Whether a business needs support in litigation, mediation, or arbitration, clients can trust that they have a seasoned lawyer in their corner. For nearly four decades, I have represented both plaintiffs and defendants in a variety of cases throughout California and Nevada, and I have earned a reputation for competence and integrity as a civil trial attorney.

BACKGROUND & EXPERIENCE

William P. Volk has had a distinguished career as a civil trial attorney spanning four decades. Representing both plaintiffs and defendants in a variety of interesting and diverse cases throughout California and Nevada, Mr. Volk has successfully handled litigation involving serious personal injuries/wrongful death, construction defects, product liability, business losses, defective drugs/supplements, class actions, multi-district litigation, mass torts, environmental claims, casino/hotel/nightclub security, assault and battery, breach of contract, professional malpractice, insurance coverage, defective medical devices, and employment and wrongful termination.

With over 56 jury trials, Mr. Volk has been lead counsel in major litigation and important appellate court decisions, including published decisions involving contractual indemnity (Time for Living, Inc. v. Guy Hatfield Homes (1991) 230 Cal.App.3d 30) and “Dram Shop” or liquor law liability (Cardinal v. Santee Pita, Inc. (1991) 234 Cal.App.3d 1676), as well as many unpublished appellate and Supreme Court decisions. Many of the cases also involved significant insurance coverage issues such as “coverage triggers,” horizontal and vertical exhaustion, excess and umbrella coverage, reformation, rescission, prior acts, consent to settle, “Montrose” endorsements, broad-form property damage, subsidence and soil movement exclusions, pollution exclusions, S.I.R.’s and deductibles.

As a result of his trial experience and reputation, Mr. Volk was elected by his peers in 2003 to become a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), a nationally recognized professional trial lawyer organization in which he has held the rank of “Advocate”(2003 – 2021). Known as a dogged and aggressive cross-examiner, Mr. Volk has demonstrated trial techniques to other lawyers in ABOTA’s annual “Masters in Trial” program.

ADR has been an important part of Mr. Volk’s legal practice for years. Beginning in the late-1980′s, he became a panelist for the American Arbitration Association specializing in the resolution of complex construction defect, breach of contract, personal injury, wrongful death and product liability claims. He has received formal ADR training through the American Arbitration Association, the San Diego Superior Court, the San Diego Municipal Court, the Clark County, Nevada, District Court and the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University. He served as a voluntary member of the Judge Pro Tempore panel of the San Diego Municipal Court, where he heard and decided hundreds of small-claims cases. He also volunteered his time as a settlement judge for the Superior Court and helped resolve many cases, which helped relieve the case burden of the Court.

Mr. Volk is frequently appointed by the Clark County District Court, as well as privately retained by the parties, to mediate or arbitrate complex construction defect, business, personal injury, insurance, product liability and other interesting and diverse matters. He is also frequently appointed by the court to serve as Special Master on complex cases.

William has called Las Vegas home since 2003 and is an avid motorcyclist who likes to ride his 2014 Indian Chieftain throughout Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and California. Mr. Volk is also an ardent amateur historian, focusing on American History, and an avid reader of non-fiction.

Practice Groups:

Commercial Litigation
Construction Litigation
Professional Liability
Intellectual Property
Alternative Dispute Resolution
General Liability

Bar and Court Admissions:

State Bar of Nevada
State Bar of California
U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit
U.S. District Courts, C.D. California, E.D. California, S.D. California, D. Nevada
U.S. Court of Federal Claims

Publications & Published Opinions

Time for Living, Inc. v. Guy Hatfield Homes (1991) 230 Cal.App.3d 30)
“Dram Shop” or liquor law liability, Cardinal v. Santee Pita, Inc. (1991) 234 Cal.App.3d

Education:

J.D., Southwestern University Law School, 1982
B.S., Political Science/Philosophy, Utah State University, 1979

Representative Cases:

Hancock v. City of Chula Vista, et.al.—Jury Trial: San Diego Superior Court
Jury returned a verdict denying the injunction as well as monetary damages.

Del Coronado Santee HOA v. Hotel Del Coronado Corporation— Jury Trial: San Diego Superior Court
The jury returned a verdict of less than the defendant’s pre-trial settlement offer.

Price v. Street—Jury Trial: San Diego Superior Court
The jury returned a defense verdict in favor of Mr. Volk’s client.

Harper v. Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, et.al— Bench Trial – Clark County District Court
Following a three-day bench trial, the judge rendered a defense verdict for the hotel.  Plaintiff did not appeal.

Vidya Francis v. Sierra Air, et.al.— Jury Trial: Clark County District Court
The jury returned a net verdict of $22,000, about 5% of what plaintiff sought. No appeal was taken by the Plaintiff, who requested the jury to return a verdict of $800,000.

Estate of Glotzer v. Parball Corp.; Harrah’s Entertainment— Jury Trial: Clark County District Court
The Plaintiff solicited a settlement from Defendants while the jury deliberated and the matter was settled in a confidential settlement agreement. 

William has called Las Vegas home since 2003 and is an avid motorcyclist who likes to ride his 2014 Indian Chieftain throughout Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and California. Mr. Volk is also an ardent amateur historian, focusing on American History, an avid reader of non-fiction.

Recognitions:

America’s Top 100 Attorneys Lifetime Achievement
American Board of Trial Advocates, 2003-2021
Peer-review rated “AV®Preeminent™” by Martindale-Hubbell, 2020
Included in the Registry of Preeminent Lawyers, 2020
Member, Oxford’s “Who’s Who of Extraordinary Professionals,” 1992-1993
Member, Million Dollar Advocates Forum, 2015
Named Lawyer of Distinction, 2015
Named to “2013 Top Lawyers” by the weekly business publication Vegas, Inc.
Presented ADR Citation by the San Diego Superior Court, North County Branch, 1995

Speaking Engagements 

Mr. Volk has been an invited speaker in professional seminars sponsored by the National Institute for Trial Advocacy, the National Business Institute and has demonstrated trial techniques in the “Masters in Trial” mock trial programs sponsored by the American Board of Trial Advocates.

Community Involvement 

Fellow, American Board of Trial Advocates Foundation
Advisor, Los Angeles County Regional Center for the Developmentally Disabled
Volunteer Legal Advisor, Clark County Courts Pro Bono Program