Francesca Serrano
Trial Attorney
Francesca was raised in Oakland and has dedicated her professional career to giving back to Bay Area residents. In 2024, Francesca came to Venardi Zurada as a seasoned litigator – having tried over twenty jury trials to verdict. She remains committed to fighting to achieve the best outcomes for clients at every stage of the process.
In 2005, Francesca graduated from the University of California, Davis with a BA in Communications and a minor in African-American Studies. Francesca’s initial interest was in sports broadcasting and after graduating, she spent time working on and off-camera in sports entertainment and television broadcasting. Seeking a change, she decided to pursue her law degree. In 2011, she graduated from Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco with a JD. That same year, Francesca joined the Contra Costa County Public Defender’s office where she worked in both the adult and juvenile units defending misdemeanor and felony clients from their first appearance through jury verdict or resolution. In 2014, Francesca moved to the Alameda County Public Defender’s office where she handled cases ranging from petty theft to rape and murder. Serving as a Deputy Public Defender for over a decade, Francesca has negotiated thousands of cases, argued hundreds of dispositive motions, acquired countless dismissals for clients and litigated cases at every stage. Francesca makes the transition to civil litigation with the drive to use her legal experience to help those in need.
Francesca is an active member of the Charles Houston Bar Association and has served on the California State Bar Committee on Judicial Nomination Evaluations (JNE). In her free time Francesca enjoys spending time with her two lovely daughters, traveling and being an avid 49ers fan.
Bar Admissions
- California, 2011
Education
- Golden Gate University School of Law, JD 2011
- University of California, Davis, BA – Communications 2005
Areas of Practice
Mark Venardi’s Results
Settlement
Multi-Million Dollar
Discrimination Claims
Martin Zurada and Mark Venardi led a team that obtained a multi-million recovery for a group of deserving clients. We are not afraid to turn down significant initial offers which are insufficient to compensate our clients and change defendant’s behavior. We roll up our sleeves, put on the gloves, and fight it out with the defense. If getting the best possible result means holding on until trial to resolve the case, or fighting the case at trial, we will do whatever it takes. We put our clients in the best possible position to obtain a maximum result.
Partner
Partner
Settlement
$7.125 Million
Boat Accidents
Our client was an 80 year-old passenger in a tender vessel. The vessel rose quickly on a wave and fell quickly causing our client to suffer a spine fracture that required a two-level fusion surgery.
Partner
Settlement
$6 Million
Pedestrian Accidents
Mark Venardi accepted a case that no one else would take and turned a $50,000 offer just before trial into a $6,000,000 settlement. A homeless man that was crossing against a red light was hit by a vehicle in a crosswalk at night. The client was badly injured with a brain injury and multiple orthopedic injuries. The prior law firm withdrew from representing the client. The client tried to retain other law firms from all over the San Francisco Bay Area. All of the law firms declined the case. Three months before trial in October 2023, the client saw one of our commercials and called our firm. We evaluated the case, which was challenging on some of the liability issues, and researched the defendant to determine whether the defendant had assets. The defendant did. We accepted the case, moved the trial court to continue the trial date, to reopen fact and expert discovery, and to reinstate our client’s right to a jury trial, which had been waived. At that time, the Defendant’s offer in the case was $50,000. Our firm then vigorously worked the case up for trial. We retained an accident reconstruction expert, night vision expert, orthopedic medical expert, neurologist, neuroradiologist, neuropsychologist, life care planner, and an economist. We represented our client with complete commitment to obtaining justice and achieved a $6,000,000 resolution just 30 days before the trial. Now our deserving client is taken care of for life.
Partner
Arbitration Award
$4.9 Million
Business Cases
ABC Corp v. XYZ Corp. Defendants, a publicly traded company, terminated a licensing agreement with our client and nearly forced our client into bankruptcy, which is why they could not afford to pay an attorney on an hourly basis. We were the third attorneys on the case. Defendants offered $900,000 on the first day of arbitration and asserted that, if we did not accept it, they were going to prove that our clients were crooks. We rejected the offer and obtained an arbitration award for $4,900,000.
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Settlement
$4.8 Million
Personal Injury
Our client was a hard-working father who lost his livelihood in an instant when he suffered a major injury and amputation to his leg. We uncovered evidence of the Defendant’s failure to follow basic safety rules. Along with our team of highly qualified experts, we thoroughly explained every aspect of how our client, his wife, and his kids’ lives were changed forever by this tragedy.
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Client Reviews
"They helped me out when I got into an accident"
VZ are the best in the bay! They helped me out when I got into an accident, I can’t say anything bad about them.
Robert-Christopher G.
"Felt comfortable around the people here"
Friendly and clean environment. Felt comfortable around the people here.
Katarina B.
"They were very understanding"
I really appreciated Venardi Zurada LLP, they were great help and were very understanding of my predicament. Communication was always available and consistent and amicable. I would absolutely recommend them to anyone who has issues at work or otherwise and is seeking legal action or justice for any wrongdoing.
Ava B.
"Call Venardi Zurada for any of your PI needs"
The VZ team are such a great help. Call Venardi Zurada for any of your PI needs they are the best!
Nohra R.
"Overall Great Firm"
Everyone is professional, overall great firm!
Fabian P.
We Take Care Of Our Clients
Our clients are at the heart of everything we do. We take pride in providing exceptional service, personalized attention, and unwavering support throughout each case. The testimonials from our clients reflect their satisfaction with our commitment to their well-being, highlighting the care, expertise, and dedication we bring to every case. We’re honored to have earned the trust and appreciation of those we’ve had the privilege to serve.