San Francisco Sexual Abuse Lawyer
With Over 10 Years of Experience, Rene Potter Provides Focused and Aggressive Representation.
No Success, No Fee.
No fees are charged unless and until we achieve a successful resolution in your case.
How Can a San Francisco Sexual Abuse Attorney Help?
From your initial consultation with our San Francisco sexual abuse attorney, your conversations, documents, and history are treated with the highest level of privacy so you feel safe and validated.. When a survivor of sexual abuse reaches out to a compassionate attorney like ours for support, we will be your ally to navigate the San Francisco legal system and ensure your rights are protected while pursuing justice. Our sexual abuse lawyer will fight for accountability and help you move forward.
Attorney Litigation Areas:
Sexual Abuse Survivors, Mass Tort, Sexual Assault, Sexual Harassment
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Practice Areas
What Counts as Sexual Abuse Under California Law
California Penal Code §11165.1 describes sexual abuse, including sexual assault and sexual exploitation, as a consistent or ongoing pattern of sexual assault over a period of time. California law does not limit sexual abuse to physical acts. It includes behaviors like verbal harassment, sexually explicit comments, or exposing someone to unwanted sexual images. Physical abuse involves non-consensual touching, assault, molestation, or coercion into sexual activity. Institutional sexual abuse occurs when employers, schools, workplaces, or organizations fail to protect people from abuse, enable it to continue, ignore it, or when authority figures exploit their position of power. California laws give you legal recourse when sexual abuse occurs, no matter how it happens.
Non-Physical Forms of Abuse (Verbal, Visual, Covert)
Not all sexual abuse involves direct contact. Verbal abuse can include sexual jokes, threats, or degrading remarks that create fear or humiliation. Visual abuse can take the form of flashing, sending explicit material, or forcing someone to view sexual acts. Covert abuse happens in secret with hidden cameras or voyeurism, leaving survivors feeling violated.
Physical and Institutional Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse can be non-consensual molestation, assault, or forced sexual acts, but it can also be systemic. Institutional abuse is when trusted organizations fail to protect those in their care. The institution might ignore complaints, shield abusers, fail to investigate reports, or create an environment where sexual abuse is tolerated.
Attorney Rene Potter is Ready to Fight for You.
Rene Potter, head attorney at The Law Office of Rene Potter, has devoted her career to defending sexual assault survivors and employees. Having graduated Magna Cum Laude from California Western School of Law, she enriched her professional acumen through an externship with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. Rene focuses her career on sexual assault both in and out of employment and employment matters involving sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation and wrongful termination. She deeply engages on every case, and her highest priority is getting her clients justice.
Legal Rights and Options for Sexual Abuse Survivors in San Francisco
San Francisco provides survivors of sexual abuse with legal protections, including the right to report the crime to law enforcement, pursue criminal charges, seek civil compensation, and be treated with dignity while holding their abuser or the institution that perpetuated the abuse accountable. You can seek protection while pursuing justice. Our sexual abuse attorneys are available to help you file a civil lawsuit.
Liability Beyond the Abuser
Liability extends beyond the sexual abuser when it involves systemic failures in institutions that allow abuse to persist. Sexual abuse mass tort cases give multiple sexual abuse survivors a strong collective voice, allowing them to pursue justice against institutions like churches, universities, dioceses, schools, employers, youth programs, or government facilities. These types of cases expose negligence, concealment, and harmful institutional cultures that permitted abuse to continue. Settlements in California and around the country reflect how important institutional accountability for sexual abuse is.
Client Centered Approach for Sexual Assault and Employment Matters
Achieving Justice using a No Success, No Fee Structure.
Experienced Legal Counsel
The Law Office of Rene Potter focuses exclusively on providing dedicated legal representation in sensitive sexual assault cases and complex employment matters.
No Success, No Fee.
We operate on a contingency fee basis. This means we will not charge you any fees for our legal services until and unless we successfully achieve a favorable resolution in your case. Your success is our priority, and you won't owe us anything for our time or effort unless we win or settle your claim.
Your Victory is Our Victory
We select our cases carefully, keeping our caseload at a level which never dilutes the personal experience we provide to our clients. We take our clients’ cases personally, and fight aggressively to not only obtain you monetary compensation, but vindication.
Dedicated Legal Team
At The Law Office of Rene Potter, our experienced team fights tirelessly for your rights. Our own experiences as employees and with loved ones who have experienced sexual assault equip us with a deep understanding and empathy for your situation, fueling our passion to litigate your case aggressively and to secure you a victory.
Are you ready to assert your rights?
Contact The Law Office of Rene Potter to request your free case evaluation.
Case Results
Millions in settlements obtained from employers who directly harmed or failed to protect their employees from sexual assault or harassment. Recent results:
$950,000
Settlement obtained at mediation where a boss verbally and sexually abused his assistant.
$750,000
Pre-litigation. Strong female employee in the construction industry sexually harassed by multiple male co-workers.
$750,000
Pre-litigation. Account executive sexually assaulted by VP of Sales at a work convention.
$600,000
Young female nurse sexually assaulted by clinic owner.
$275,000
Female assistant manager at apartment complex management company sexually and racially harassed.
$275,000
Male nurse sexually harasses female nurse.
Recognizing the Signs of Sexual Abuse
Signs of sexual abuse may include:
- Sudden changes in behavior, like withdrawal, fearfulness, or heightened anxiety
- Avoiding certain people, places, or situations
- Unexplained injuries, bruises, or difficulty walking or sitting
- Nightmares, sleep disturbances, or sudden bedwetting in children
- Decline in school or work performance, loss of concentration, or frequent absences
- Extreme mood changes, including anger, depression, or emotional numbness
- Reluctance to change clothes, bathe, or participate in activities
- Shame, guilt, or secrecy about personal experiences
- Knowledge of sexual behavior that seems inappropriate for age or stage of development
- Sudden mistrust of authority figures
Are you ready to assert your rights?
Contact The Law Office of Rene Potter to request your free case evaluation.
Types of Sexual Abuse Cases We Handle
Our law firm represents survivors in sexual abuse mass tort cases, working to hold institutions and others accountable for the harm they have caused:
- Clergy Sexual Assault
- Coach Sexual Abuse
- Doctor Sexual Assault
- Nursing Home Sexual Abuse
- Teacher Sexual Assault
- University/School Sexual Abuse
- Women’s Prison Sexual Abuse
- Boy Scouts Sexual Abuse
- Police Sexual Assault
- Sexual Assault on Cruise Ships
- Sexual Abuse in Foster Care
- Rideshare Sexual Assault
- Sexual Abuse in the Entertainment Industry
Voices of Victory
Chronicles of Client Gratification and Victorious Case Results
"I worked with a man named Michael. He sexually harassed me and assaulted me. He had an emotional effect on me [and] I was having suicidal thoughts because I just couldn’t keep up with it. Rene is amazing. She just kept standing for me, like, “I believe in you and I believe in your case,” and just kept fighting. She has experience with these types of cases and assured me, like, “No. I didn't deserve this or I didn't do anything wrong.” It actually gave me the confidence to keep moving forward and knowing that I was doing the right thing.
Client, Anonymous
"When I lost my job, I was really desperate because I knew that I was a victim of wrongful termination. I asked for help. It was a relief for me because I have a family that I need to feed, and I have bills to pay. It's totally life-changing to me because of their [Attorney Rene Potter’s] help, you know, I was able to start a new life. Me and my wife were able to move on. I've got a better job right now. The way they [The Law Office of Rene Potter] handle their clients, they treat you as a family. Not just like a client, but as a family.
Client, Anonymous
FAQs
Our frequently asked questions provide clear answers to common concerns about sexual abuse, harassment, and survivors’ rights. This section is designed to help you understand your legal options, what steps to take, and how an attorney can support you through the process.
What to Do If You Were Sexually Abused
Every victim of sexual abuse deserves the opportunity to be heard and protected. The abuse can be reported through law enforcement, child protective services, or a mandated reporter, so there is an official record to help hold perpetrators accountable. A forensic exam serves as important evidence if you decide to pursue a legal case. California offers victims confidential hotlines, assistance programs, and compensation funds to empower survivors with healing tools and support.
What should I do if I suspect aggravated sexual abuse?
If you witness aggravated sexual abuse, believe it has happened to someone you care about, or are a victim who experienced sexual violence, you have the right to speak up. When you report the incident to someone you trust or to law enforcement, you are taking a powerful step towards safety and accountability. Our San Francisco sexual assault lawyer is committed to helping you with your case and will stand beside you to pursue justice. No one should ever feel they have to endure sexual abuse in silence.
Is my information confidential when working with a sexual abuse lawyer?
Your privacy is a priority when you speak with our sexual abuse lawyer, and your discussions are confidential. You can share your experiences honestly without being judged. Our lawyer will explain how the information will be securely handled to build a strong legal case for you. You can trust your voice will be respected and protected. Call us today to schedule a free consultation.
Do I need a sexual abuse attorney to file a case in San Francisco?
While you are not legally required to have an attorney to file a sexual abuse case in San Francisco, working with an experienced sexual abuse attorney is strongly recommended. These cases often involve complex laws, strict filing deadlines, and sensitive evidence that can be difficult to navigate alone. An attorney can protect your rights, handle communication with the opposing parties, and build a strong case on your behalf. They can also guide you through both the civil and criminal processes, explain what to expect at each stage, and pursue the maximum compensation or justice available under California law. Having a trusted advocate ensures that you are supported, informed, and not facing this challenging process on your own.
Time Limits for Filing a Sexual Abuse Claim in California
California law has extended the time sexual abuse survivors have to pursue justice. People who experienced abuse as a child can bring a claim until age 40, or within 5 years of realizing the harm it caused. Adults have 10 years from the assault, or 3 years from the discovery of injury, to file suit. These rules acknowledge that trauma can delay reporting, and reforms like Assembly Bill 2777 strengthen survivors’ ability to hold abusers and institutions responsible.
Stand Up For Yourself
Benefit from our contingency fee structure - no fees unless we achieve a successful resolution in your case. Get the legal representation you deserve.