Issue 2 2020

Acquisition International - Issue 2 2020 49 Dec19098 Company: Rockwood & Noziska LLP Contact: C. Brant Noziska Website: www.rockwood-noziska.com n 2001, lawyer Brant Noziska partnered with Neal H. Rockwood to form Rockwood & Noziska LLP, a civil litigation firm that places emphasis on insurance and construction, including complex real estate litigation and construction defect litigation. Having worked on some of the state’s biggest construction defect and insurance bad faith cases, the expertise of both Mr Rockwood and Mr Noziska cannot be overstated. For Mr Noziska in particular, the desire to protect the innocent and see justice done has been a staple of his career since its beginning more than four decades ago. Upon being asked about his time as an attorney, Mr Noziska explained what has remained core to his service over so many years of excellence. “A significant part of my practice during my 38 years of litigation has been insurance litigation, primarily insurance bad faith and insurance coverage, which is critical to settlement negotiations in large construction defect cases. Over the years, our involvement in insurance has resulted in our taking cases in all areas of insurance coverage except health insurance. Additionally, I have also served as an expert witness and testified in trial on an insurer’s duty to defend.” Mr Noziska started on the path towards courtroom and negotiating brilliance back in 1975, when he graduated from Colorado College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in World Political Economics. From there, Mr Noziska then studied at the University of San Diego School of Law for his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree. Graduating in 1982 magna cum laude, he was also the recipient of several academic scholarships, including the 1982 General George W. Hitchcock Jr. Scholarship Award for Excellence in Evidence and Trial Techniques. Following his graduation, Mr Noziska then worked as an associate and eventual partner at Thorsnes, Bartolotta & McGuire until co- founding his own law firm, Rockwood & Noziska, in 2001. During his time as founding partner at the firm, Mr Noziska has undertaken a wealth of cases, and earned some of the largest settlements involving construction defect and insurance bad faith cases. When talking to us, Mr Noziska explained the work that his firm has completed over the years. “Our firm has litigated and received some of the largest settlements involving construction defect as well as insurance bad faith. We have received multiple settlements above $30 million in both construction defect and insurance bad faith. At this time, we also have litigated disability bad faith, life insurance, long term health care policies for seniors, as well as prosecuting direct actions against insurers following judgments.” Any client in need of services pertaining to insurance bad faith or construction defects has already been through an incredibly difficult I For nearly four decades, lawyer Brant Noziska has been defending the innocent from the greed of insurance companies refusing to pay out to clients in times of really serious distress. A civil champion, Mr Noziska has been named in Acquisition International’s Leading Advisers as the Leading Bad Faith Insurance Litigation Attorney of the Year in California. We caught up with Mr Noziska to learn more about his work, and the successes he has experienced. Pioneering Changes in the Courtroom period. Often, Mr Noziska and his team are the only thing standing between them and total ruin. Dealing with clients during this time of their lives requires more than just legal proficiency; it requires an emotional deftness. A skill that Mr Noziska has in abundance. “By the time clients find us they are in a world of hurt. Oftentimes we are the only thing standing between them and disaster. We treat our clients with respect, we are honest with them about their case prospects, and we expect the same from them. We do also represent corporate and institutional clients as well, and we have performed pro bono work on behalf of seniors who are subject to elder abuse.” Through intensive litigation, aggressive investigation, and extensive discovery, both Mr Noziska and the team at the firm take on a few cases but work incredibly hard to maximize the recovery for clients. Mr Noziska has also been responsible for pioneering some of the most radical changes in the courtroom, including the use of laser disc and bar codes in electronic presentation of evidence to change how cases are tried. Ultimately, Mr Noziska’s work is far more important than the headlines it will garner. He is in the business of saving lives, ensuring that insurance companies do exactly what they are meant to do. With aggressive litigation and a wealth of experience behind him, Mr Noziska is one of the most exemplary attorneys operating in the state of California today.