COSTA MESA, Calif., Jan. 19, 2012 – John B. Hurlbut, Jr., a senior partner with Rutan & Tucker, LLP, has been awarded the Franklin G. West Award from the Orange County Bar Association (OCBA). He received the honor at the 2012 OCBA Judges’ Night and Annual Meeting, Thursday, January 19, 2012, at the Irvine Marriott. Hurlbut is the 42nd recipient of the award, which is the highest honor awarded by the OCBA.
The West Award is bestowed upon an outstanding attorney or judge who has made significant contributions to advance and elevate justice and law. The award was established in 1971 in memory of the late Judge Franklin G. West, a highly respected jurist who served on the Orange County Superior Court from January 1939 to March 1965. Judge West’s more than 26 years on the bench constituted the longest term ever served by a Superior Court judge in California.
“The West Award is given to a member of our legal community whose lifetime achievements epitomize the best of the legal profession,” said OCBA Administration of Justice, College of Trial Advocacy, and Resolutions Committee member Alan J. Crivaro, Esq. “Like Franklin G. West himself, John’s example is one all lawyers should emulate.”
Hurlbut is the only attorney to have also received the OCBA Harmon G. Scoville Award (2003), which honors a member of the Orange County legal community whose career exemplifies the highest standards of the profession and who has contributed to the Bar while championing our constitutional system of justice. Hurlbut began his legal career in 1964, practicing business litigation at Rutan following his graduation from Stanford Law School. He made partner in 1970 and has headed the firm’s Trial Section and served as managing partner.
He has received numerous accolades, including the Orange County/Long Beach Region of the Anti-Defamation League’s Marcus Kaufman Jurisprudence Award (2010); Public Law Center (PLC) Attorney of the Year (2007); Southern California “Super Lawyer” (2006-2012); and Best Lawyers in America (2006-2011); among others.
In 2003, Rutan established the John Hurlbut Award to recognize its attorneys who exemplify the firm’s core values of excellence, integrity, and teamwork, including respect, leadership, and sincere care for others. Hurlbut was the first recipient of the eponymous award, which has only been given in recognition of two other attorneys since its inception. He is regarded unanimously as the firm’s “moral compass,” according to Mike Rubin, another senior partner in the firm and a recipient of the honor.
“Despite the demands of his practice throughout his career, John has found time to take on pro bono cases for PLC and in recent years has increased his commitment to pro bono work,” said Justice Kathleen E. O’Leary.
“In addition to his involvement in the legal community, John has participated in a variety of other community efforts,” she continued. “He truly believes those who enjoy privileged lives should acknowledge their responsibility and give more of their time and resources to meet the needs of others. And he does just that.”
“We are proud to call John a partner and heartily commend him for setting an example every community-minded attorney can follow,” said Ski Harrison, the firm’s managing partner.
About the Orange County Bar Association
Established in 1901, the Orange County Bar Association is one of the largest voluntary bars in California. The mission of the Orange County Bar Association is to enhance the system of justice, to support the lawyers who serve it and to assist the community served by it. More information is available at www.ocbar.org.
About Rutan & Tucker, LLP
Rutan & Tucker is Orange County’s largest full-service law firm with offices in Costa Mesa and Palo Alto. Primary practice areas include corporate and securities law, business and real estate litigation, labor and employment law, intellectual property, real estate, government and regulatory law, land use law, bankruptcy, condemnation and property valuation, environmental law, and taxation and estate planning. Detailed information about the firm is available at www.rutan.com.