“
Shortly after Pfaff arrived at Bostwick & Peterson in San Francisco, one of the firm’s attorneys brought him to every court hearing and deposition in a case in - volving a young boy who was injured at birth. The lawyers at Bostwick & Peter- son represented the boy and his parents, who claimed that medical negligence caused the injuries. The case ended successfully for the firm’s clients. And Pfaff saw the difference that lawyers could make in the lives of their clients. “I saw the hard work and the good results for that child,” Pfaff said. “It was a fantastic experience. When you meet with a client and go from start to finish in a case and succeed for that client and make a positive change, that is reward- ing. It’s what has kept me going all these years.” As Pfaff says, the positive results make the hard work and sacrifice and the risks of prosecuting a case worthwhile. “It’s a risky venture,” Pfaff said. “It is stressful. You need to make sure that you balance the stresses you put yourself through. Knowing that your clients are going to be OK is a great reward.” Pfaff was asked once if he wanted to move to the defense side of trial law. He declined. As he says, he prefers working for people instead of corporations. “Why would I ever work on the defense side?” Pfaff asked. “I like working for human beings. When you work for individuals, and usually individuals who have been injured, they rely on you to prosecute the case. Corporate clients don’t always do that. You might have a way of practicing law that is compromised by your corporate client’s strategies. With individuals, you can shape your legal strategy.”
We were both lucky to be hired by Bruce right out of our respective law schools in 1997 and 2000. Over the years, Bruce was a tireless advocate for his clients, many of whom he stayed in touch with years after their cases ended. We witnessed Bruce’s dogged pursuit of justice for victims who had been wronged by others in every facet of each case: pleadings, discovery, deposi- tions and trial. That relentless pursuit led to numerous incredible results in counties throughout the State of Illinois – results that often brought accolades from enti- ties such as the JVR, who recognized and honored his verdict in Tazewell County in Stone v. Mitek, et al, in 2015. We were for- tunate to watch Bruce put that same effort and intensity to work for the plaintiffs’ bar and profession as a whole for groups like ITLA, ABOTA and the IPI committee, not to mention countless amicus filings and pro bono hours. There is no one more de- serving of this award and recognition than Bruce Pfaff, and we could not be happier for him. Congrats Bruce!!!.” Michael T. Gill and Matthew D. Ports, former associates of, and then partners and shareholders with, Bruce for a combined total of almost 50 years
Peter Mierzwa, Deborah Pfaff (wife of Bruce), and Bruce Pfaff at the 2024 JVR TLE Awards.
JURY VERDICT REPORTER • 2024 ANNUAL TRIAL LAWYER EXCELLENCE AWARDS 61
Powered by FlippingBook