We’re proud that our firm has been around since 1972 and continues to be viewed as a pillar of the defense bar.
I knew very little about the industry, let alone Kegel, Tobin & Truce, when I joined the firm in 2003. At most, I knew that I was joining a firm reputedly employing some of the most knowledgeable and well-trained workers’ compensation trial attorneys in Southern California. Then I saw how that reputation was earned. Among other junior associates fresh from the civil arena, I was subjected to two-hour weekly training sessions on trial strategy and techniques led by Joe Truce. This went on for years. These sessions were always followed by steaks and cocktails at a pretty darn good steak house. I always assumed this ensured we associated the sessions with happy hour.
I remember Theodore Hanf as a mentor, and if you know Southern California workers’ compensation, you know the name. Ted showed Kegel attorneys the science behind the claims and how to use science to prove our case. But even more, Ted directed our awareness to how these claims involve people, and how from the applicant to the ‘mom and pop’ employer, our zeal must be balanced with common sense and practicality. Today, it is well known that Kegel attorneys continue to count on mentorship and open doors to discuss law and strategy. This reputation makes a difference. It makes a difference to clients. It makes a difference to opposing attorneys. It makes a difference at the Board. It makes a difference to other defense firms which hold our attorneys in high regard.
… If you know Southern California workers’ compensation, you know the name (Theodore Hanf) …
The people at our firm are proud. We’re proud that our firm has been around since 1972 and continues to be viewed as a pillar of the defense bar. We’re proud that our firm has maintained its place and reputation through changes in the letter of the law and the attitudes of the industry. We’re proud of the tradition that’s attached to the names on the wall and the respect that our firm name garners. We’re proud of the legacy of good work and success at all levels; proud of Blackledge, Honeywell (Wagner), Northrop (Graves), among many others.
We’re proud that our firm holds true to its ethics and principles — that the right results come from taking the correct position and being more prepared than the opponent. We’re proud that because of this commitment, we represent many public agencies and entities, from counties to cities and school districts, and have done so for decades. We are proud that like our attorneys, our clients are comprised of a diverse group of employers, from staffing companies to PEOs, to some of the biggest retailers in the country.
We value our reputation and, being well aware that one’s reputation is heavily based on what one has done lately, we are humbled by the clients who continue to trust us to know what to do, and the best ways to do it.