Ruby case.

Kevin R. McLean is an extraordinary trial lawyer who mentored under Melvin Belli for many years. Kevin McLean continues to zealously advocate on behalf of his clients who are located all over the world.

KEVIN R. MCLEAN
Owner, Law Offices of Belli & McLean, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, and Silicon Valley
Licensed in California, New York & Massachusetts

EDUCATION
J.D., Syracuse University, School of Law - 1982

ADMITTED
State Bar of New York -1983
State Bar of Massachusetts - 1983
State Bar of California - 1986
U.S. District Court of New York
U.S. District Court of Massachusetts
U.S. District Court of California

(Northern, Southern & Central)
U.S. Court of Appeals for 1st, 6th, 8th and 9th Circuits
U.S. Court of Appeals for 5th Circuit

MEMBERSHIPS
Member, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association
Former Member, Los Angeles Trial Lawyers Association
Former Member, Association of Trial Lawyers of America
Former Member, California Trial Lawyers Association

PUBLICATIONS
"Personal Injury Forms," "Hazardous Product Litigation,";
"Proof of Defect" (Books on product liability, published by Swartz & Swartz of Massachusetts, 1983-1986)

GENERAL
Obtained numerous verdicts and settlements of $l million or more, including: $l million verdict for spinal injury case (1983); $l.4 million verdict for client who lost vision in one eye (1985); $l.l25 million settlement after verdict in Los Angeles real estate fraud case (1990); $4.6 million verdict for former Los Angeles Rams player, Dennis Brewster, in defective prosthetic knee case in Los Angeles County (1990); and $2.2 million verdict in defective sheep feed case in Missouri (1991); $5.4 million verdict, automobile v. crane case, Santa Cruz County, California (1994); $400,000 verdict in dog bite case, Contra Costa County, California (2001)

Successfully defended Oklahoma State Treasurer, Claudette Henry, in a wrongful termination lawsuit in l992. Achieved reversal in a Court of Appeals decision favoring a San Francisco Bay Area county club that discriminated against women. This case was upheld by the California Supreme Court.

While an associate at the New York firm of Birnbaum, Manaker & Aquilio in 1983, concentrated on defective products, including automobiles, motorcycle helmets and airplanes. Litigated more that 125 cases while an associate at the product liability specialty firm of Swartz & Swartz, including defective products, major airplane crash cases and toxic tort cases.

Currently involved in defective breast implant cases 150 cases nationwide dealing with products liability, defamation, medical malpractice, criminal defense and entertainment law. Multi-million dollar lawsuit in United States District Court against CNN and Time-Warner on behalf of a disabled veteran.