Awards & Events

The Cochran Firm, with 21 locations nationwide

ATTORNEY JOCK SMITH RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS AWARD

Jock Smith, President and Co-Founder of The Cochran Firm, received the prestigious Wiley A. Branton Issues Symposium Award presented by the National Bar Association at the Nineteenth Annual convention earlier this month.

The NBA presents the award annually at its symposium to a person or persons demonstrating or have demonstrated "leadership on the cutting edge of law for civil, social, and economic justice."

Wiley A. Branton handled a number of civil rights cases, and along with Thurgood Marshall, represented the Little Rock Nine during the 1957 school desegregation case in Little Rock, Arkansas.

The NBA established the Wiley A. Branton Issues Symposium as its principle vehicle for gathering lawyers and other citizens from across the country to address national issues advocated by the organization.

Mr. Smith has obtained numerous, record setting verdicts and settlements including an $80 million verdict and a $1.6 billion verdict, the largest verdict in America for the year 2004, as well as the top verdict in the history of the nation by an African American lawyer as lead counsel.

He was inducted into the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and served as the nation's first African American Trial Trustee for the Alabama Trial Lawyers Association. The Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory has given Jock an AV rating, the highest achievable rating given to an attorney. Lawdragon named Smith as one of the top litigators in the country in 2006 and 2007.

BYRON PERKINS SELECTED CO-GENERAL COUNSEL TO NFL DIVERSITY TASK FORCE

Byron Perkins, Managing Partner of The Cochran Firm in Birmingham, has been named Co-General Counsel to the Fritz Pollard Alliance (FPA), an influential group of minority sports professionals leading the charge of promoting diversity, equality and opportunity in the coaching, front office and scouting staffs of the National Football League (NFL).

The FPA was created in the wake of a groundbreaking 2002 report authored by The Cochran Firm's founder, the late legendary trial attorney Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr., and coauthored by noted civil rights attorney Cyrus Mehri. The report illustrated that despite being more successful than their white counterparts, black coaches were not considered for the vast majority of head coaching positions. The report has been a catalyst for change and directly contributed to the creation of the Rooney Rule, which requires NFL teams to interview at least one minority candidate for open head coaching positions.

Perkins is nationally recognized in his representation of clients in landmark racial and gender discrimination cases as well as personal injury litigation. In 2001, he served as co-counsel in one of the nation's most significant racial discrimination class actions that resulted in a $192 million settlement against The Coca-Cola Company. Perkins also obtained a major settlement on behalf of client Kenney Edwards against the John Deere Company in 2004. He also represented FOX Television's American Idol winner Ruben Studdard in his lawsuit against 205Flava for misappropriation of his image in 2003.

THE COCHRAN FIRM ATTORNEY JOCK SMITH JOINS PRESTIGIOUS CONSERVATION ORGANIZATION

Jock Smith, senior, managing partner with The Cochran Firm, has been inducted into the President's Advisory Council of the National Wildlife Federation. Jock is the first African American, as well as the first Alabamian to be installed to this position.

The President's Advisory Council is a group of community and business leaders from around the country who contribute their time and resources to the conservation issues tackled by the National Wildlife Federation. Council members are a resource of advice on the Federation's environmental initiatives including connecting people with nature, seeking solutions to global warming, and protecting wildlife habitat.

Members of the Council are charged with the role of ambassador for conservation in their communities and in their own circle of friends and associates. The objective of the President's Advisory Council is to develop a strong network of advocates and supporters to help the National Wildlife Federation fulfill its mission of inspiring Americans to protect wildlife for our children's future.

THE COCHRAN FIRM-LOS ANGELES PARTNER NAMED TO "TOP 20 UNDER 40" LIST BY DAILY JOURNAL

Brian T. Dunn, 37, was selected by the Daily Journal as one of California's top 20 lawyers under the age of 40. With over 50,000 attorneys under the age of 40, the Daily Journal, a legal publication serving northern and southern California, selected these leaders for having an impact on the global legal landscape.

Brian's work has included numerous civil rights, wrongful death and police brutality cases. Not only has he obtained remarkable verdicts and settlements on behalf of his clients, Brian said the tragic circumstances of these cases and injustices in general compel him to seek larger procedural and policy changes.

Recently, Brian has worked on the Three Strikes Reform Act of 2006 with Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley. The proposed initiative would mandate 25 years-to-life sentences be imposed after a third offense only if that offense falls under specified exceptions or is a serious or violent felony.

ROBERT T. EGLET RECEIVES 2004 BADGER AWARD

The Cochran Firm is proud to announce that Robert T. Eglet, partner in the Las Vegas office, has been awarded the 2004 Badger Award by the Nevada Trial Lawyers Association. The Badger Award is given to the NTLA member who has gone above and beyond the call of duty and has worked to promote the cause of the association and to further its goals and ideals. Robert Eglet has served on the NTLA Board of Governors for the past two years and has continued to help protect the trial lawyers' ideals and profession.

The prestigious Badger Award was started in 1987 in honor of Ray Badger, an advocate in the Nevada Legislature for victims of workplace injuries. His pursuit of justice for these victims was unpaid and went virtually unrecognized. The NTLA wanted to recognize Ray's years of tireless effort by creating the Badger Award.

The Badger Award is NTLA's most honored award and we congratulate Robert Eglet as the 2004 recipient.

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