ADAM M. CARLSON

• Bio
• Education
• Awards
• Professional Associations

Attorney Adam M. Carlson is managing partner at Casper, Meadows, Schwartz & Cook. While he is skilled in various areas of law, he focuses the majority of his practice on serious injury cases, wrongful death and civil rights. While he has extensive experience handling all types of cases involving serious injury or wrongful death, he also specializes in premises and products liability matters. He believes that tailoring each case to each client’s needs is key to providing aggressive and compassionate legal representation.

Mr. Carlson holds a certificate of completion from the Harvard Business School for the program, “Negotiation Mastery.” It is estimated that over 99% of cases settle before trial. While Mr. Carlson has the experience and willingness to take any matter to trial, he prides himself on achieving outstanding settlements for his clients attributable in part to his study of the art and science of negotiation. He has reviewed the details of every verdict and settlement in California for the past 10+ years, and uses that information, combined with his skills as a negotiator, to attain favorable settlements for his client.

In 2021-22, Carlson organized one of the most comprehensive trial strategy education series for attorneys in the Contra Costa County Bar Association. The series spanned over eight months and covered all aspects of litigation, from the initial lawsuit pleadings to the effective presentation of trial exhibits. He was nominated by members of the litigation section to lead this series due to his extensive experience with trials and his expertise in all aspects of civil litigation.

Before joining the firm, Carlson served as an intake assistant for our team, where he was responsible for fielding calls from potential clients. It was at this time that Carlson decided he wanted to do more. He found that he was passionate about helping individuals who suffered injuries and illness due to another person’s negligence, recklessness, or carelessness. After this realization, he enrolled in law school, where he pursued his passion for helping others facing serious and difficult legal matters.

Prior to committing his life to legal work, Carlson attended Middlebury College where he completed his undergraduate coursework. Upon the completion of his undergraduate studies, he enrolled at the University of San Francisco School of Law where he achieved his Juris Doctorate. Following law school Carlson spent several years as a dedicated attorney for the Alameda County Public Defender’s Office before joining our team. Currently, he holds memberships in various associations, including the State Bar of California, the US District Court Northern District of California, the US District Court Eastern District of California, the Earl Warren American Inn of Court, the Contra Costa County Bar Association, the Alameda-Contra Costa County Trial Lawyers Association, and the Consumer Attorneys of California.

When Carlson is not practicing law, he can be found competing as an elite amateur in triathlons. Triathlons are an important part of his life as they allow him to empathize with clients who are deprived of their livelihood when injured.

• United States District Court, Northern District of California
• United States District Court, Eastern District of California
• United States Court of Appeal for the Ninth Circuit
• California, 2008

• Spanish

• Louis Goodman’s Love Thy Lawyer Podcast

• Social Media as Evidence, Contra Costa Lawyer Magazine, March 2022 Issue
• Interview with Adam Carlson, Triathlete; Contra Costa Lawyer Magazine, August 2017 Issue
• Assumption of Risk: You Knew This Could Happen; Contra Costa Lawyer Magazine, August 2017 Issue
• Bot to the Future, The Legal Field Intersects With Artificial Intelligence; The Bencher, The Magazine of the American Inns of Court, November/December 2018 Issue