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Charles Althouse Lifetime Achievement Award

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Charles Althouse Lifetime Achievement Award

Donnasue Smith Ortiz, Esq.

2023-2024
Charles Althouse Lifetime Achievement Award

Donnasue Smith Ortiz grew up in Ontario.  Her father always dreamed she would become an attorney.  He died while she was in college, so she felt compelled to continue onto law school graduating from Southwestern School of Law in 1987.  She initially worked for Marjorie Mikels and began her own practice in 1994.  She limited her practice to probate, conservatorships, guardianships, trusts and estate planning.  She later became a certified specialist in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law.

Donnasue served as the 1996-1997 President of the Western San Bernardino County Bar; 2003-2004 President of the San Bernardino County Bar; and in 2012-2013 she was the Chair of the California Conference of Bar Associations and served on the board from 2006-2017.  Donnasue began the Bench-Bar Probate section in the West-End which then developed into the San Bernardino County Probate section and served as Chairman from 1995-2008.  The Probate Section remains the strongest bar section in our county.   She was general counsel for the Rancho Cucamonga Chamber of Commerce from 1997-2002.

Donnasue became an attorney to help others in need.  From 1988 to 1991, she volunteered twice a month for the local legal aid societies.  She continued to assist Inland Counties Legal Aid by taking cases, responding to questions, and providing training sessions over the years.  In the early 1990s, she began receiving court appointments as a Guardian Ad Litem and court appointed counsel.  She has represented over 900 minors, seniors or disabled individuals in conservatorships, guardianships, elder law cases, special needs trusts, probate and trust matters, and civil/family law matters.

She began serving as a Temporary Judge in 1994 in small claims appeals.  The following year she moved to serving as Temporary Judge in Probate court and the Mental Health courts, frequently serving as many as two or more times a week.

Even though she has accomplished much in her career, by far her most important roles have been the mother of three children and grandmother of four grandchildren.  She is excited to devote more time with them, as she closes her office and moves into retirement.

Watch online here!

Jill Gregory, Esq.

2022-2023
Charles Althouse Lifetime Achievement Award

Jill Gregory received her B.A. in Political Science from Chapman University and her law degree from University of San Diego. While an undergraduate, she interned at the Supreme Court of the United States. She has been a Deputy District Attorney with the county of San Bernardino since 2005, with assignments in the juvenile division, Barstow office, Victorville office, and Central gang unit, trying numerous cases involving homicide and other violent crimes. After her promotion to Supervising Deputy District Attorney in 2016, she has supervised in the Victorville, Central, and Juvenile offices. She has been a coordinator of the San Bernardino County High School Mock Trial tournament every year since 2007, recruiting judges and attorneys to work as presiders, scorers, and coaches for the event, which runs every November through January. She currently holds the position of Secretary on the Executive Board of the Joseph B. Campbell American Inn of Court.

Watch online here!

 

William Shernoff, Esq.

2021-2022
Charles Althouse Lifetime Achievement Award

William M. Shernoff is the founding partner of Shernoff Bidart Echeverria LLP, a law firm specializing in insurance bad faith litigation. A longtime consumer advocate, Mr. Shernoff has made a career of representing insurance consumers in their cases against insurance companies. In 1979, he persuaded the California Supreme Court to establish new case law that permits plaintiffs to sue insurance companies for bad faith seeking both compensatory and punitive damages when they unreasonably handle a policyholder’s claim (Egan v. Mutual of Omaha).

Often called the “pioneer” of bad faith insurance law, Attorney William Shernoff is a nationally recognized trail blazer in the field with decades of experience representing individual and business insurance consumers.  A frequent lecturer and writer, Mr. Shernoff co-authored the legal textbook, “Insurance Bad Faith Litigation,” which has become the field’s definitive treatise, as well as “How to Make Insurance Companies Pay Your Claims . . . . And What To Do If They Don’t,” “Payment Refused” and “Fight Back and Win – And How To Make Your HMO Pay Up.” Mr. Shernoff has also been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, and on “60 Minutes.” Chambers USA, an international attorney ranking service, called Mr. Shernoff the “dean of insurance bad faith” and stated that he’s “as good as it gets in that area.” Mr. Shernoff has authored over 50 articles on insurance issues and is featured in the Rutter Group Seminar entitled “The Shernoff Insurance Bad Faith Seminar.”

Mr. Shernoff is handling lawsuits accusing health insurance carriers of routinely and illegally denying patients’ medical claims on the grounds that such treatments were not medically necessary even when recommended by treating doctors.  He is also involved in fighting on behalf of seniors who have suffered financial elder abuse by insurance companies who are denying legitimate insurance claims of seniors.

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Brendan Brandt Esq. (Posthumously)

2021-2022
Charles Althouse Lifetime Achievement Award

While running a 13.1-mile race in preparation for the Boston Marathon, Brendan “Bren” Brandt collapsed and died of cardiac arrest on August 14, 2021. At just 57 years old, Brendan died doing one of the things he loved most— long-distance running.

As a Senior Partner at Varner and Brandt, LLP, Brendan had dedicated 31 years to practicing law. His passion for helping others through the law was evident by the many close relationships he developed during his years of practice. Brendan proudly argued in front of the California Supreme Court, the United States District Court for the Central and Eastern Districts of California, and the United States Courts of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Brendan was also a member of the Federal Bar Association, the Riverside County Bar Association, San Bernardino County Bar Association and the Western San Bernardino Bar Association.

Brendan’s love for the City of Upland was unwavering and exhibited in his long career in local politics. Having been raised in Upland, Brendan was elected and served multiple terms on the Upland City Council and the Upland Unified School District Board. He was appointed to the San Bernardino County Employee Retirement Association Board and served on the Upland YMCA Board and the San Antonio Regional Hospital Board. Brendan could often be spotted doing his morning runs up Euclid Avenue or enjoying a margarita at Rancho Los Magueyes.

Upland was also where he met the love of his life, Patti, 57 while attending Pioneer Junior High School. “It was love at first sight for him,” said Patti. They had just celebrated their 31st Wedding Anniversary in April 2021. Together, they raised three children, Conor, 27, Kyle, 25, and Amanda, 21.

Brendan attended Damien High School in LaVerne, CA. His passion for running boomed as he frequently broke records in Cross Country and Track. He then studied History at the University of California, Los Angeles, and was also a member of the Theta Chi Fraternity. Brendan continued his education at The University of San Diego Law School.

Above his years of professional success, Brendan will be remembered for his many passions, his undeniable zest for life, and most noticeably, his undying love for his family and friends. He was known for his booming laugh that could turn any stubborn frown into a beaming smile. He was known for his mischievous grin, his killer martinis, his adventures in the outdoors and his stories that could captivate any room. But above all, Brendan was a loyal friend, an adoring husband, and a loving father.

Even though Brendan’s life was taken too soon, the amount of love he had and shared was enough to last lifetimes. His memory will live on through his family, the many lives he touched, and the City of Upland. Brendan is survived by his parents, Barry Brandt and Barbara Brandt, his siblings, Brian Brandt and Pam Shikiar, and his wife and children.

Brendan’s dream was to run the Boston Marathon after he qualified in 2019. Due to the Pandemic, the official run had been cancelled. Brendan was determined to run the 2021 Boston Marathon and requalified. He was training for the race during his final run. His eldest son, Conor, has started training to take his place to run the Boston Marathon in his honor on October 11, 2021.

Watch online here!

Wilfrid-Lemann

Wilfrid C. “Bill” Lemann, Esq.

2020-2021
Lifetime Achievement Award

Wilfrid C. “Bill” Lemann is a senior partner in the San Bernardino firm of Fullerton, Lemann, Schaefer& Dominick. His concentration is business/real property law, non-profit corporations, estate planning and probate. Raised in San Bernardino, Bill was shown community-centered philanthropy by his family. As alumni of Holy Rosary Academy and Aquinas High School, where he made life-long friendships, Bill has strong ties to San Bernardino and the Inland Empire. Upon graduating from University of Santa Clara (1973) and obtaining his Loyola University J.D. (1977), Bill joined Robert Fullerton’s law firm as a full partner, and never left.

He is enormously proud of his clients and their success stories. Among his high-profile litigation matters have been successful verdicts in an Orange County gold-scam case where he recovered $5 million in gold misappropriated in an elder abuse case extensively covered by the media. He made a successful settlement with the Redlands Unified School District which allowed his 80 year old client to remain in her home until she passed away. The property on which the family farm was located and which was the subject of eminent domain litigation is presently Citrus Valley High School. He early on represented the owner of the Stringfellow Acid Pits and defended the owners in one of the largest CERCLA clean up litigation cases in the history of the country.

Bill has represented many non-profit organizations in the Inland Empire and has worked with developers on many successful construction projects. Bill’s dedication to improving lives of San Bernardino County residents is demonstrated by those projects throughout the region, which include senior housing projects, the historical restoration of local landmarks and the growth of several foundations on which he is either formed or participated in developing.

Additionally, he has received various awards offered by San Bernardino-area non-profits. He is especially gratified to receive this year’s WSBCBA Lifetime Achievement Award.

Watch online here!

 

jamesBanksJr

James Banks, Jr., Esq.

2019-2020
Lifetime Achievement Award

James Banks, Jr. grew up in Western San Bernardino County. His father and grandmother were born in Ontario and Upland respectively. He attended local public schools followed by a B.A. from Stanford and J.D. from U.C.L.A. He spent about 2 years with the Upland law firm Tobin & Gassner before going into practice with Joseph E. Johnston, later joined by J. Michael Welch and still later by Tom Ritchie. James Banks, Jr. has served on advisory commissions for Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga, and has advised or served on boards for Ontario Community Hospital, Reach Out West End, Suicide and Crisis Intervention Service, Ontario Cemetery Association, the Etiwanda Historical Society, Concerned Citizens of Ontario, and various others. He also served on the Board of the San Bernardino County Bar Association and the Western San Bernardino County Bar Association. He was President of the WSBCBA in 1976-1977 and President of the SBCBA in 1982-1983. After his Presidency with the SBCBA, Jim was given the John B. Surr Award recognizing his work for the County Bar.

2019/2020 – James Banks, Jr.

2018/2019 – Elizabeth Courtney

2017/2018 – Hon. Paul Egly

2016/2017 – Florentino “Tino” Garza

2015/2016 – Charles Althouse

2014/2015 – Richard J. Tuckerman

2013/2014 – Charles Doskow