WALNUT CREEK, CALIF., January 28, 2009 – Continuing its commitment to the stable management practices that have resulted in steady growth for the firm, Archer Norris announced that Eugene C. Blackard, Jr. will continue to hold the position of managing partner, serving a two-year term. W. Eric (“Ric”) Blumhardt will serve another two-year term on the Management Committee, andRichard W. Vanis, Jr. will also serve a two-year term. Current members Kenneth C. (“KC”) Ward and William H. Staples remain on the Committee.
“Archer Norris has always operated on sound business principles,” noted managing partner Gene Blackard. “The Management Committee provides a solid foundation of key partners who will keep us on course even in turbulent times. The demand for our services remains strong and the firm continues to grow strategically to support our core litigation and business clients.”
Blackard became managing partner in 2008. He has been a member of the Management Committee since 2003, having begun his career at Archer Norris as an associate in 1989. Blackard defends contractors and manufacturers in a range of cases concerning complex multi-party environmental tort litigation, products liability, premises liability, and claims stemming from the Americans with Disabilities Act. He represents major insurers and self-insured entities, such as St. Paul/Travelers, Chubb, CNA, AIG, Royal/Sun Alliance, Atlantic Mutual, Hanover Insurance companies, Fireman’s Fund, and Valero Energy Corporation. Blackard is a member of the Contra Costa County Bar Association. He received his J.D. from McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific (1989) and his B.A. from California State Sacramento (1982).
Blumhardt, who joined the firm in 1988, specializes in insurance coverage and bad faith litigation. He also heads the firm’s appellate practice and is recognized as a Certified Legal Specialist in Appellate Law by the State Bar Board of Legal Specialization. Blumhardt is a member of the Association of Defense Counsel of Northern California and Nevada where he served as President (2004) and on the Board of Directors (1997-2005). He also belongs to the Defense Research Institute and the Contra Costa County Bar Association. Blumhardt received his J.D. from McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific (1983) and his undergraduate degree from the University of California at Davis (1976).
Vanis heads Archer Norris’s Los Angeles and Newport Beach offices. Defending complex injury and business litigation, he represents insurance carriers, businesses, employers, and private and high-profile clients across Southern California. An active participant in many charitable and professional organizations in the Los Angeles and Orange County communities, Vanis received the 2008 Spirit of Verbum Dei Award and serves on the Board of Directors of Verbum Dei High School. He belongs to the American Bar Association, the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, and the Orange County Bar Association. Vanis received his J.D. from Whittier Law School (1996) and his B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles, (1992).
Ward is a trial lawyer and leads the firm’s On Call Trial Counsel team. During a legal career spanning more than 30 years, he has tried nearly 100 trials to verdict including more than 60 before juries. Ward is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and holds the rank of Advocate. He is recognized as a Board Certified Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, a Master in the American Inns of Court. Ward’s memberships include the Contra Costa Bar Association, Association of Defense Counsel, and the Defense Research Institute. A graduate of the University of California, Hastings College of the Law (1974), the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and Northern Illinois University (1968), he is admitted to practice in California and Nevada.
Staples is one of the firm’s senior trial lawyers and heads its Litigation group. He leverages over 30 years of legal experience in a practice that includes products liability, class actions, construction disputes/defects, public entity, toxic torts, employment, commercial and general tort litigation. Staples earned his J.D. from the University of San Francisco (1975) and his B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley (1971). He is a member of the Contra Costa County Bar Association, Association of Defense Counsel of Northern California and Nevada, and the Defense Research Institute. Staples currently serves on the Association of Defense Trial Attorneys Executive Council.
About Archer Norris
Archer Norris, a Professional Law Corporation, is headquartered in Walnut Creek, with more than 80 attorneys and offices in Newport Beach, Los Angeles and Sacramento, California. The firm counsels clients in complex litigation, insurance coverage, bad faith litigation, business, health care, public entity, environmental, and real estate transactions. For more information about the firm, contact Jann Dudley at 925.952.5406 or visit the Archer Norris website at www.archernorris.com.