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After graduating from Santa Clara University School of Law in 1982, Mr. Ball moved to his hometown of San Diego with his wife, Deborah. He initially worked with a "sue and settle" personal injury lawyer, learning insurance claims from a plaintiff's perspective. After a few years, they decided one of them should broaden the practice by accepting workers' compensation applicant cases. It didn't take too long for the two of them to figure out which one would delve into this new area of law. Mr. Ball embarked on his career of workers' compensation by getting clients in the door, signing them up, and getting them out before they asked a lot of questions about what goes on in a workers' compensation case.
Much has changed in workers' compensation since those days in the early 1980s. There has been reform, not only for the industry, but also for Mr. Ball. He decided, after only a few years of worker's compensation practice, that he enjoyed the practice but didn't care for the social work involved with representing injured workers. Mr. Ball gave up the applicant practice in 1987. He joined a defense firm in San Diego, and he hasn't looked back since.
Over the next ten years, Mr. Ball honed his litigation skills and claims experience in San Diego. He represented numerous insurance companies, third-party administrators, and self-insured employers, including San Diego Unified School District and the San Diego Transit Corporation. He handled a variety of cases, including Serious and Willful claims, Labor Code Section 132a Discrimination, and Subrogation cases, appearing in nearly every WCAB office in Southern California. In the early 1990s he became certified as a Workers' Compensation Specialist by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. He was also a founding member and first president of the San Diego Workers' Compensation Defense Attorneys' Association.
Recognizing he was too old to join the military, Mr. Ball obtained his "stripes" in 1996 by accepting a position with Zenith Insurance as an Assistant Vice President responsible for managing its Northern California in-house legal department. This opportunity not only gave him an inside look at the insurance claims business but permitted him the experience to travel to virtually every WCAB office in Northern California. He managed five satellite legal offices for Zenith Insurance, including the regional office in Pleasanton where he was located. While at Zenith Insurance, Mr. Ball coordinated several "Settlement Days" with large applicant firms resulting in successful file closures of many difficult cases.
Mr. Ball joined Bradford & Barthel, LLP in 1999, opening the first Bay Area office in Walnut Creek. As business grew, Mr. Ball assisted with the opening of the Santa Rosa and San Jose offices.
Currently Mr. Ball continues to represent employers and insurance companies in the defense of all aspects of workers' compensation claims. He has developed a unique expertise in the defense of employers who have utilized Labor Code Section 4600.3 Health Care Organizations (HCOs).
When not dealing with the challenges of the new law, Mr. Ball lives in Danville with his wife and teenage daughter. His oldest son is a college freshman living in Santa Barbara. Mr. Ball also plays a very poor game of golf on a regular basis.
Mr. Ball recently received a Super Lawyers badge.
Seriously Outstanding
only 5% selected each year
Photo courtesy of Ines White,
The Cookie Interpreter, (888) 414-3837
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