I am that rarest of creatures – a San Francisco native. Born, raised, stayed and still here in the City by the Bay. When I was born, my Dad was a toll collector on the Bay Bridge and my mom was a 3rd grade teacher. I watched the Giants lose to the Dodgers on black and white TV most of my childhood. Not surprisingly, I hate the Dodgers - especially Dodger greats like Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Maury Wills, Don Sutton, Ron Cey, Steve Garvey, Orel Hershiser, Tommy Lasorda and Mike Piazza. On the other hand, I worshipped Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Juan Marichal, Gaylord Perry and of course Barry Bonds. I never knew any lawyers till I needed one at age 18. I had no desire to go to Vietnam so I became a straight-A student when I turned 18 to avoid being drafted. I met my wife in high school. We got married when I was 21 and she was 20, four weeks after I graduated from college at St. Mary’s in Moraga, where the Christian Brothers paid my way. I started law school 5 weeks later. Our two oldest kids were born during the first and third years of law school. Two more kids arrived a few years later. After law school, I spent an inordinate amount of time working, teaching, learning to try cases and being the best advocate I could be for the people who needed me. I found time to coach boys and girls in the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grades in basketball for 20 plus years and do some volunteer work. I travelled to foreign countries to teach people how to be persuasive in trying cases. My kids grew up and found great partners. I met and learned lessons from great lawyers who became lifetime friends. I’m proud of all the people I have been able to help. I am sad, disgusted, and angered by the lawyers and law firms who violated their sworn oaths to uphold and defend the Constitution by capitulating to Donald Trump and his legion of sycophants. I learned to fish in the Sierra Nevada mountains when I was 7. I like trout fishing. I don’t do it enough but I am trying to do more of it. I like kids too, especially kids under 10, who are funny, simple, honest, hopeful and without cynicism. I’m a hopeless romantic and pray that in the end the good people win. And I hope when I get off this bus, people will think that I have left this place better than I found it.
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Sach Oliver · Joe Fried Winning the Most Common Tractor Trailer Case in AmericaCoffee & Snacks
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Sach Oliver · Joe Fried Winning the Most Common Tractor Trailer Case in AmericaCoffee & Snacks
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Sach Oliver · Joe Fried Winning the Most Common Tractor Trailer Case in AmericaLunch
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Michael CowenGetting Big Justice in Big Rig CasesCoffee & Snacks
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Joseph CamerlengoLectureCoffee & Snacks
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Randall Sorrels · Dirk Vandever LectureBreakfast
7:30am - 9:00am
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Melissa ScartelliCharting the Path to Verdict: Strategic Decisions in Medical Negligence TrialsCoffee & Snacks
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Rahul RavipudiLectureCoffee & Snacks
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Brian PanishLectureLunch
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Ben B. RubinowitzJury SelectionCoffee & Snacks
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Kimball Jones9-Figure Framing: Winning Punitive Damages in TrialCoffee & Snacks
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Al FoecklerBlack Hat Justice Opening StatementBreakfast
7:30am - 9:00am
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Kurt ZanerCreating Drama at Trial – how to tell a story in trial through dramatic theatrical techniquesCoffee & Snacks
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John RomanoStorytelling in Cross-Examination of Defense Damages & Causation WitnessesCoffee & Snacks
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Sagi ShakedLectureLunch
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Kurt ZanerWriting a Story – Win your case in a page and a halfCoffee & Snacks
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Edward CiarimboliFrom the Windshield to the Boardroom: How FedEx’s Camera Systems Prove Control, Knowledge and ResponsibilityCoffee & Snacks
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Tim MckeyEnsuring Your Legacy: How the Best Firms Create Lasting Systems and Succession SuccessBreakfast
7:30am - 9:00am
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Andrew PickettFrom Herniated Disc to $6.7 Million Verdict: Preparation, Strategy, and Trial ExecutionCoffee & Snacks
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Andrew Robb · Brittany Sanders Robb Maximizing Recoverable Damages Before Trial: Framing Your Case for Actual RecoverabilityCoffee & Snacks
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Dan AmbroseWitness Prep & Direct ExaminationLunch
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Patrick KangHow We Built An Eight-Figure Practice On Just Toxic Mold Litigation.Coffee & Snacks
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Dan AmbroseCross ExaminationCoffee & Snacks
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Eric CastelblancoSue Your Slumlord: The Ins and Outs of Habitability Law in CABreakfast
7:30am - 9:00am
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Orlando De CastroverdeHow To Get A 1.7m Verdict On A Neck Injection CaseCoffee & Snacks
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George MoschopoulosStrip the Noise: How to Frame Employment Cases for Verdict Coffee & Snacks
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Michael StephensonLectureCoffee & Snacks
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Alex IvanovLectureCoffee & Snacks
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Sarah HavensDon’t Let the Defense Frame Your Case: From “Impossible” Case to 10M Trial Result