REVERED

Revered by his peers.

That’s an apt description of William Herreras of Grover Beach.

On Saturday night in San Diego at CAAA’s 2011 winter conference those peers came out en masse to see Herreras awarded the California Applicants Attorneys Association’s most prestigious award, the Eugene Marias award.

The award, named after a legendary founding member of CAAA, is given to only the most distinguished workers’ comp attorneys as a recognition for lifetime achievement.

Herreras has been a personal icon of mine for several years now. I’ve had a chance to get to know him as we were speakers on a CAAA panel and through membership of the California State Bar Workers Compensation Executive Committee.

His integrity, insight and passion for helping his clients shines through as he speaks. And Bill has always had an easygoing smile and personal style that set him apart from the pack.

Those on the dais with Herreras noted that his part of the state is “Herreras Country”. It’s not hard to imagine that a number of Central California employers and defendants have been taken to the woodshed by Herreras’ formidable litigation talents.

And there was reference to Herrerras’ longtime service as amicus committee chair of CAAA since 1992. In that role Herreras has helped shape workers’ compensation law in California. In many instances he’s argued the cases at the Court of Appeals or the California Supreme Court.

Speakers noted that Herreras never forgot about helping the little guy.
And he never forgot his Hispanic heritage.

But perhaps the most touching was the story about Herreras enjoying the law itself. He has been a lawyer’s lawyer. A good Saturday morning was a quiet morning in the law library, to be followed with games with his children on the rest of the weekend.

Herreras joins a distinguished list of Marias award recipients:
-Lowell Airola 1986
-Victor Beauzay 1986
-Barry Satzman 1987
-Jerome Goldberg 1988
-Mervin Glow 1990
-Eugene Leviton 1991
-Richard Cantrell 1992
-Mike Rucka 1993
-Marvin Shapiro 1995
-Harold Wax 1997
-Emmett O’Boyle 1997
-Mark Edelstein 2001
-Donald C. Green 2002
-Ron Feenberg 2004
-Bernard Katzman 2008
-Lloyd Rowe 2008
-Robert Steinberg 2009

Even among those on this list, Herreras stands at the front.

Well done, Bill.

Julius Young
www.boxerlaw.com
www.thecompguys.org

Category: Political developments