Douglas DeGrave Selected as CAL-ABOTA’S 2016 Trial Lawyer of the Year
Douglas DeGrave, a founding partner of Laguna Hills-based Poliquin & DeGrave LLP, has been selected as the 2016 Trial Lawyer of the Year by the American Board of Trial Advocates for the state of California (CAL-ABOTA).
The CAL-ABOTA Trial Lawyer of the Year distinction is awarded annually to a recipient exhibiting the best traits of a trial lawyer – excellence in advocacy, a distinguished career and a reputation for civility, ethics and fair play. Each of the eight CAL-ABOTA chapters is entitled to nominate a candidate to the board, followed by selection of the award recipient by majority vote. This year’s vote resulted in giving DeGrave the honor.
For more than 35 years, DeGrave has specialized in the defense of personal and catastrophic injury cases, wrongful death, truck and bus accidents, insurance litigation,
and insurance bad faith involving first and third party claims. He has tried more than 75 cases to verdict in state and federal courts and is one of approximately 100 attorneys
recognized by the State Bar of California as a Certified Civil Trial Advocate. DeGrave has also held an AV Preeminent Rating from Martindale-Hubbell since 1995.
DeGrave has been an active member of ABOTA, serving as president of CAL-ABOTA in 2013 and as president of the Orange County Chapter of ABOTA in 2008. In 2014, he was presented with the CAL-ABOTA President’s Award for his work in changing the attorney’s oath to include a pledge of civility. He is also a Fellow of the International Society of Barristers. DeGrave earned an undergraduate degree with distinction from the University of Hawaii while serving in the Army (1976), a B.A. in Political Science with high honors from California State University, Long Beach (1978) and his J.D. with honors from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles (1981).
Poliquin & DeGrave LLP was formed in 2005 with an emphasis on results oriented legal services in the defense of medical and dental malpractice claims, transportation litigation, personal injury, business, real estate, construction, and insurance bad faith cases. Although based in Laguna Hills, the firm handles cases throughout California.