William E. Gagen Jr. - Danville, CA

As the firm's senior trial counsel, William E. Gagen, Jr. has earned local, state and national recognition as a Chronicle Top 25 attorney, a Top 100 Attorney by California Super Lawyer and an elected Fellow of the elite American College of Trial Lawyers. Known as a straight shooter who is trusted by lawyers, judges and professionals across the legal system, he is widely regarded as a formidable force in the courtroom. A 2005 profile in The Recorder called him a "fearless articulate trial attorney and occasional hero" who zeroes in on the weakness in his opponent's case "like a laser beam." As the San Francisco Chronicle wrote in May, 2003: "If you get in trouble with the law in Contra Costa, who do you call? Those in the know say it's Bill Gagen." Perhaps the most telling accolades come from his opponents in the trenches who have learned first hand why The Recorder profile characterized him as the "Defense King" of Contra Costa County:

"I think it would be safe to say that he is the preeminent private defense attorney in the county," says Robert Kochly, longtime District Attorney in Contra Costa County, who calls Mr. Gagen "very, very well respected" and "someone whose word you could trust absolutely."

Mr. Gagen brings his mix of straightforward professionalism and passionate advocacy to every case, whether it's a teenager's minor indiscretion or a complex, high-profile legal matter. In four decades of practice, he has taken on more than his share of high-profile clients. One of his early cases involved defending Symbionese Liberation Army member Joseph Remiro in a lengthy and highly publicized trial. The jury ultimately deadlocked and the case was dismissed. In the 1980s, he represented Bradley Page, a UC Berkeley student involved in a widely reported legal case. After he succeeded in tearing apart Page's "confession," which was later recanted, the jury deadlocked. More recently, Mr. Gagen has made the news representing clergy in sensitive litigation, individuals involved in gang-related allegations, and an auto parts executive targeted by the Attorney General in a multi-million dollar unfair business action.

Yet he considers some of his most gratifying accomplishments the victories that didn't make the headlines: getting serious charges dismissed against a local business owner with a medical marijuana prescription or helping a troubled 15-year-old client avoid incarceration by working with the court and counselors to address his undiagnosed learning disabilities. As he told The Chronicle, he finds his work particularly gratifying when he helps good kids who have made a bad mistake. They often visit years later to thank him. "That's a nice feeling," he said. "It's a nice way to make a living."