Coblentz Expands Corporate and Litigation Capabilities with Four-Attorney Team

Mark Cassanego, J. Craig Crawford, Edward Willig, and John McCauley join the firm

San Francisco (August 31, 2026) – San Francisco-based law firm Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP is pleased to announce that attorneys Mark A. Cassanego, J. Craig Crawford, Edward J. Willig, and John McCauley have joined the firm. Cassanego and Willig join Coblentz’s Corporate practice as partners, Crawford joins the Litigation practice as a partner, and McCauley joins the Litigation practice as special counsel. The attorneys join Coblentz from Carr McClellan in Burlingame, California.

The team brings to Coblentz deep experience advising privately held businesses, emerging companies, founders, investors, and senior executives on sophisticated transactions and significant disputes. Their practices span mergers and acquisitions, business formation and financing, corporate governance, commercial agreements, business and fiduciary litigation, intellectual property disputes, trade secrets, and employee mobility matters. They represent clients across industries including food and beverage, technology, life sciences, construction, logistics, and consumer products.

“I am thrilled that Mark, Craig, Ed, and John have joined Coblentz,” said Sara Finigan, Managing Partner of Coblentz. “They are exceptional lawyers whose transactional and litigation experience deepens our Corporate and Litigation practices and strengthens the practical, business-minded counsel we provide to our clients.”

“We chose Coblentz in large part because it is widely recognized for its depth of experience, expertise, and success in helping clients achieve their objectives,” said Ed Willig. “Joining Coblentz enables us to offer clients access to a broader range of legal services and deeper experience in many areas, including corporate, litigation, real estate, employment, tax, and estate planning.”

Mark A. Cassanego joins as a partner in Coblentz’s Corporate practice. For more than 40 years, he has advised privately owned businesses and their owners throughout the business lifecycle, from startup through exit. He has significant experience advising on M&A transactions and frequently serves as outside general counsel to company clients. His practice has a particular focus on the food industry. He earned his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law and his B.S., summa cum laude, from Santa Clara University.

J. Craig Crawford joins as a partner in Coblentz’s Litigation practice. He works with businesses, founders, and investors to resolve their most important business disputes. Crawford represents clients in business and fiduciary litigation, class actions, trade secret disputes, and employee mobility matters before judges, juries, and arbitrators. He earned his J.D. from the University of San Francisco School of Law and his B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley.

Edward J. Willig joins as a partner in Coblentz’s Corporate practice. He provides comprehensive legal representation to businesses of all sizes, together with their owners and senior executives, and advises on significant transactions and long-term strategy. His practice includes business formation and financing, commercial contracts, mergers and acquisitions, owner buyouts, state and federal securities law compliance, and executive employment agreements. He earned his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law and his A.B., with distinction, from Stanford University.

John McCauley joins as special counsel in Coblentz’s Litigation practice. He represents technology companies, startups, and established businesses in complex business and intellectual property disputes in federal courts, the International Trade Commission, and arbitration forums. His experience includes matters involving trade secrets, licensing, contracts, and other technology-driven controversies. McCauley previously served as Associate General Counsel of Via Licensing Alliance LLC, a subsidiary of Dolby Labs. He earned his J.D. from Santa Clara University School of Law and his B.S. from Penn State University.

Their arrival follows the July addition of partner Raymond Buddie, which strengthened the firm’s construction and litigation capabilities.