Press Release
Finalists Announced for Consumer Attorney of the Year and Street Fighter of the Year Awards; Winners Awarded at Annual Installation & Awards Dinner in November
October 3, 2007, Sacramento, CA -- Every year, Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC) recognizes one distinguished member lawyer who, in representing his/her clients on a daily basis, has overcome incredible odds to provide justice to victims, and has established precedent that will make a difference in the lives of Californians. The Consumer Attorney of the Year Award will honor a plaintiff's lawyer who has achieved a significant result in a case that was finally resolved within years 2006/07 and which case has assisted consumers or changes consumer law for the better in the State of California.
The finalists for 2006-2007 Consumer Attorney of the Year are:
Denise Asher - Strauss & Asher
David Bigelow and Graham Lippsmith - Girardi / Keese
Timothy Blood - Coughlin Stoia Geller Rudman & Robbins, LLP
Raymond Boucher - Kiesel, Boucher & Larson
Stuart Chandler - Law Offices of Stuart R. Chandler
Stephen Davids - Dreyer, Babich, Buccola & Callaham
Roxanne Davis - Davis-Gavsie and Nathan Goldberg - Allred, Maroko & Goldberg
Ricardo Echeverria - Shernoff Bidart & Darras
Wendy York - York Law Corporation and William Kershaw - Kershaw, Cutter & Ratinoff
Russell Kussman - Kussman & Whitehill
Robert J. Nelson and Scott Nealey - Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein and Charles Naylor - Law Offices of Charles Naylor
New this year, we are pleased to introduce the Street Fighter of the Year Award, which will exemplify the everyday struggle of the small practitioner in California and will highlight the efforts of one plaintiff's lawyer who, through the practice of law, has helped to create a more just society regardless of profit or personal benefit.
The finalists for 2006-2007 Street Fighter of the Year are:
Caryn Becker - Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein
Chantel Fitting and Don Galine - Law Offices of Don L. Galine
Stephen Garcia - The Garcia Law Firm
Lisa Maki - Law Offices of Lisa L. Maki
Jeffrey Sheldon - Kerr & Sheldon
Lawrence Strick - Law Offices of Lawrence A. Strick
The Consumer Attorney of the Year nominees include:
ROBERT J. NELSON, SCOTT NEALEY, AND CHARLES NAYLOR
Case: Mraz v. DaimlerChrysler Corporation
Mr. Nelson, Mr. Nealey and Mr. Naylor are nominated for this case that proved DaimlerChrysler Corporation acted with malice and disregard toward customer safety by allowing millions of defective vehicles to drive off of its lots, injuring hundreds of people, some fatally. The plaintiff in this case was run over by his own vehicle after he exited the vehicle, believing he had put it in park.
Tried in Los Angeles County Superior Court, evidence showed DaimlerChrysler management knew of the "false-park" effect and made a conscious decision to do a false fix so that the recall would be limited to just two years of one of its models. DaimlerChrysler deceived the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and its customers to protect its profits. This was the first "false-park" or "park-to-reverse" case to go to trial against DaimlerChysler despite that fact that the plaintiff is believed to have been the 13th death resulting from the defect.
Robert J. Nelson and Scott Nealey are partners with the law firm Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein.
Charles Naylor is a solo practitioner - Law Offices of Charles Naylor.
The Street Fighter of the Year finalists include:
CARYN BECKER
Case: Mayo v. Rentraiser
Ms. Becker is nominated for her exceptional work to improve tenant's rights in California. Ms. Becker represented a group of former Section 8 tenants in Oakland who filed a class action lawsuit alleging that their landlords and property managers refused to return security deposits owed to the tenants. After jumping through hurdles to get the class certified, chasing down primary defendants who sold properties and left the state, and dealing with counter challenges of set-offs for back rent or property damage, Ms. Becker was able to secure the return of the full security deposit for every class member who submitted a claim.
Caryn Becker is a former partner with the law firm Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein.
Winners of the Consumer Attorney of the Year and Street Fighter of the Year Awards will be announced on November 10, 2007 at the CAOC Annual Installation & Awards Dinner which takes place in conjunction with the CAOC Annual Convention at the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco, Calif. Please visitwww.caoc.com/07convfor further details.
Consumer Attorneys of California is an organization of more than 3,000 attorneys who represent plaintiffs and consumers who seek responsibility from wrongdoers. Its mission is to seek justice for all, preserve the right to trial by jury for all consumers, and uphold the honor and dignity of the legal profession and the highest standards of ethical conduct and integrity.
CONTACT: Consumer Attorneys of California
About Lieff Cabraser
Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP is a fifty-plus attorney law firm that has represented plaintiffs nationwide since 1972. We have offices in San Francisco, New York and Nashville. We represent plaintiffs in class and group actions and in individual lawsuits in cases involving substantial losses. For the last six years, the National Law Journal has selected Lieff Cabraser as one of the top plaintiffs' law firms in the nation.
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