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Barry P. Gorelick
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Barry P. Gorelick
Law Offices of Barry P. Gorelick
1939 Harrison Street
Suite 320
Oakland, CA 94612
Phone: (510) 272-0300 | Fax: (510) 836-3136
We take care of our clients.
Legal Topic
Employment & Labor Relations
Preferred New Clients
I represent employees with work-related/workers compensation injuries only. I am a certified specialist and do not handle any other types of cases. My caseload includes all sorts of folks with all sorts of injuries sustained through work.
Sub-Categories
Employment & Labor Relations
- Workers' Compensation
Bar Admissions
CA, Dec 2019
Bar Number: 122281
Specialty Certifications
Workers Compensation.
Other Court Admissions
California State Courts.
Association Memberships
Alameda County Bar Association; San Francisco County Bar Association.
Continuing Education
I attend the annual statewide workers compensation conventions as well as local seminars related to my practice. I also lecture and speak on panels at the statewide annual convention and local seminars. Many of my continuing education credits are earned from speaking engagements.
Papers and Publications
I regularly prepare syllabus materials for the annual statewide workers compensation convention when I am one of the speakers/panelists. I wrote a short note during law school, which subsequently was published in the law review.
Example Cases
The majority of my clients are just regular folks who had the misfortune of being injured on the job: lifting a heavy box; falling from a scaffold; spending too long at the keyboard. All sorts of folks, all sorts of accidents, all sorts of injuries. Too many to list!
Education
Degree:
B.A.
School:
University of California
City:
Berkeley
State:
CA
Year:
1982
Degree:
Juris Doctor
School:
Golden Gate University
City:
San Francisco
State:
CA
Year:
1985
Honors:
Graduated with Honors (top 10% of class)
Focus and Accomplishments:
Law Review
Number of Attorneys
1
State Licensed In
California
Firm Focus and History
California Workers Compensation claims only. I represent injured workers - not employers or insurance companies.
I have practiced workers compensation law exclusively since 1999.
Previous Employment Summary
Prior to opening my current office in January 2006, I worked with Furtado, Jaspovice and Simons, a highly regarded law firm representing consumers in a wide variety of injury claims.
Activities and Awards
AV-Rated by Martindale-Hubbell; Northern California Super Lawyer 2004, 2005, 2006.
What is your opinion regarding clients educating themselves on legal issues?
Without legal knowledge from an attorney or a self-help treatise like Nolo provides, clients must rely completely on the employer, the insurer, the doctors and the system to take care of them. Sometimes, they get lucky and things work out okay. However, in most instances it is better to get educated early to try and obtain a better outcome in the case. Most workers compensation attorneys will speak to a client to educate them free of charge. The earlier they get educated, the better. Sometimes people wait too long and try to handle things themselves and suffer the consequences. A little early education helps prevent these bad outcomes.
Are you willing to review documents prepared by clients?
I will do it, but I am not crazy about people preparing their own documents. It is easy to make mistakes and inexpensive to hire a workers compensation attorney. I won't try to fix my own car. Why would someone handle their own legal case?
Are you willing to coach clients who want to represent themselves?
This is a difficult question to answer in workers compensation. By law, I am not allowed to charge a fee from a client without disclosing it to the Workers Compensation Appeals Board and getting the fee arrangement approved. So, it would be difficult to do this. I give plenty of free advice. However, in my opinion I could not legally or ethically "coach" a client for a fee.
Why did you decide to be a lawyer?
My father was an attorney - a public defender. His dinner table stories of trials and tribulations influenced me greatly.
What work experience and education helps you be a better lawyer?
Plain common sense about people, life and money. Nothing that you can learn in school.
Why did you decide on your primary area of practice?
A top law firm made me an offer I couldn't refuse to practice workers compensation law. I soon realized that I was made for this practice. I love my work; I love my clients. I like people. I like to help people and families.
What do you like best about your career?
The opportunity to help people and make a living doing it. Most of my clients are going through very tough times, physically, emotionally and financially. My job is to help achieve the best possible outcome for my clients; to work with them to find out what they want and need, and help them try to get it.
Tell us about your law firm:
Although I am a one lawyer shop, I have a team of wonderful people without whom my clients and I could not survive. My paralegal Anna Castillo is a bilingual Spanish speaker. Anna has more workers compensation experience than me! She has a sympathetic attitude but a no-nonsense approach. Anna knows how to get the job done to help our clients. My secretary Nancy Boerman also has more workers compensation experience than me. She is a brilliant writer and communicator. Together, our motto is: take care of the clients!
What are your strengths and style?
Strengths: creativity, insight, compassion, trial skills.
Style: smooth, firm, direct.
Personal Interests:
Bicycling, fishing, farming.
Office Manager/Assistant
Anna Castillo
Fax
(510) 836-3136
Office Hours
Phone Hours:
Monday through Thursday
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Emergency After Hours
No
Foreign Languages
Spanish - Anna Castillo
Fixed-Price Services and Fees
15% of the settlement. Some attorneys will work for less; the value of my time and services are worth the highest rate allowable.
Hourly Rates
I do not charge my clients by the hour. When insurance companies are required by law to pay me hourly for the work I do for my clients, I charge $350 per hour.
Free Initial Consultation?
Yes, up to one hour.
Typical Retainer
Not Applicable.
Nolo's Licensing Check
Attorneys have passed a licensing check. Nolo has confirmed that every member attorney has a valid license and is in good standing with the applicable bar associations upon joining the directory.
Directory lawyers are required to notify Nolo immediately if they become the subject of any disciplinary action by any bar association.
