San Diego Lawyer Recipient of Pursuit of Justice Award

ABA News

CHICAGO, August 31, 2009 — The American Bar Association Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section is honoring David S. Casey, Jr., of San Diego with the Pursuit of Justice Award, which recognizes lawyers and judges who have shown outstanding merit and who excel in providing access to justice for all.

The award will be presented to Casey at the section’s fall leadership meeting at the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego on Oct. 8, at 6:30 p.m. during the Welcome, Diversity in the Profession & Pursuit of Justice Awards Reception.

Casey is a senior partner in the firm Casey Gerry Schenk Francavilla Blatt & Penfield, LLP.  He has practiced for more than 30 years in the area of San Diego personal injury and wrongful death litigation. Casey is the son of the first recipient of the Pursuit of Justice Award, David S. Casey Sr.

Casey has been recognized as Lawyer of the Year by the San Diego County Bar Association, listed in “Best Lawyers in America,” and named by the Los Angeles Daily Journal as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in California.  He was also named one of Law Dragon’s “500 Leading Lawyers in America.” He is the recipient of numerous awards including the Outstanding Trial Lawyer Award from the San Diego Trial Lawyer Association; the Peacemaker Award from the San Diego Mediation Center; the Harry M. Philo Award from the Association of Trial Lawyers of America; and the Daniel T. Broderick Memorial Award, which recognizes high standards of civility, integrity and professionalism.

The Consumer Attorneys of San Diego annually presents the Perpetual Consumer Advocate Award in Casey’s name. Casey has also been recognized for his work in organizing the 9/11Victims Compensation Fund and for hispro bono involvement in assisting victims of 9/11.

In 1971, Casey earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Trinity College and in 1974 earned his J.D. from the University of San Diego Law School, which awarded him the Arthur Hughes Career Achievement Award in 2003.  Casey was admitted to the California bar in 1974.

Casey is currently a member of the San Diego Trial Lawyers Association (president, 1983-1984), the State Bar of California, Consumer Attorneys of California (president, 1996-1997), the Western Trial Lawyers Association (president, 1997-1998) and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (president, 2004-2005).  He is a Fellow for the International Society of Barristers (limited to 500 lawyers in the United States) and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers (limited to 500 lawyers, both plaintiff and defense in the United States).

Casey obtained the largest personal injury settlement in history against the City of San Diego and the largest personal injury highway design verdict in history against the County of San Diego.  He represented former California Governor Gray Davis in successful tobacco litigation, helping achieve a recovery of $25 billion for the state.  He is now winding up 21 years of involvement litigation resulting from the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Casey also played a lead role in representing American Prisoners of War in litigation against Japanese companies charged with abused them as slave laborers during World War II.

Casey served as chair of the Judicial Selection Committee for Governor Davis, recommending candidates for the Superior Court and Appellate court.  For the past 10 years he has served on the San Diego County Federal Judicial Selection Committee under Sen. Dianne Feinstein, and was recently appointed by the senator to chair the statewide effort for judicial selection of Federal Court Judges, U.S. Attorneys and U.S. Marshals.

In naming Casey as recipient of the Pursuit of Justice award, TIPS Chair John Tarpley, Nashville, Tenn. said, “As a lawyer with unsurpassed credentials, Casey is the epitome of what this award represents and it’s obvious that others see him as an outstanding attorney by all of the awards he’s received.  His dedication to the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund and the Exxon Valdez oil spill litigation are prime examples of his commitment to providing access to justice for all and we are honored to present him with the Pursuit of Justice Award.”

The ABA Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section unites plaintiff, defense, insurance and corporate counsel to advance the civil justice system.  TIPS is a national source of expertise in tort, trial and insurance practice and brings lawyers together to share information and speak out on issues of importance.  The section, with over 32,000 members, has 34 general committees that focus on substantive and procedural matters in areas across the broad spectrum of civil law and practice.

With more than 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is the largest voluntary professional membership organization in the world.  As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law.