Ray Bourhis

Background:

Born: New York City

Domestic Peace Corps (VISTA)
July 1968 - September 1969

Staff, Senator Robert Kennedy, 1968

Professional:

Writer/Attorney

Boalt Hall, University of California,
Berkeley, J.D., June 1972.

Martindale Hubbell a v (highest rating).

Engaged in civil trial practice since 1972 specializing in insurance coverage and bad faith litigation.

Special Master, Department of Insurance: Appointed By San Francisco Superior Court Judge John Dearman to oversee Department of Insurance compliance with Court Order granting Writ of Mandate against the DOI.

Subject of a “60 Minutes” report by Ed Bradley concerning insurance abuses and unfair claims and underwriting practices.

Appointed by Senator Barbara Boxer to her Federal Judicial Selection Advisory Committee. This Committee reviews and recommends applicants for federal district court judgeships for her selection and recommendation to the President.

KCBS Consultant regarding punitive damage issues.

Profiled in interviews by USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Kiplinger’s, The Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journals.

Has written and lectured extensively throughout the Country in insurance coverage and bad faith issues.

Content Editor:
InsuranceConsumers.com, 2002

Author, Insult to Injury: Insurance, Fraud and the Big Business of Bad Faith
Barrett-Koehler Publishers

Recent Lectures and Articles:

ATLA Seattle
The Future of Bad Faith Litigation:
1.State by state analysis of insurance laws and damage awards
2.Emerging areas of practice
3.Avoiding ERISA: how employees can get around ERISA
4. Q+A

"Infectious Greed (In the Shadow of Enron)." Panel discussion on The Private Practice of Public Interest Law. Harvard Law School. April 8 2003.

Bad Faith: Depositions and Cross Examinations of Claims Personnel; Expanding Your Practice in the New Millennium. Association of Trial Lawyers of America. San Francisco. July 1999.

Strategies for Success in Litigating Disability Claims. American Conference Institute. Boston. June 1999.

Summation in a Bad Faith Case. Consumer Attorneys of California. Lake Tahoe. March 1998.

Cross Examination of the Insurer's Bad Faith Expert. Association of Trial Lawyers of America. San Diego. July 1997.

Cross Examination in Deposition and at Trial. Consumer Attorneys of California. San Francisco. November 1996.

The Need for Federal Insurance Reform. Association of Trial Lawyers of America. Boston. July 1996.

Insurance Litigation, Recorder Magazine (Legal Newspaper). Analyzing Insurance Coverage and Maximizing Recoveries in Bad Faith Cases. San Francisco. July 1996.

The Duty to Defend in Insurance Regulation: General Principles. Association of Trial Lawyers of America. Breckenridge, Colorado. March 1996.

Anatomy of an Insurance Bad Faith Case. Consumer Attorneys of California. Los Angeles. February 1996.

Homeowner's Insurance and Bad Faith. Consumer Attorneys of California. Los Angeles. November 1995.

Cross Examination of Insurance Witnesses at Deposition and Trial. Consumer Attorneys of California. April 1995.

Emerging Issues in Commercial and Homeowners Coverage. Association of Trial Lawyers of America. Chicago July 1994.

Selected Issues in Insurance Litigation. State Bar of California, Continuing Education of the Bar. San Francisco, Santa Clara and Sacramento. Videotaped for 34 additional Locations. December 1993.

Advising Individual and Commercial Policyholders Concerning Insurance Coverage and Bad Faith. The San Francisco Daily Journal 1992.

Insurance Coverage and Bad Faith. Stratton Press. Bad Faith Seminar, San Francisco, Beverly Hills, Santa Clara. 1988-89.

Trial Strategy in Insurance Bad Faith Litigation. California Trial Lawyers Association. Lake Tahoe Seminar. April 1986.

Strategy and Tactical Considerations in Bad Faith Actions. California Trial Lawyers Association. San Francisco 1985.

Bad Faith Insurance Litigation. State Bar of California, C.E.B. Seminar, San Francisco, Monterey, San Rafael, San Jose, April-May 1985.

Insurance Bad Faith: Some Commonly Asked Questions, Answers and a Few Predictions. San Francisco Attorney Magazine. Bar Association of San Francisco. California Trial Lawyers Magazine. CTLA. March 1985.

Calculating and Proving Damages. State Bar of California, C.E.B. San Francisco, San Jose, and Tahoe. January 1985.

Seaman's Direct Buying Service, Inc. v. Standard Oil Co. and The Law of Commercial Bad Faith. California Trial Lawyers Magazine. CTLA. August 1984.

Insurance Bad Faith Litigation. California Trial Lawyers Association. Statewide Seminar. San Diego 1984.

The State Bar Litigation Specialization Program: A New Solution or a New Problem? Los Angeles Daily Journal and San Francisco Recorder, August 1984. California Trial Lawyers Magazine. CTLA. August 1984.

Insurance Bad Faith and The Use of Insurance Code Section 790.03. California Trial Lawyers Association and San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association. San Francisco 1983.

Persuasion in Settlement and Trial. California Trial Lawyers Association and San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association. San Francisco 1983.

Evaluating and Arguing Damages. California Trial Lawyers Association and San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association. San Francisco. 1983.

Proving Income Loss For the Insured Professional or self-employed Person. California Trial Lawyers Magazine. CTLA. March 1983.

Recognition and Recovery for Bad Faith Torts. TRIAL Magazine. Association of Trial Lawyers of America. December 1982.

Summation. California Trial Lawyers Association. Statewide Seminar, Anaheim 1982.

Pleading and Proving General Damages. State Bar of California. C.E.B. San Francisco, San Mateo, Yosemite 1982.

Examination and Cross Examination of Expert Witnesses. State Bar of California. C.E.B. San Francisco 1981.