Introduction
Elizabeth F. McDonald holds three credentials that rarely appear together in a single Bay Area attorney: certification as a mediator, certification as an arbitrator, and more than 25 years of active litigation practice across workers’ compensation, employment law, and personal injury. The combination is not coincidental. Handling injured workers’ compensation claims, wrongful termination disputes, and catastrophic injury cases simultaneously means that McDonald has developed a procedural fluency across multiple legal forums, including courtrooms, arbitration panels, and mediation sessions, that most attorneys acquire in only one. Her track record includes settlements exceeding one million dollars in multiple areas of law, and her Google rating stands at a perfect 5 out of 5 stars.
The Law Offices of Elizabeth F. McDonald operates from Berkeley’s professional district at 2140 Shattuck Avenue, Suite 807, serving clients across the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California. The practice covers San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, Hayward, Fremont, San Jose, Palo Alto, and San Rafael, reaching clients throughout the region where work-related injuries, employment disputes, and personal injury accidents intersect with each attorney’s specialized knowledge, or in McDonald’s case, overlap.
Practice Areas
The firm’s practice is structured around four areas that frequently intersect in the real lives of injured and wrongfully treated California workers.
Workers’ Compensation: California’s workers’ compensation system provides benefits for employees injured on the job, including medical treatment, temporary and permanent disability payments, and vocational rehabilitation in appropriate cases. The system is governed by specialized procedural rules and handled in dedicated workers’ compensation courts. McDonald has practiced in this system for more than 25 years and understands both its protections and the ways employers and insurers attempt to minimize or deny claims. The firm represents injured workers, not insurance companies or employers.
Personal Injury: When a third party’s negligence causes injury, whether a vehicle accident, a slip and fall on dangerous property, or another form of tortious conduct, the injured person has rights that exist separately from any workers’ compensation claim. The interaction between workers’ compensation and personal injury claims is legally significant: in many cases, both apply simultaneously, and the coordination between them affects what each claim can recover. McDonald’s dual expertise in both areas positions her to maximize total recovery rather than optimizing one claim at the expense of the other.
Employment Law: The firm handles the core categories of employment disputes that arise in the California workplace: wrongful termination, wage and hour violations, workplace harassment, employment discrimination, and retaliation against employees who report violations or exercise legal rights. California’s employment law framework is among the most protective in the country, and many employees do not know the full scope of their rights or the deadlines that govern their claims.
Medical Malpractice: When healthcare providers deviate from the standard of care and cause patient harm, the resulting claims involve both the technical standards of medical practice and the legal procedures governing professional liability. These cases require careful case evaluation and expert medical testimony.
Attorney Profile
Elizabeth F. McDonald brings more than 25 years of legal practice to each client matter. Her credentials extend beyond standard bar membership. She is a Certified Mediator and a Certified Arbitrator, meaning she has formal training and recognized expertise in both primary forms of alternative dispute resolution. This is a practical advantage for clients: McDonald understands dispute resolution from both sides of the table, and that understanding shapes both how she prepares cases and how she evaluates settlement opportunities.
Her settlements include recoveries exceeding one million dollars in multiple practice areas. This is not a figure from a single category. Workers’ compensation cases have their own compensation caps and structures. Personal injury cases operate under different frameworks. Employment claims involve different theories of recovery. Achieving seven-figure results across distinct legal areas reflects breadth of competency, not specialization in a single high-value niche.
McDonald is a member of the California State Bar Association and an active participant with Volunteer Legal Services of Alameda County, demonstrating a commitment to legal access that extends beyond fee-paying clients. Her 5/5 Google star rating reflects consistent client satisfaction across the full range of matters the firm handles.
McDonald is described as equally comfortable in the courtroom and at the arbitration table. That comfort is not generic confidence. It is the product of actually practicing extensively in both forums and knowing how the strategic considerations differ between them.
Location and Service Area
The Law Offices of Elizabeth F. McDonald is located at:
2140 Shattuck Ave, Suite 807
Berkeley, CA 94704
Phone: (510) 529-4688
The firm serves clients throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California, including:
- San Francisco
- Oakland
- Berkeley
- Alameda
- Hayward
- Fremont
- San Jose
- Palo Alto
- San Rafael
Client Focus
The firm’s value to clients is most apparent in cases where multiple legal areas intersect. An employee who suffers a serious workplace injury may have simultaneous claims in workers’ compensation (for the job injury), personal injury (if a third party’s negligence contributed, such as a defective product or a negligent contractor), and employment law (if the employer retaliates after the injury claim is filed). Handling all three claims through separate attorneys with separate specializations creates coordination problems and potential conflicts. McDonald’s ability to evaluate and handle all three eliminates that fragmentation.
The certifications in mediation and arbitration add a further dimension. In California, many employment and personal injury cases resolve through mediation before trial. An attorney who has practiced as a certified mediator understands how mediators think, what they look for in a case presentation, and what approaches are most effective in the mediation room. That knowledge is a tactical asset.
Settlements exceeding one million dollars across multiple practice areas demonstrate that the firm’s results match its credentials. For Bay Area workers and injury victims who face complex, multi-dimensional legal situations, that combination of depth and range is exactly what difficult cases require.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I pursue both a workers’ compensation claim and a personal injury lawsuit at the same time?
In many situations, yes. Workers’ compensation covers injuries that occur on the job, but if a third party, such as a contractor, equipment manufacturer, or negligent driver, contributed to the injury, a separate personal injury claim may be available against that party. The two claims interact through a legal mechanism called a lien, where the workers’ compensation carrier may seek reimbursement from a personal injury settlement. Coordinating these claims correctly requires experience in both systems. McDonald’s dual expertise in workers’ compensation and personal injury is directly relevant here.
What deadlines apply to employment law claims in California?
Deadlines vary by claim type. Discrimination and harassment claims filed with the California Civil Rights Department generally must be filed within three years of the most recent violation. Wage and hour claims have their own statutes of limitations. Retaliation claims may have shorter windows depending on the specific legal theory. Missing a deadline can permanently bar an otherwise valid claim, so early legal consultation is critical.
How does mediation work, and is it binding?
In most civil and employment cases, mediation is a voluntary, non-binding process where a neutral mediator helps the parties negotiate a resolution. If the parties reach agreement, the terms are formalized and become binding. If they do not, the case continues. Arbitration is typically binding: the arbitrator’s decision replaces a court judgment. McDonald’s certifications in both mean she understands these processes from a practitioner’s perspective, both as counsel for the client and as a trained neutral.
What constitutes wrongful termination under California law?
California is an at-will employment state, meaning employers can generally terminate employees for any reason or no reason. However, termination becomes wrongful when it violates a specific legal protection: termination because of a protected characteristic (race, sex, age, disability, religion, etc.), retaliation for reporting violations, exercising workers’ compensation rights, taking protected leave, or termination in violation of a specific contract. California’s protections in this area are extensive, and many terminations that seem legal on the surface have underlying wrongful elements.
What should I bring to an initial consultation?
Relevant documents vary by case type. Employment cases benefit from pay stubs, written communications (emails, text messages), performance reviews, and any written notices related to the termination or dispute. Workers’ compensation cases benefit from incident reports, medical records, and any correspondence with the employer or insurer. Personal injury cases benefit from accident reports, photographs, medical records, and insurance correspondence. McDonald will review whatever is available and advise on what additional documentation may be needed.
Closing
Legal work at the intersection of workers’ compensation, employment law, and personal injury demands an attorney who treats those overlaps as opportunities rather than complications. Elizabeth McDonald’s 25 years of practice, dual alternative dispute resolution certifications, and documented track record of million-dollar settlements across multiple legal areas represent exactly that kind of capability. The Berkeley office serves the full Bay Area region. Contact the Law Offices of Elizabeth F. McDonald at (510) 529-4688 to discuss your situation.
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