Cory Weck is the current William M. Shernoff Trial Lawyer of the Year, the top honor awarded by the Consumer Attorneys of the Inland Empire (CAOIE), the Inland branch of the Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC).
The award was announced in the January/February, 2021 issue of the CAOC publication, “Forum,” but Weck was informed in advance by phone.
“It was a shock,” he said of the call from CAOIE’s president. “I was shocked just to be nominated – especially when you look at the names that preceded me. They’re literally institutions in and out of the Inland Empire. I’m a knuckle dragging Marine from the mountains who grew up chopping firewood. Never thought I’d be selected for something like that.”
Because of COVID-19, there was no ceremony for the presentation of the trophy, which was sent to Weck at his office, but there was an online celebration.
The CAOIE is a professional organization that represents consumer interests.
“Our member-attorneys stand for plaintiffs seeking accountability from those who do wrong,” the parent group’s About Us page reads. “Our attorneys and their clients face opponents with far more power and access to resources: Big polluters, insurance companies, automobile manufacturers and banks. CAOC members take only those cases they view as worthy, invest their own resources in pushing those cases to court and are paid under the contingency fee system only if their clients achieve a successful result.”
CAOIE immediate past president Megan Demshki said by email the award is “Given to a plaintiff’s lawyer who achieved a significant result in a case that assisted consumers or changed consumer law for the better in the Inland Empire or California at large. Preference may be given to those practicing in the Inland Empire or achieving a significant verdict or settlement in the Inland Empire.”
Weck attributes the award to results in a heavily contested trial involving a bicyclist struck by a motorist making a right turn.
“The offer was about $20,000 and we ended up with a result of about $500,000,” Weck said.
Weck is the managing partner of McCune Wright Arevalo, LLP’s personal injury division. His office is in San Bernardino.
“I handle all our firm’s PI cases,” he said. “It’s all I’ve been doing for 20 plus years.”
Weck has also been included on the Super Lawyers list of the peer nominated top attorneys since 2012, (see his inclusion in each annual publication: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.)
He is also included in The National Trial Lawyers’ Top 100 list.
Other awardees from the CAOIE 2021 virtual awards celebration were The Hon. Thomas S. Garza, San Bernardino County Trial Judge of the Year; Samuel Bruchy, Streetfighter of the Year; and Sam Cianchetti, Lifetime Achievement.
Demshki said there was no 2020 slate of awardees, but in a ceremony scheduled for May at the CAOIE Palm Springs Seminar, the 2021 awards will be presented to Daren Lipinsky, William M. Shernoff Trial Lawyer of the Year; and Demshki, Streetfighter of the Year.
