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Howard M. Garfield

Meet Howard M. Garfield - Of Counsel

Honest | Helpful | Honorable 

Attorney Howard Garfield was born in New York City, he grew up in Los Angeles, attending elementary, junior and high schools there. At Fairfax High School he was active in drama, ROTC, student council and was president of the academic honor society. He received the American Legion Award as the most outstanding boy in his class.

After graduation, he matriculated at Columbia University in New York City, where he ended up first in his class at the end of his freshman year. Nevertheless, he pined for California and transferred to Stanford University for his sophomore, junior, and senior years.

At Stanford, he had the opportunity of attending Stanford's campus in Florence, Italy. There he studied art history, medieval European history, history of the Renaissance and, of course, the beautiful Italian language, which he still can read and speak. In other words, he became an Italophile. Howard has often said that at Columbia he learned to understand with his mind. In Italy, he learned to understand with his heart.

At Stanford he majored in Religious Studies, graduated as class valedictorian and then moved to the Harvard Divinity School. While there, he discovered that he was more interested in the law than religious studies and transferred to the Harvard Law School from which he was graduated cum laude.

Since graduation from Harvard, he has been continuously in the private practice of law, emphasizing civil litigation. This work has included insurance litigation (he has represented more than 25 different insurance companies and more recently insurance policyholders pursuing claims against their carriers). Additionally, he has extensively engaged in employment litigation (he has counseled management on employment matters, conducted investigations and tried arbitrations and cases in court). Last, but not least, he has handled numerous professional liability matters, principally claims against lawyers, accountants, real estate agents and brokers, corporate officers and directors, and disputes among members of limited liability companies and partners of general and limited partnerships.

Among his passions is the mentoring of newer lawyers.

Bar Admissions

  • California, 1969
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. District Court District of Nevada
  • U.S. District Court Central District of California
  • U.S. District Court Eastern District of California
  • U.S. District Court Northern District of California
  • U.S. District Court District of South Carolina

Education

  • Harvard Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts
    • Juris Doctor
    • Honors: cum laude
  • Stanford University, Stanford, California
    • B.A., Bachelor of Arts
    • Honors: Valedictorian of his class with Great Distinction
    • Honors: Honors in Humanities

Published Works

  • "The Uncertainty Continues: Allocation in Progressive Loss Cases", (Co-Author), Legal Ledger, Vol. 7, No. 3, Fall , 1996
  • "Current 'Hot' Topics in Advertising Liability Coverage", (Co-Author), Legal Ledger, Vol. 7, No. 3, 1996
  • "Non-Settling Insured's Liability for Judgments Which Invade The Excess Layer - A Review of the Law and Recommendations to Reduce Exposure" , Summer , 1996
  • "When Does A Consent Judgment Bind an Insurer in California?" , California Insurance Reporter, March, 1996
  • "Abracadabra - How A Reinsurer's Equitable Defenses May Disappear In TheCedent's Liquidation", (Co-Author) , Legal Ledger, Vol. 7, No. 1, 1996
  • Howard Garfield. "Special Problems in Defense: Privileges Protecting Corporate Communications, The Accountant-Client Privilege, The Attorney-Client Privilege, The Attorney Work Product Doctrine, Dual Capacity Issues, Attorneys as Directors, Privileges of Corporate Management." In Corporate Directors and Officers, Liability, Insurance, and Risk Management, edited by Paul Cottrell and Joseph E. Monteleone. Publisher, Year of Publication.

Honors And Awards

  • Who's Who in American Law
  • Listed in Best Lawyers in America

Professional Associations And Memberships

  • Resolution Remedies, an ADR provider in Northern California, Member of the Panel
  • National Arbitration Forum, Member

Past Employment Positions

  • Meckler Bulger Tilson Ma rick & Pearson LLP, San Francisco, Of Counsel
  • Long & Levit LLP, Managing Partner, 1983 to 1991
  • Long & Levit LLP, Managing Partner, 1995 to 2000

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