MoFo Trial Titans Jim Brosnahan and Arturo González Awarded Top Honors At ABA 2019 Annual Meeting
MoFo Trial Titans Jim Brosnahan and Arturo González Awarded Top Honors At ABA 2019 Annual Meeting
The American Bar Association honored two Morrison & Foerster veteran trial lawyers Jim Brosnahan and Arturo González, with prestigious awards during the organization’s 2019 Annual Meeting on August 8–13, 2019 in San Francisco. Jim, senior of counsel in Morrison & Foerster’s trial and appellate practices, was presented with the ABA’s John H. Pickering Achievement Award for his lifelong work emulating that of the late John H. Pickering, whose outstanding legal ability and record of service to the profession improved access to justice for all. Arturo, chair of the firm’s Commercial Litigation & Trial Group, was presented with a 2019 Pro Bono Publico Award for his ongoing commitment to pro bono and public service.
The ABA presented Jim with the 2019 John H. Pickering Award for demonstrating outstanding legal ability, compiling a distinguished record of dedicated service to the profession and the community at large, and making significant contributions to the furtherance of access to justice for all. The award was presented at an ABA dinner and reception on August 8, 2019.
Considered a lion of the trial bar as well as one of the most respected and “greatest trial lawyers in the country,” Jim is known for his uncanny legal ability and oral advocacy skills. Jim has tried 150 cases to completion with only 11 losses. He has represented countless pro bono clients in criminal and civil matters, earning him a reputation as “a fighter for the underdog.” His impact outside of the courtroom is equally impressive. Throughout his unrivaled career, Jim has made innumerable contributions, including:
Throughout his almost 60 year legendary legal career, Jim has fiercely committed himself to promoting equal access to the justice system and advocating on behalf of low-income and disadvantaged individuals. Jim’s lifelong efforts have earned him the highest praise the legal industry has to offer, including:
Arturo González was honored for his pro bono work and innumerable public service contributions to the community at large. Considered one of the “finest trial lawyers in the United States,” Arturo credits his background, growing up as the son of non-English-speaking farm workers, as giving him the unique perspective that he brings into the courtroom every day, and as one of the main factors that motivated him to become a lawyer and fight for those who may not otherwise have access to fair legal representation.
Although Arturo is widely known for his legal prowess in the courtroom securing favorable outcomes for blockbuster clients such as Uber and VMware, his pro bono advocacy efforts have been equally impactful. Throughout his more than three-decades-long career at MoFo, he has been committed to ensuring that even the most underserved communities and individuals have equal representation and access to the law. Over the years, Arturo has worked on more than 100 pro bono cases and has secured favorable outcomes for his clients in many key areas of the law, including:
Arturo’s nomination this year was supported by, among others, retired U.S. District Court Judge Oliver W. Wanger, who presided over two pro bono jury trials in which Arturo served as lead counsel and achieved “outstanding and exemplary results” for plaintiffs with civil rights claims against law enforcement.
The ABA Pro Bono Publico Awards are the top honors given by the ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service, which over the years has spotlighted the pro bono efforts of individual lawyers and small and large law firms, government attorney offices, corporate law departments, and other institutions in the legal profession.
Jim and Arturo are both past presidents of the Bar Association of San Francisco, and they are also the only lawyers in MoFo history to have been admitted to the top three invitation-only trial lawyer organizations — the American College of Trial Lawyers, the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, and the American Board of Trial Advocates.
For more information, please visit the ABA’s Annual Meeting page.