Hackney, Beth

Bill Gwire has nearly 30 years of trial experience, much of it with larger law firms, and has specialized in the attorney conduct arena for over 13 years, exclusively for client/plaintiffs.

In February of 2002, in an independent poll of attorneys throughout California, Mr. Gwire was identified in California Lawyer (the official publication of the State Bar) as one of six "go to" plaintiff's malpractice lawyers in the State.

In 2002, he tried to judgment and settled cases with a combined value of over $8,000,000, including a breach of fiduciary case tried in San Francisco Superior Court that resulted in a $1,600,000 judgment, including $225,000 in punitive damages.

In 1996, in Michigan State Court, he tried to judgment, what is believed to be the largest legal fee dispute in history, the $100,000,000 dispute between Dow Corning Corporation and a consortium of insurance companies arising out of the breast implant litigation. Mr. Gwire, representing the insurance companies, achieved a $13,700,000 reduction in the claim.

He has lectured before Bar Associations, client groups, and professional and industry associations in the United States, Europe and Asia on the subjects of legal malpractice, ethics and over billing. He has also written extensively on the subject, with his articles appearing in national business and legal journals and periodicals.

He organized, moderated and was principal speaker at the full day seminars entitled, "Controlling Your Outside Legal Costs", presented to corporate counsel in the United States and Great Britain in 1996 and 1997. He has been a speaker at numerous seminars and programs on issues related to attorney conduct matters and appeared as an expert witness on numerous fee dispute and malpractice cases.

He donates a significant amount of time doing pro bono work and has been an arbitrator and/or mediator on dozens of attorney conduct disputes for the State Bar of California and the San Francisco Bar Association as well as on private mediations. Mr. Gwire also has extensive experience in litigation matters, including matters in the fields of real estate, securities, corporate, employment, partnership, construction, contract, insurance, bankruptcy and intellectual property matters.

He is a member of the State Bar of California; American Bar Association; San Francisco Bar Association; Association of Professional Responsibility Attorneys and is currently a Fee Dispute Arbitrator for the State Bar of California and San Francisco Bar Association.