Disaster Law Services

Kendall is qualified to serve as an expert witness on FEMA appeals practice and process, California disaster law, insurance bad faith in wildfire and disaster contexts, smoke damage and habitability as constructive total loss under California law, California disaster statutes including SB 455 and AB 806 (which she authored), and the Stafford Act. Her involvement in Journey's End v.

A structured 30-day assessment covering three areas where California organizations are most commonly exposed: FEMA eligibility review (whether your organization and its costs are structured to qualify for Public Assistance reimbursement), insurance coverage gap analysis (identifying underinsurance, exclusions, and coverage structures that create post-disaster vulnerability), and legal preparedness assessment (reviewing ordinances, plans, contracts, and response protocols against California and federal requirements). Delivered as a written report with prioritized action items.

A structured, comprehensive legal and operational review of your organization's disaster preparedness posture. Kendall examines existing ordinances, response plans, insurance policies, FEMA reimbursement eligibility, tenant protection obligations, ADA compliance under the Stafford Act, and liability exposure.

FEMA initially denies 40–60% of claims. Kendall designed and operates the leading FEMA Appeals Clinic model in California, has trained 20+ attorneys in FEMA appeals practice, and has recovered $20M+ for clients through structured FEMA advocacy.

Pre-event: Kendall audits existing insurance policies to identify coverage gaps, undervaluation, and exclusions that routinely leave organizations dramatically underinsured. Post-event: She advises on insurance negotiation strategy, challenges bad-faith settlement practices, and litigates where necessary.

Kendall has authored and passed three signed California laws — SB 455 (mortgage servicer obligations post-disaster), AB 806 (mobilehome cooling protections), and California's first automatically-triggered disaster eviction moratorium. She maintains direct relationships with Sacramento legislators and regulatory agencies.

Kendall has developed and delivered practitioner-grade disaster law curriculum across 20+ national trainings — through PLI, Pro Bono Net, ABA Disaster Legal Services, and state bar associations in Oregon, Hawaii, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, and American Samoa. Custom training programs are designed for legal aid organizations, state and local bar associations, emergency managers, and corporate legal teams.

When a disaster declaration is issued, the first 72 hours are critical. Kendall provides rapid-response advisory during active declarations — advising on eviction moratorium activation, contractor fraud prevention, FEMA registration support, tenant protection obligations, and legal triage for community-based organizations.

Pre-positioned disaster law advisory for organizations that want legal expertise in place before the next declaration — not scrambling to find a disaster attorney when the event is already underway. Standard Tier: monthly advisory access, priority notification and response when a disaster declaration is issued in your jurisdiction, and quarterly preparedness check-in.