Highly Experienced & Successful Trial LawyerExperience. Service. Results.Experience. Service. Results.Experience. Service. Results.Experience. Service. Results.Highly Experienced & Successful Trial Lawyer
As a retired U.S. Marine Corps Officer with over 46 years of civil trial experience, the focus of my trial work has been on complex civil litigation, business litigation, employment litigation, family law, insurance and defense of professional licenses. I have tried over 40 jury trials to verdict and 30 court trials to judgment. From 2009 to 2014, I was in trial for more than 250 days alone.
As an expert witness in the areas of Attorney Ethics, Standard of Care and Fee Disputes, I have been qualified in several Superior Courts including Los Angeles County, Santa Clara County, and Kings County.
I am also available as a mediator, arbitrator, and a legal consultant.
Practice areas
Heavy civil jury trial experience (250 days of trial between 2009 and 2014) including appeals and writs.
46 years, 250 cases
High-end divorces (i.e. victory in a $60 million dollar marital estate dispute over a 72-day trial; and victory in a 43-day divorce trial).
46 years, 200 cases
Major insurance defense practice for decades (numerous jury trials with many defense verdicts or verdicts less than the pre-trial settlement offer).
46 years, 1,000 cases
All areas (i.e. fraud in the sale of a business, fraud in the sale of commercial property); assisted former partner in trial resulting in multi-million dollar jury verdict (Top 40 verdicts in U.S. in 2014).
34 years, 51 cases
Wrongful termination to sexual harassment to ADA to wages and hours to discrimination cases (successfully defended a high state official in a disparate treatment case in an 80-day trial).
25 years, 50 cases
Languages spoken
English
O'Brien Watters & Davis LLP
1550 Airport Blvd
Suite 201
Santa Rosa, CA, 95403
State | Status | Acquired | Updated |
---|---|---|---|
CA | Active | 1974 | 02/08/2022 |
Legal answers | 320 |
Legal guides | 0 |
Award name | Grantor | Date Granted |
---|---|---|
AV Preeminent (1989 - 2021) | Martindale-Hubbell® | 2021 |
Gold Client Champion | Martindale-Hubbell® | 2021 |
Super Lawyer (2007 - 2020) | Super Lawyers | 2020 |
Top Contributor | Avvo | 2019 |
Client's Choice | Avvo | 2018 |
Pro Bono Service Award | Sonoma County Bar Association | 2014 |
Title | Company name | Duration |
---|---|---|
Managing Partner | O'Brien Watters & Davis, LLP | 1998 - Present |
Professor | Empire College Of Law | 1990 - 1992 |
Law & Mediation Center Mediator | American Arbitration Association | 1990 - 2000 |
Founding Partner | O'Brien Watters & Davis, LLP | 1982 - 2005 |
Partner | Spridgen, Barrett, Achor, Luckhardt, Anderson & James | 1980 - 1982 |
Commercial Arbitration Panelist | American Arbitration Association | 1978 - 2000 |
Associate | Spridgen, Barrett, Achor, Luckhardt, Anderson & James | 1975 - 1979 |
1st Lieutenant | USMC | 1969 - 1971 |
Association name | Position name | Duration |
---|---|---|
State Bar of California | Member | N/A |
Sonoma County Bar Association | Member | N/A |
Marin County Bar Association | Member | N/A |
Napa County Bar Association | Member | N/A |
American Bar Association | Member | N/A |
Defense Research Institute | Member | N/A |
United Way of Sonoma-Mendocino-Lake | Board of Directors | N/A |
United Way of Sonoma-Mendocino-Lake | Chairman | 1993 - 1993 |
United Way of Sonoma-Mendocino-Lake | Campaign Chairman | 1990 - 1990 |
Publication name | Title | Date |
---|---|---|
Sonoma County Bar Association | Defending Depositions (Deposition Objections) | 2018 |
School name | Degree | Graduated |
---|---|---|
University of California, Hastings College of the Law | JD - Juris Doctor | 1974 |
Haas School of Business, University of California Berkeley | MBA - Master of Business Administration | 1968 |
University of California - Berkeley | BS - Bachelor of Science | 1967 |
Conference name | Title | Date |
---|---|---|
When Legal Documents are Destroyed | Documents | 2020 |
How to Prepare to Take a Key Deposition | Depositions | 2016 |
Deposition Objections | Deposition Objections | 2015 |
The Top 20 Deposition Mistakes | Depositions | 2014 |
Expert Witness Depositions: How to Take the Deposition of an Expert, Any Expert | Expert Witness Depositions | 2011 |
Deposition Basics | Depositions | 2011 |
Litigation Skills for Legal Staff in California | Litigation Skills fro Legal Staff | 2006 |
Evidence? In Family Law? | Evidence | 2001 |
Highlights Regarding Depositions | Depositions | 1997 |
Master Deposition Demonstration | Depositions | 1995 |
Experts | Expert Witnesses | 1992 |
Case name | Outcome |
---|---|
Bonfigli v. Strachan and Smith | Initial jury trial loss followed by successful appeal followed by successful jury retrial |
IRMO Whitney | Win, upheld on appeal |
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Michael Doland, Litigation Attorney on Mar 25, 2019
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
The answers of Mr. Watters are consistently accurate, analytic, and customized to the needs of the Avvo askers. These are exactly the qualities that every client would look for when hiring an attorney.
Thomas Kelly, Litigation Attorney on Feb 18, 2017
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
Mr. Watters is a highly experienced and effective litigator who has a proven track record. I strongly endorse him.
Michael Doland, Litigation Attorney on Mar 25, 2019
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
The answers of Mr. Watters are consistently accurate, analytic, and customized to the needs of the Avvo askers. These are exactly the qualities that every client would look for when hiring an attorney.
Thomas Kelly, Litigation Attorney on Feb 18, 2017
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
Mr. Watters is a highly experienced and effective litigator who has a proven track record. I strongly endorse him.
Michael Waddington, Family Attorney on Jun 5, 2014
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
I endorse Michael. He is a highly skilled attorney that is well respected in the legal community.
Andrew Watters, Unknown Attorney on Oct 3, 2011
Relationship: Worked for lawyer
I highly endorse this lawyer.
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