Kemnitzer, Barron & Krieg, LLP

If you want some of San Francisco’s best legal talent on your side, then I HIGHLY recommend stopping by Bryan Kemnitzer’s office as he and his team possess a uniquely level-​headed approach to problem-​solving that examines all fronts of your legal case before pursuing the most sensible avenue. Above all else, this gave us peace of mind. Mr. Kemnitzer’s knowledge of the law and his handling of nuanced reasoning brings a degree of proficiency that I have found in my own experiences to be only paralleled by that of seasoned lawyers at some of the nation’s largest law firms.
My personal experience dealt with their consumer advocacy practice, which proved to be refreshingly understanding of us and our situation. Admittedly, prior to coming to KBK, we were a bit dumfounded at the position we were in and didn’t know if any desirable resolution could be arrived. Mr. Kemnitzer gladly sat with us after thoroughly reading into the facts of our case. He provided us with a number of possible outcomes and a strategic course of action that we found satisfying.
Three months later, I got a call from Mr. Kemnitzer saying opposing counsel was willing to settle. The settlement was the best case scenario — everything we had expected AND MORE! I think it goes without saying, but we were thrilled!
Mr. Kemnitzer has a well-​established reputation in the industry and in the area that commands a great deal of respect for his practice, his team, and his legal approach. If you want others to know you’re serious and if you want a team of hardworking and knowledgeable advocates on your side, then you can’t go wrong with KBK. We were glad we did!

We are beyond satisfied with the outcome of working with KBK LLP and would highly recommend them to our friends and family members experiencing Lemon Law issues!
Elliot and Bryan were rock stars and won us a Buy-​Back and Settlement against Ford Company (who was unbelievably stubborn about the situation)! KBK LLP took on our case based on contingency and we did not spend 1 penny for their services — Score!
Want to know what happened? Well here it goes…
Our family’s troubles began when we purchased a brand new 2012 Ford Focus from Fremont Ford. Being the primary driver of the vehicle, quickly I began to notice and be annoyed by a shaky feeling of the vehicle when: driving up hills, and driving low speeds (when trying to find a parking space at the grocery store or mall). During our 1^st 3-​month service, I brought it to Fremont Ford’s Service department’s attention. Without hesitation the Ford service guy told me that the shaking was called a «Shudder» and was completely normal… Long story short, a couple of months later during a different service at Fremont Ford, the Service guy changed his mind about what he told me before and we were told that the Shudder was excessive and the result of a defective transmission, but that it would be fixed no problem. After multiple attempts on Fremont Ford’s part, the shudder was not fixed but grew worse and more funny noises and bizarre feelings began coming from the car. Mind you this car is still less than 1 year old and has been at Fremont Ford’s service department off and on for a total of about 30 days, sometimes as long as 10 days straight. After feeling blown off by Fremont Ford, we contacted Ford Company and were blown off by them as well.
Our biggest concern was that we purchased this vehicle Brand New with a Defective Transmission and that we were going to be hit the hardest when our warranty would no longer cover these lengthy, pricey, non-​availing attempts to fix the transmission. The best Ford offered us was to extend our warranty a little longer and cover rental car expenses up to 10 days at a time while the vehicle was in their shop. Uhhhh, No! Not acceptable!
My husband continued to say, «Let’s get an attorney…» I was so busy with work and life that I really did not want to. I figured that getting an attorney would annoy me even more, dealing with attorney shenanigans and run-​around and ultimately no positive outcome after all the hassle. I was too busy to deal with an attorney. My husband assured me that he’d do the research and that it would not be more work added to my plate. So he looked on Unilocal and found KBK LLP! Man am I glad he did!
The first few consultations/​conversations were over the phone — which was very convenient. I must say that Bryan and Elliot did all of the work. My husband and I just provided the documents they requested, but the draining stuff was done behind the scenes by Bryan and Elliot. They reached out to all the appropriate parties and before we knew it, our litigation had began.
After about 1 and ½ years of litigation (court filings, a mediation, a briefing with Bryan and Elliot and 1 court appearance) in about 3 – 4 month increments, Ford Credit settled with us, buying the Vehicle Back and paying us a Civil Penalty! Like a different reviewer said, we were not trying to get rich. We desired for Ford to do the right thing from the beginning, but they did not. So ultimately, we ended up with a way more positive outcome than we would have ever imagined. We feel very blessed, knowing that if we had not reached out to KBK LLP, then we would literally be stuck with a Lemon until this day.

Elliot Conn represented me on my case, quick and concise is all I can say and he got the job done. I was referred by a happy client to these Law offices.
Two thumbs up!

I worked with Adam McNeil at this firm, and even though I didn’t end up needing their services, Adam was very helpful during the entire nightmare that I endured with my lemon. He proved to be extremely knowledgeable and handled all of my questions promptly and in a very friendly matter. I really think that Adam played a huge part in my discussions with the car manufacturer that I had issues with.
Thanks so much, Adam!

Brand new 2014 Jeep Cherokee, 6 months old, 6,000 miles…
Enter stage left, complete transmission failure. Enter stage right, complete failure of new transmission. Enter center stage, Adam McNeile from Kemnitzer, Barron & Krieg LLP. Adam was a complete rock star at talking me through how to start the complaint process with the vehicle manufacturer while simultaneously beginning to prep me for the possibility of having to go through lemon law proceedings should the manufacturer be non-​compliant.
By some sort of cosmic miracle, Chrysler actually agreed to repurchase the vehicle for the entire cost to me including taxes, licensing and fees (less a very nominal and standard usage fee) — it was refreshing to see such a huge corporation do the right thing to say the least & I was so relieved to not be behind the wheel of a dangerously erratic and unreliable vehicle!
Throughout the entire process Adam stayed in contact and offered guidance and support despite the fact that I would not be needing the firm’s assistance for legal proceedings. He stuck with me to the not-​at-​all-​bitter end which truly helped make a stressful and scary situation so much easier to deal with — what an amazing way to treat someone who ended up only «window shopping» at their business!
Thanks so much Adam & team and, while I hope to never have to call on you again, it truly was a pleasure. Now, off to buy a foreign car ;)

Boy did I luck out with Kemnitzer, Barron & Krieg! I was told (after the 17^th time I brought my luxury car in to be repaired) that I qualified for buyback under the «Lemon Law.» I Unilocaled several law firms and selected this one because of the positive reviews. From the moment I met with Bryan Kemnitzer, I felt I chose the right representation. He spent quite a while asking questions, looking through my files, gathering all sorts of information — and asked about my end goal. He was realistic and agreeable. From then on, I worked mainly with Kristin Kemnitzer and the professional legal assistants, and it was a pleasure to do so. Their communication was outstanding; their responses to any questions I had were quick and clear; and the results — better than I had hoped for! Kristin is a true professional in addition to being warm, smart, funny and easy to work with. I am 100% satisfied and though I hope I never have to use Kemnitzer, Barron & Krieg again, for a lemon law situation, I would not hesitate for a second. This is a 5 star organization.

LENGTHY BUT WORTH READING!!!
I am very happy to be writing this Unilocal review right now. I had a nightmarish situation happen to me 2 years ago that’s been a weight on my shoulders this entire time, and to my surprise, was able to take a huge sigh of relief just a few weeks ago.
A couple years ago I decided to purchase my first self owned car. I purposely decided to go to a major dealership in hopes to avoid shady car dealerships and their corrupt tactics. I live in Santa Barbara county and ended up looking at used cars at the Nissan Dealership in Santa Maria, CA. Two days later I put down a $ 3,500 down payment and because I’m young and had a pretty much non-​existent credit history I had to be financed through a company called A-​L Financial.
I had the car for about 2 months before I could feel reoccurring jerking that the car would do as I accelerated. The jerking became increasingly worse to where there was a bad as a clunking sound when pushing on the gas pedal. Then the car’s acceleration speed started to become slower and slower until I could floor the pedal and still could barely get up to speed (along with loud clunking). I called the dealership to tell them and they said they would run a diagnosis. When they did they said they would have to charge me $ 675.00 to replace the coil pack because the cylinders were blowing out, keep in mind I purchased the warranty which they then said wasn’t included because it was a non-​oiled engine part. I refused to give them any more money and had the coil pack replaced elsewhere and nothing changed.
To make matters (and my luck) even worse my car got towed to a local tow truck lot where I was told I had 30 days to get it out. Two weeks later when I was able to pay to get it out the tow lot said that A-​L had came and picked the car up! So now I have a repossessed car that never worked in the first place and worst of all I start getting letters from A-L’s attorney that I owe a deficiency of $ 10,000. I got letters saying that I would have to go to trial about my debt. Their attorney said I could avoid having to by making monthly payments WITH a 10% interest rate on the amount. I told them I wasn’t sure and needed my own legal advice. He still sent me a contract in the mail in which I did not sign but kept with me.
A whole year had passed when I received an out of the blue letter from A-L’s attorney ‘Lincoln Gardner’ threatening that if I did not send any money and the signed contract within 10 business days that I would be taken to trial. That day I called their office and he was extremely rude saying I wasted his clients time. I told them their time wasn’t my priority and that the contact seemed skeptical. I was online when I got on the track of consumer law and this is when I came across Kemnitzer, Barron, and Krieg’s Attorney’s office. I gave it a shot and called their S.F. office.
Their representative explained to me she’ll take down the details to my story and gather the faxed copies of my paperwork (lease, court summons, attorney’s letters, etc.) and present it to the attorney. This consultation was free of charge. From there the attorney will confirm whether they are able to help with the case, and if not they will guide you to other offices that might be able to instead of leaving you hanging dry. Two weeks later I happen to glance at my email and see a letter from KBK stating that I am in fact a case member of a lawsuit being pursued against A-​L Financial and because I did not sign any contract I was not liable to pay any more money to them. There would be no credit fault for the vehicle and things will be as if I never had anything to do with A-​L! UNBELIEVABLE! Along with my letter was the attached letter that was sent to A-L’s attorney.
Considering all I had been through this was the last thing I was ever expecting, and I would have never knew if I had fell for those taunting threats I had been receiving. I spoke to Bryan Kemnitzer, the attorney handling my case, and he was kind, personable, reassuring and completely helpful. The fact they that they were even able to assist with my legal troubles and did so in a prompt and fluent manner was the blessing I had been asking for.

I have thanked KBK for what they have done for not just myself, but my fiancé and our young son who would all be affected by this in the future. Being that I’m a full time student this saved my finances that will only just be underway. The impact of rectifying such a terrible situation is tremendous! Also, the feeling that someone is on my side and there to help was something I hadn’t had before and makes all the difference. I recommend to anyone who has taken the time to read this and is in need of legal support for their own situations to call KBK. They’re the type of consumer aid that should be more abundant in our communities. So grateful for everything!

Extremely professional, Amy Tay and Bryan Kemnitzer helped me through a tough situation with ease. They came highly recommended from another firm and I can see why. They seem to be the best in the business when it comes to resolving automotive legal issues. I would highly recommend them without any hesitation.

I reached out to Kemnitzer, Barron & Krieg the other day because of the reviews I saw here on Unilocal.When I called in I was put in touch with Elliot, an attorney at the firm, who couldn’t tell me right away if I have a case or not but asked me to gather some key pieces of information and go from there. I gathered everything I could yesterday from the different dealerships I have been to, scanned it, and emailed it off to Elliot. When I called in this morning to follow up, Elliot offered for me to come by their office today to meet with him and Brian Kemnitzer, another attorney at the firm. One attorney is great, but two is just that much better. I took the appointment and came in at 2:00pm. They met with me, listened carefully to my car problems, bounced a few ideas off of each other and came to the conclusion that they would not be able to help me.
Though the outcome of all of this is far from what I expected I really enjoyed working with this firm. They were very professional, prompt, but most importantly they didn’t wast their time nor mine. Hard to find straight forward honest people like this out there that won’t waste your time or drag on simple matters that shouldn’t be dragged on. Thank you very much Elliot and Brian.

Chances are you are reading this review because you have an issue with a car where you think you might benefit from legal advice &/​or you are searching for a lawyer to help resolve your issue. Both were true in my case, and I could not be happier with my decision to give Kemnitzer, Barron & Krieg a call.
I had an issue with a Certified Pre-​Owned car I purchased from a reputable dealership. Unfortunately, the dealership’s remedy to my issue was unsatisfactory and they were unwilling to negotiate with me to resolve the matter. I reached out to KBK LLC and knew right away I found a firm that operated with professionalism and integrity. I never doubted that my best interests guided their actions and advice. Kristin & Bryan were happy to answer my questions, and I felt very comfortable reaching out to them with any of my concerns.
Ultimately, my case was resolved through settlement for significantly more than the dealer’s original offer. I wasn’t looking to get rich, and I believe the deal we were able to strike was fair and reasonable under the circumstances. I appreciated that once a fair offer was extended they recommended I accept, and resolution came quickly once KBK LLC became involved.
Based on my experience, if you have an auto related issue and aren’t sure if you have a case I suggest you give them a call. I would recommend Kemnitzer, Barron, & Krieg to friends and family without reservation.

We were referred to the law firm of Kemnitzer, Barron and Krieg LLC. What a find. We have a beautiful son with special needs. We needed a special van with a wheelchair lift to make his and our lives more livable. The dealership refused to release the van unless we signed a ‘New Car Binding Arbitration Agreement”. All the paperwork and financing were totally done. It was just that one form they kept insisting on. Bryan Kemnitzer and Nancy Barron of Kemnitzer, Barron and Krieg LLC. Knew what needed to be done to make the dealership release the vehicle to us. What was so amazing that whatever they did our van was released to us within 24 hours… unbelievable I must say. They are gifted. In this world it is difficult to find people who care. So it is with happy heartfelt emotion that we would like to share what knowledge and big hearts we found in Bryan and Nancy. They are people with feelings, no matter what the outcome may have been; they just listened to our story. We happened to be pleasantly surprised with the outcome because of their big hearts and that extra mile. We have a great faith so it makes our hearts smile to know there are still people on this earth like Bryan Kemnitzer and Nancy Barron and their law firm of Kemnitzer, Barron and Krieg, LLC. The different scenarios were here’s a dose of pain and suffering with some sleepless nights and some headaches from the dealership. With Bryan and Nancy it was «that doesn’t make any sense let me see if we can make it all better», which they did. We thank them both from the bottom of our hearts to their big hearts.

I can’t thank the Kemnitzer, Barron & Krieg law firm enough, particularly Bryan Kemnitzer, for the expert and professional manner with which my car case was handled. When other attorneys were either too busy to look deeply into the details or not experienced enough to see what had to be done, Mr. Kemnitzer immediately checked the car history and other important facts about the transaction. He then quickly spotted something in the sales contract that I and other lawyers and advisors had completely missed. With graceful persistence, Mr. Kemnitzer was able to get the dodgy, elusive dealership owner on the phone while I was sitting right there in the office. With a calm, polite eloquence, Bryan proceeded to reason with this stubborn and often hostile CEO, and got him to agree to something that I had been trying to do for almost 2 months – that is, simply rescind a very bad car deal. Within a day the case was settled and done – over almost before it started! I was absolutely amazed by Mr. Kemnitzer’s speed and accuracy but equally impressed by his calm, ethical approach and his kindly manner. He took the unusual approach, another thing you don’t often see in attorneys, to look at the psychology behind the deal and the subtle personal nuances of the individuals involved. I am convinced by taking this extra step, this gave him the perspective to deal with the case in a much more effective manner. Knowing not only the «whats» and the «hows» but also the «whys» gave him the insight needed to handle an otherwise very delicate and potentially sticky situation. I wish I had found their offices sooner and I could have saved myself much aggravation and a few sleepless nights. But the bottom line, we got the bad deal cancelled, my original car back, and we now are all happy campers. I am sincerely grateful to Bryan and his team for a job well done. Thanks again!!!

Couldnt have had a better experience. They represented me extremely well, as a result we got rid of the car we bought from the dealer (who purposefuly hid prior accident and other issues with the car). Hopefully they will think twice before trying to scam customers again.

I started having problems with my Certified Pre-​Owned Mercedes Benz E Class (two years old) a day after I drove it home from the dealer. The issues continue and they only got worse as time progressed. I had tried to reach out to other attorneys about my suspicions that the car had been previously wrecked but they never really bothered to listen and some were upfront unavailable. I tried searching for some online information on the CA lemon law, and found some legal websites where Bryan Kemnitzer’s name kept coming up with articles he had written with some very useful information so I gave him a call not sure if I had a case. From the time I called Bryan, he was very professional and took the time to listen to my concerns and asked me to send him all documents related to the purchase of the car. He then asked us to take the car to his specialist for a car inspection and although I had to pay out of pocket I wanted to know if in reality I had a serious problem with the car. When I picked up the car from the specialist, he pointed out some really serious safety issues and recommended that I no longer drove the car. If I had found out that the car had no issues, it still would’ve been a good investment as it would’ve helped ease the anxiety of driving a potential unsafe car with my six year old son.
The specialist was excellent, very professional, and I also had the opportunity to read his report. His report was well written in a professional and concise manner and I could tell that he took the time to put a report together that would be useful in case we ended up in court. I live in Sacramento and Bryan was able to meet with me here in the Sacramento office where we were able to discuss our case in detail. I never felt pressure to do anything I didn’t feel comfortable with. In fact, Bryan took the time to talk to us about the settlement and made sure that we were in agreement with the negotiations. Bryan sets up realistic expectations which are based on his many years of experience on these types of cases. Bryan does recommend that you take the car to the specialist for various reasons, but from my understanding this is because is important to make sure you have the condition and history of the car well documented. It’s also important because this is the only way you will know if you truly have a case, which only shows Bryan Kemnitzer’s work ethics and integrity.
Although this was a extremely stressful situation for me and my family, it has been life changing and I owe it all to Bryan and to his legal team at Kemnitzer, Barron, and Krieg. Thanks so much BRYAN!!! You are the best!!!

Thank you very much for everthing. Very happy with the outcome.

To Jade’s comments below — your so called expert drove my car on flat land, between stop signs, without traffic. In NONE of the situations I had asked him to drive in to elicit the problem with the clutch. He had the car for a month. Your firm botched my case twice. I guess people with BMWs get attention and folks with Nissans do not. Also — there never was a computer inspection. Your expert didn’t do one. NIssan didn’t do one — your facts are wrong. And if you say your experts did the computer check, that flat out wrong. I asked at the time of pickup and he said no. He only drove it. That’s the only time you would have had a chance to hook it up to a computer.
It’s kinda awesome you’ve gotten two 5 star reviews to follow my one star. An almost unbelievable streak of good reviews.

I cannot speak highly enough about the law firm of Kemnitzer, Barron and Krieg, LLC. It began when I purchased a new BMW and experienced issues with the vehicle. After numerous attempts to resolve on my own, speaking with technicians and service managers, writing letters and sending work orders to BMW of USA asking that the vehicle be replaced, I decided to call the law offices of Kemnitzer Barron and Krieg, LLC.
Brian K and Jade worked tirelessly in obtaining a cash settlement on my behalf (settlement $ exceeded cost of vehicle!)
From the initial visit, I knew I was in good hands and was delightfully surprised at the ease of the process. The attorneys and legal staff members were respectful and answered all of my questions and concerns immediately. I received prompt replies and detailed, clear correspondence: letters, phone calls, and e-​mails. Letters were received within 1 – 2 days, phone calls were returned promptly (within an hour or two — no later than COB), e-​mails were responded to within minutes.
Thank you again, Bryan, Jade, and the other legal staff members for giving this case 110%, keeping me informed every step of the way, and for making sure justice was served. I am extremely pleased with the final outcome and would definitely recommend Kemnitzer, Barron and Krieg, LLC to my closest colleagues, friends, and family.
Thanks again, everyone!