Mr. Saeltzer specializes in representing individuals who have been seriously injured, whether through trial or settlement. He prides himself on holding powerful entities responsible for the wrongs they committed. He has extensive experience in product defects, motor vehicle accidents, industrial accidents, explosions, dangerous conditions of property, and a wide variety of negligence and wrongful death cases. He has also handled other matters the court has designated as “complex” due to their size or complexity of legal issues.
Mr. Saeltzer’s meticulous approach to the preparation and trial of cases has resulted in over $250,000,000 in jury verdicts and settlements for his clients
Mr. Saeltzer has seven and eight-figure verdicts and settlements spanning four decades. His first seven-figure jury verdict was in 2001. In 2011, he was honored as the “Trial Lawyer of the Year” by the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association for an eight-figure jury verdict.
Mr. Saeltzer has also successfully argued cases on behalf of his clients at the California Court of Appeals and the United States District Court for the Ninth Circuit. One of his cases established law, ensuring that all injured workers are now entitled to full recovery for their lost wages.
Mr. Saeltzer began his legal career as a prosecutor in the United States Army. After attending the U.S. Army Airborne School, he was selected for the 82nd Airborne Division and assigned responsibility for prosecuting criminal cases. Mr. Saeltzer was honorably discharged at the rank of Captain, and his military achievements include receiving the Meritorious Service Medal for his work as a prosecuting attorney.
After leaving the Army, Mr. Saeltzer returned to San Francisco, bringing extensive trial experience to Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger, where he has represented seriously injured clients since 1998.
Mr. Saeltzer is a member of some of the most prestigious legal societies in the country, including the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) and the International Society of Barristers (ISOB). He has been an invited speaker nationally and internationally, addressing attorneys on various topics, including trial skills, evidentiary issues, and recent legal developments.
For the past twenty years, he has been an assistant professor at the University of California, Law School, San Francisco, where he has taught an upper-level course called Practical Civil Litigation to second and third-year law students.
He also serves on the faculty of the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA), where he trains new lawyers in courtroom skills and advocacy. Additionally, he has served as an expert witness at arbitration, providing reasonable case values for several personal injury cases.
Mr. Saeltzer has been named a Best Lawyers in America 2026 “Lawyer of the Year” honoree in San Francisco for Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs. This distinction reflects his outstanding advocacy and consistent recognition by Best Lawyers in America since 2009 for his exceptional work in both Personal Injury and Product Liability cases. Mr. Saeltzer has also been consistently selected to the Northern California Super Lawyers lists since 2010, highlighting his sustained excellence in the field.
Mr. Saeltzer currently serves as the President-Elect of Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC) and will assume the role of President in 2026. He also sits on the CAOC PAC Board as a Vice President.
Outside the courtroom, Mr. Saeltzer enjoys spending time with his wife and three children.
