We are 100% contingency law firm.
J. Gary Gwilliam
Gary Gwilliam is considered one of the best consumer trial attorneys in the state. His reputation and skill in representing seriously injured plaintiffs is well known. He has tried over 180 jury cases, of which almost 150 were plaintiff civil personal injury cases. He has handled major cases in every area of consumer law, including serious automobile and construction accidents, products liability, medical malpractice, bad faith insurance, civil rights (including police misconduct), wrongful termination and employment discrimination and harassment, and has recently concentrated more in employment law.
A noted lecturer and motivational speaker, he has conducted seminars and workshops around California and the United States for many years. He is the author of numerous articles on California consumer law and is frequently called upon to serve as an expert witness on the standard of care for lawyers' conduct. He frequently lectures on the topics of substance abuse, stress reduction, improving the quality of life as well as topics related to his practice.
Notable Cases
- A $6.1 million jury verdict for a 29-year-old man who suffered quadriplegic injuries when the roof of his Corvette was crushed in a roll-over accident. This was the largest single injury verdict in Contra Costa County history.
- A multi-million dollar settlement for 80 plaintiffs in their insurance bad faith suit against their automobile insurance company for failure to pay medical benefits covered by the plaintiffs' policies.
- A $5.5 million jury verdict for a 19-year-old man who suffered severe hand injuries caused by a press machine at his place of work. This was the largest hand injury verdict in the United States and the largest single injury verdict in Alameda County history.
- A $5 million jury verdict for the family of a man who was killed by police officers when he was threatening suicide. This was the largest police shooting misconduct verdict in Northern California history.
- Employment Law/Discrimination and Harassment
- Consumer Law
- Serious Motor Vehicle and Construction Accidents
- Product Liability
- Medical Malpractice
- Bad Faith Insurance
- Civil Rights (Including Police Misconduct)
- Wrongful Termination and Employment Discrimination
- Premises Liability
- Civil Rights and Discrimination
- Wrongful Termination and Employment Discrimination and Harassment
- Whistleblower Claims
- Personal Injury
100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
- Civil Trial Advocate, National Board of Trial Advocacy, 1982
- Product Liability, Personal Injury, Professional Negligence, Consumer Attorneys of California
California
- Getting a Winning Verdict in My Personal Life: A Trial Lawyer Finds His Soul, Pavior Publishing, 2007
- “Professional Stress- Inebriation, Intervention and Insight, 2009
- Old Warriors, 2009
- Lessons from losing: How to beat defeat, 2008
- Am I Drinking too Much is a Rhetorical Question!, 2008
- Scott Morris v. Weibel Wineries, Inc. – From Client to Friend, American Board of Trial Advocates, Trial Magazine, February/March, 2000
- Commitment to Justice, The History of the Consumer Attorneys of California, (Editor and Interviewee), 1999
- Lessons from Losing, San Francisco Daily Journal, Verdicts and Settlements Section, Winter, 1999
- Are Trial Lawyers Becoming Extinct? A Look at Civil Litigation in the Next Millennium, American Board of Trial Advocates, Voir Dire, Winter, 1999
- An Historical Perspective of Consumer Attorneys of California and Me, Consumer Attorneys of California, Forum, December, 1999
- Peak Performance in Litigation Through Relaxation Techniques, Lawyers and Judges Publishing Company, 1999-2000
- Techniques for Arguing Damages to a Jury, American Board of Trial Advocates, Trial Magazine (ATLA), April, 1999
- The Art of Losing, American Board of Trial Advocates, ATLA, November, 1998
- The Art of Losing, Trial Magazine (under Reflections), May, 1998
- The Art of Losing, Consumer Attorneys of California, Forum, March, 1999
- How to Get a Winning Verdict in Your Personal Life (The Soul of a Trial Lawyer), American Board of Trial Advocates, Voir Dire Vol. IV, Issue 4, Fall, 1997
- How to Get a Winning Verdict in Your Personal Life (The Soul of a Trial Lawyer), Institute of Noetic Sciences, Connections Magazine, No. 6, January, 1999
- Go Easy on Yourself, American Board of Trial Advocates, Trial Magazine (ATLA) Page 84, November, 1998
- In Memory of Bob Beloud, Consumer Attorneys of California, Forum, March, 1998
- A Practical Presentation of the Use of Jury Consultants in Trial Preparation In Trial, (With Karen Jo Koonan), Consumer Attorneys of California, 36th Annual Convention Syllabus, 1997
- How to Argue a Hand Injury Case, Consumer Attorneys of California, 35th Annual Convention Syllabus, 1996
- CSAA Made to Pay, Verdict, Alameda-Contra Costa Trial Lawyers Association, June, 1995
- CSAA Made to Pay, Consumer Attorneys of California, Forum Magazine, 1995
- Holistic View of Witness Creditability, National Employment Lawyers Association, June, 1995
- Punitive Damages in Wrongful Termination Cases, California Trial Lawyers Association, 29th Annual Tahoe Seminar Syllabus, April, 1994
- Ethics-How to Get a Winning Verdict in Your Personal Life, California Trial Lawyers Association, 27th & 28th Annual Tahoe Seminars Syllabuses, 1992 and 1993
- Alternative Dispute Resolution, Fiji Law Society Syllabus, July, 1993
- Arguing Damages: Turning Emotion Into Money, California Trial Lawyers Association Syllabus, December, 1991
- Power Anticipation, Trial Excellence, Vol. 2, No. 6, June, 1990
- Power Anticipation, Republished in Top Courtroom Performance
- How to Get a Winning Verdict in Your Personal Life, California Trial Lawyers Association, Forum Vol. 20, No. 7, September, 1990
- Power Anticipation, (Forward to Book by James Scott Bell), Compendium Press, Woodland Hills California, 1994
- Proposition 51: The Effect of the Abolition of Joint and Several Liability, California Trial Lawyers Association Forum, Vol. XVI, No. 3, April, 1986
- Dental Malpractice, Who Cares? (Fundamentals of Dental Practice), California Trial Lawyers Association Forum, Vol. XV, No. 3, April, 1985
- Liens for Medical Expenses in Personal Injury Actions, California Continuing Education of the Bar Program Material, March/April, 1980
- Personal Injury Liens for Medical Expenses, California Trial Lawyers Association Journal, Vol. L6, #2, 1977
Representing Plaintiffs in Every Aspect of Civil Litigation
- San Mateo Bar CLE, 2015
- McGeorge Annual Alumni MCLE, 2015
- ABOTA Civility Matters Presentation, 2014
- CAOC Specialty Credits Presentation, 2014
- Ethics CLE, 2014
- Trial Techniques in Employment Litigation, 2014
- Frequent Presenter for Attorney Credits, Continuing Education Your Way: “Ethical Advice from a Trial Lawyer”, CLE Program
- Frequent Presenter for Attorney Credits, Continuing Education Your Way: “Inebriation, Intervention and Insight: A Trial Lawyer Finds His Soul”, CLE Program
- Stress Management, “How to Get a Winning Verdict in Your Personal Life” PLI, 2000 – 2002
- Best Lawyers® Employment and Personal Injury Litigation Law Lawyer of the Year in Oakland, 2017
- Trial Lawyer of the Year, Finalist, Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, 2016 - Present
- Super Lawyers: 2004 - 2005, 2007 - Present
- Northern California Super Lawyers, 2004-Present
- Esteemed Lawyers of America, 2014
- Public Justice, Champion of Justice, 2009
- Consumer Lawyer of the Year (CLAY) for Employment, 2001 - 2002
- California Lawyer Attorney of the Year for Employment Law, 2001
- Trial Lawyer of the Year, Finalist, Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, 1995 - 1996
- Consumer Attorneys of California Presidential Award, 1994
- American Arbitration Association, Member, Panel of Arbitrators
- Alameda-Contra Costa County Trial Lawyers Association, President, 1974 - 1975
- Alameda-Contra Costa County Trial Lawyers Association, Member, Board of Governors, 1970 - Present
- American Board of Trial Advocates
- American Bar Association, Member
- American Board of Trial Advocates, Diplomat, 1976
- American Association for Justice
- Consumer Attorneys of California (Formerly California Trial Lawyers Association), President, 1988
- Consumer Attorneys of California (Formerly California Trial Lawyers Association), Member, Board of Governors, 1983 - Present
- Consumer Attorneys of California (Formerly California Trial Lawyers Association), Chairman, Long Range Planning Committee, 1990 - 1994
- Consumer Attorneys of California (Formerly California Trial Lawyers Association), President-Elect, 1987
- Consumer Attorneys of California (Formerly California Trial Lawyers Association), Parliamentarian, 1986
- Faculty Member, Hastings College of Trial Advocacy, 1981
- National Board of Trial Advocacy
- National Employment Lawyers Association
- Trial Lawyers for Public Justice Board, President, 2003 - 2004
- Trial Lawyers for Public Justice Board, Member, Board of Directors, 1996 - Present
- Trial Lawyers for Public Justice Board, Executive Committee, 1999
- Trial Lawyers for Public Justice Board, Secretary, 2000
- Trial Lawyers for Public Justice Board, Vice President, 2002
- Trial Lawyers for Public Justice Board, Treasurer, 2001
- Trial Lawyers for Public Justice Board, President-Elect, 2002 - 2003
- California Trial Lawyers Association, Chairman, Political Action Committee, 1986
- American Arbitration Association, Member, Panel of Arbitrators
- The State Bar of California, Member
- Nichols, Williams, Morgan & Digardi, Partner, 1966 - 1978
- District Attorney's Office, Ventura County, CA, Chief Trial Deputy, 1962 - 1966
- Trial Lawyers for Public Justice
- Alameda County Lawyers Club, Lawyer of the Year Award, 1986
- Phi Delta Phi
- Kappa Delta