Congratulations to Bill Faulkner, winner of this year’s Santa Clara County Legal Professionals Association (SCCoLPA) Boss of the Year Award. Below is the transcript of the nomination written by Elena Schneider, his legal assistant of 17 years.
Dear Committee Members:
I have worked for Bill Faulkner for 17 years. He is a wonderful boss and fully deserves the Santa Clara County Legal Professional Association’s Boss of the Year Award for 2016.
On a professional level, Bill is a name partner at McManis Faulkner and a civil litigation attorney with many years of experience in both state and federal courts. He has expertise in representing businesses and individuals in complex civil litigation matters and has achieved many noteworthy results for our clients. Bill also serves as a judge pro tem for the Santa Clara Superior Court in settlement conferences, as an early neutral evaluator for the United States District Court, and as a private mediator and arbitrator.
He is also a genuinely good man. Working with Bill over the years, I have come to admire him for many reasons - his strong work ethic, his ability to remain calm in stressful situations, and his strong moral compass – he always chooses to take the high road and stay above the fray. Bill is always prepared and willing to listen and consider all the information before making a decision.
He is kind and compassionate, with his family and friends, his clients, and with every member of the firm. Recently the firm had a beach clean-up day and to encourage everyone to participate, he opened his home to the whole firm for a brunch after the event. Attorneys, staff, significant others, small children with sticky fingers and sandy feet – all were welcome. He didn’t have to do this, no one asked him to do so, but he wanted to support the marketing team who he knew had been working hard to organize the event.
Bill understands the balance between hard work and enjoying life. No doubt about it, he works hard. But, he is not above sharing the occasional story about his weekend or an experience he had in his life…and Bill is a great story teller! He has some excellent ones about his wild days as student activist in the 60’s and his adventures as a rugby player.
He understands the commitment it takes to volunteer to serve in the community and the value that doing so brings. He is in large part, the reason for my involvement with SCCoLPA. Bill has served on the board of the San Jose Museum of Art for over 20 years. His dedication to The Museum of Art inspired me to do the same and volunteer with SCCoLPA. Bill has always supported and encouraged my volunteer efforts with Santa Clara County Legal Professionals Association and for this I am truly thankful.
Working with Bill has been (and continues to be) such a wonderful experience. Bill always lets me know that I am appreciated and that the work I do is invaluable to him. I would be honored and humbled if you would consider Bill Faulkner as Santa Clara County Legal Professionals Boss of the Year for 2016. He’s the greatest.