
William B Smith 44 Montgomery Street Suite 3340 San Francisco, California 94104-4806
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| Communication Center | | | Phone: | (415) 421-7995 888-745-2988 (888-PILAW88) (Toll Free)
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I have been a trial attorney representing consumers in San Francisco since 1973. Over the last 35 years I have represented clients up and down the State of California, all over the United States, Canada and Europe. I specialize in major personal injury and wrongful death cases and I only represent victims. I do this because I have always fought for the underdog who needs someone in his or her corner to go up against the major corporations, public entities and insurance companies who would otherwise roll over those less powerful or influential. I tend to think that I can help level out the playing field for my clients.
Our firm has been very successful as can be seen in the section of this website entitled Winning Record. The reason for this is that we love what we do. I carefully select my cases and clients looking for matters where I can make a difference. I then personally handle all my cases.
By reading my attorney profile in this website you can learn about my background and you will be able to see how active I am in the key legal organizations and in teaching other lawyers and law students how to successfully develop cases to maximize the outcome for their clients.
Our firm has been a leader and innovator in electronic jury trials. In other words, we use the latest computer technology and consultants to present evidence at mediations, arbitrations and at trial. We have learned that this gives our clients a distinct advantage which usually translates into a much better award. In fact, we recently won the national award from the publication Law Technology News for "the most innovative use of technology during trial".
My motto is "Deserve Victory". It came from one of my heroes Winston Churchill, who was Prime Minister of Great Britain during World War II. Churchill stood up to the evil of Nazi Germany by himself until the Americans came to his assistance. I will always work harder than any opponent to make sure my clients get the recovery and the personal attention that they deserve.
Mr. Smith has been included in the national publication The Best Lawyers in America for the last decade and has been selected to be in the Top 100 Superlawyers in Northern California for every year the publication has existed and has been selected to be one of the top 500 plaintiffs' lawyers in the nation by Lawdragon Magazine for 2006-2008. Mr. Smith believes in paying back the system and has devoted himself to teaching trial practice courses at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law and Stanford University Law School. He also serves as a Pro Tem judge in two Bay Area counties. He is one of a handful of lawyers in California who has been honored by being elected by his peers to be a member of the four key national trial lawyer organizations: The American Board of Trial Advocates, The American College of Trial Lawyers, The International Academy of Trial Lawyers and The International Society of Barristers.
- Partner, since
1982
- Aviation/Airplane Crash Cases
- Governmental Tort Liability
- Insurance Law
- Medical Malpractice
- Motor Vehicle Accidents -- Plaintiff
- Nursing Home
- Personal Injury -- Plaintiff
- Products Liability Law
- Toxic Torts
- Sports Injuries (e.g.: golf, skiing, biking, dirt biking, boating & team sports)
- Sexual Molestation and Abuse
- 100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
- California, 1973
- U.S. Federal Court, 1973
- University of California, Hastings College of the Law, San Francisco, California,
1973
Doctor of Jurisprudence Honors: Coordinator, National College of Advocacy, 1972
- Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana,
1970
B.A. Honors: Cum Laude
Honors: Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Eta Sigma
- University of Nottingham, Nottingham, England,
1969
Honors: Junior Year Abroad Program, University Scholar (1968-1969)
- Issues in a Safety Device Case, California Trial Lawyers Association Forum, April Vol. 2, No. 3, 1981
- Medical Proof in Personal Injury Litigation, Continuing Education of the Bar, 1983, 1988,1989,1991,1995, November, 1981
- Coping With Worker's Compensation Issues in Third Party Cases Continuing Education of the Bar, Continuing Education of the Bar, 1984
- Finding and Managing the Winning Expert, CAOC 32nd Annual Convention Syllabus, 1993
- Seven Tips to Successful Mediation: Understanding the Defense Perspective, CAOC 30th Annual Convention Syllabus, 1995
- How to Compel a Deposition in the United Kingdom, CAOC 35th Annual Convention Syllabus, 1996
- Seeing is Believing: Your Most Persuasive Documentary Evidence May Never Be Admitted Into Evidence, SFTLA Seminar, 1997
- How to Win Your Products Case with a Prompt and Through Investigation, CAOC Annual Convention Syllabus, 1998
- Discovery Designed to Win Your Next Products Liability Case, SFTLA Seminar, 1998
- Conducting the Binding Arbitration Hearing, CAOC Annual Convention Syllabus, 1999
- Deposing the Defense Expert, Including Orthopedists and Neurologists, SFTLA Seminar, 2000
- Handling An Auto Case From A to Z, Lorman Education Services Seminar, 2001
- Closing Argument: The Death of a Young Child, SFTLA Seminar, 2001
- The Electronic Trial, Contra Costa County Bar Association, 2003
- Winning the Close Case & Increasing Your Damages with Technology, The Trial Lawyer - SFTLA, 2004
- Advice for Small Firms: The Electronic Trial, Law Technology News, Jan. Vol. 12, No.1, 2005
- The Unlevel Playing Field: Releases, Waivers & Assumption of Risk in Sports Premises Cases, written for the Premises Seminar of the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, November 2007
- Citibank, 590 Market Street, San Francisco, Ca. 94104
- Faculty, Annual Advocacy Skills Workshop, Stanford Law School,
2002
- Present
- Assistant Professor of Law, Litigation/Evidence, Litigation Advocacy - Personal Injury, University of California, Hastings College of the Law,
1985
- Present
- Assistant Professor of Law, Trial Evidence Course, University of California, Hastings College of Law,
1982
- Present
- Medical Proof in Personal Injury Litigation, Author, California Continuing Education of the Bar,
1981
- Lecturer on Depositions, San Francisco Bar Association, Bridging the Gap Program,
1981
- Accident Reconstruction Panelist, California Continuing Education of the Bar,
1982
- Handling Motor Vehicle Accident Cases, author, moderator, panelist, California Continuing Education of the Bar,
1983
- Gathering and Proving Medical Evidence in Personal Injury Cases, Author, Panelist, California Continuing Education of the Bar
- Coping With Worker's Compensation Issues In Third Party Cases, Author, California Continuing Education of the Bar,
1984
- Anatomy in Personal Injury Actions, Panelist, California Continuing Education of the Bar
- Worker's Compensation Issues in Third Party Cases, Lecturer, Sonoma County Trial Lawyers Association,
1985
-
1986
- Preparing for Trial - The Last 100 Days, Panelist, California Continuing Education of the Bar,
1990
- Discovery: Depositions, Panelist, SFTLA MCLE,
1991
- Handling Medical Malpractice Cases, Lecturer, SFTLA MCLE, California Continuing Education of the Bar,
1991
- Determining Damages in Personal Injury Actions, Panelist
- "Arbitration" Panelist, State Bar of California, Litigation Section MCLE Program,
1992
- Anatomy of a Civil Jury Trial, Lecturer, SFTLA, MCLE Program,
1992
- Proposition 51 - Survival Techniques, Panelist, Joint CTLA/SFTLA/ACCTLA MCLE Program,
1993
- Coping with Liens in Personal Injury Cases, Author, Moderator and Panelist, California Continuing Education of the Bar,
1993
- Joint and Several Liability, Panelist, California Continuing Education of the Bar,
1993
-
1994
- Finding and Managing the Winning Expert, Speaker, California Trial Lawyers Association, 32nd Annual Convention,
1993
- Mock Mediation, Speaker, Consumer Attorneys of California, 30th Annual Tahoe Seminar,
1995
- Avoiding Legal Malpractice, Speaker, Consumer Attorneys of California,
1995
- Enforcing Depositions in the U.K., Speaker, Consumer Attorneys of California, 31st Annual Convention,
1996
- Mock Direct and Cross-Examination of a Warnings Expert, San Francisco Bar Association,
1996
- War Stories: Lessons Learned the Hard Way, Speaker, Consumer Attorneys of California, 35 Annual Convention,
1996
- Evidence: Be Creative, Be Careful & Always Be in Control - Mediator & Speaker, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association,
1997
- How to Win Your Products Case with a Prompt and Thorough Investigation - Speaker, Consumer Atty of California, 33rd Annual Tahoe Convention,
1998
- Discovery Program - Speaker, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association,
1999
- Taking the 'Bind' Out of Binding Arbitration: Conducting the Arbitration Hearing - Speaker, Consumer Attorneys of California, Annual Convention,
1999
- Deposition Program - Speaker, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association,
2000
- Lorman Education Services - Speaker, Auto Insurance Law and Accident Litigation,
2001
- The Best of Closing Arguments Program - Speaker, A Closing Argument for the Death of a Young Child, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association,
2001
- Direct Examination of a Neuro-Psychologist, Plaintiffs' Trial Team, American Board of Trial Advocates, Masters in Trial Program, San Francisco, California,
2004
- How to Use High Tech to Prove Your Case, Winning the Close Case with Technology, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association Program,
2004
- Trial Advocacy Training for Public Interest Lawyers at University San Francisco Law School, America College of Trial Lawyers (trainer),
2005
- The Ultimate Technological Trial, ABOTA, Masters in Trial,
2005
- Bridgeport Continuing Education, Program: Effective Use of Expert Testimony; Lecturer: "How to Effectively Cross Examine an Expert Witness", San Francisco, Ca., January 20, 2006
- Lecturer: The Electronic Trial, University of San Francisco Law School, Inns of Court, San Francisco, California, May 2006
- The Evidence Wheel Seminar, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Lecturer: Evidentiary Foundations, October 10, 2006
- "Cross-examination of the Defendant" in a Sexual Discrimination Case, Plaintiffs' Trial Team, American Board of Trial Advocates, Masters in Trial Program, San Francisco, California,
2007
- The Electronic Trial of a Catastrophically Injured Person (Spinal Cord Injury), Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Palo Alto, California,
2007
- San Francisco Meeting, Lecturer: "The School of Hard Knocks: Lessons Learned During Trial", Association of Defense Counsel (ADC),
November 2, 2007
- Lecturer "The Unlevel Playing Field in Sports Premises Cases: Releases, Waivers and Assumption of Risk", San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, San Francisco,
November 13, 2007
- Lecturer, "The Electronic Trial in Brain Damage Cases", The Brain Injury Association Annual Meeting, Silverado Country Club, Napa, California,
November 16, 2007
- Lecturer "Courtroom Technology for the 21st Century", American College of Trial Lawyers, 2008 Regional Meeting at the Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay, California,
April 5, 2008
- Recipient, American Jurisprudence Award, Estate Planning, 1973
- Elected to the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), National Board Representative for Northern California Chapter,
2007
- Present
- Elected to the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), Chairman of the Civility and Professionalism Committee for Northern California Chapter,
2008
- Present
- Elected to American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL), Fellow, Chair of Northern California State Committee,
2004
-
2006
- Elected to International Academy of Trial Lawyers (IATL), Fellow
- Elected to the International Society of Barristers (ISOB), State Chair for Northern California,
2008
- Present
- Selected to be included in the publication Best Lawyers in America for the last ten years
- Lawdragon Magazine, One of the 'Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiffs' Lawyers in America,
2006
-
2008
- Named "Northern California SuperLawyer" by San Francisco Magazine every year since the inception of the honor in 2005. To be designated as a SuperLawyer it means that your peers have selected you as being in the top 5% of lawyers in Northern California.
- Selected as one of the Top 100 SuperLawyers in Northern California every year since the inception of the honor in 2005. This means that out of the top 5% you are considered to be in the top100 lawyers of that group according to your peers.
- Trial Lawyer of the Year Finalist, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, 2002 & 2003
- Finalist, Consumer Attorney of the Year, Consumer Attorneys of California, 2002 & 2003
- National "Most Innovative Use of Technology During Trial" Award Recipient,
2004
- "Top 100 Jury Verdicts for 2003" Award, National Law Journal
- Selected as one of the Top 100 SuperLawyers in Northern California,
2007
- President of Lawyer Friends of Wine,
2005
-
2008
- San Francisco Bar Association,
1973
- Present
- Member
- San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association,
1987
- Present
- Board of Directors (President, 1993)
- Hastings College of Law Alumni Association
- President & Board of Governors
- American Board of Trial Advocates
- Member
- American College of Trial Lawyers
- Fellow (Chair of Northern California State Committee 2004-2006)
- International Academy of Trial Lawyers (IATL)
- Fellow
- International Society of Barristers,
2008
- Present
- State Chair, Northern California
- State Bar of California
- Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC)
- Alameda/Contra Costa Trial Lawyers Association
- American Arbitration Association
- Arbitrator
- San Francisco and Contra Costa Counties
- Arbitrator & Judge Pro Tem Panel
- Court of Appeal, First Appellate Court
- Mediation Panelist
- Small Firm Business Magazine,
2004
- Editorial Advisory Board
- California Consumer Attorneys Association (Formerly CTLA),
1993
-
1999
- Board of Directors
- Bandcroft-Whitney
- Editorial Review Bd. (proposed set covering civil procedure & torts)
- CEB's California Workers Damages Practice (original publication to present)
- Annual Reviewer
- Lawyer Friends of Wine,
2005
-
2006
- President
- Orinda Baseball Association,
1995
-
1997
- President
- University of Nottingham Alumni Association (USA),
1991
-
1994
- President
- Hoberg, Finger, Brown & Abramson, San Francisco, CA, Trial Attorney,
1973
-
1975
- Abramson & Bianco, San Francisco, CA, Trial Attorney (Partner),
1975
-
1982
- Abramson Smith Waldsmith, Trial Attorney (Partner),
1979
- Present
- Sigma Chi
- Phi Beta Kappa
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