Andrew Guilford Receives Orange County Bar Association's Highest Honor; Former State Bar President Presented the Franklin G. West Award.

Business Editors/Legal Writers

COSTA MESA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 20, 2004

Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP announced that Andrew Guilford, partner in the Business Trial Practice Group in Orange County, was presented the Franklin G. West Award at the Orange County Bar Association's (OCBA) Judges' Night 2004 dinner reception, which welcomed nearly 600 attendees last week in Irvine. Additionally, Jennifer Wood, associate in the firm's Business Trial Practice Group in Orange County and Chair of the OCBA's Young Lawyers' Division, was installed as a member of the OCBA Board of Directors.

The Franklin G. West Award is the OCBA's highest honor, presented to outstanding attorneys and judges whose lifetime achievements have advanced justice and the law. The annual recognition was established in memory of Judge Franklin G. West, who epitomized the best of the legal profession as both an attorney and a judge. Since its inception, the award has been presented to renowned judges, justices and attorneys.

Commented Guilford, who has also been named three times by the Daily Journal as one of California's 100 Most Influential Attorneys, "I am humbled by this award and grateful to receive such recognition from friends with whom I've had the great fortune to practice with over the last 25 years, both in Orange County and within Sheppard Mullin."

Earlier this week, Guilford was appointed President of the Public Law Center's Board of Directors, succeeding Philip Kohn. The Public Law Center (PLC) is Orange County's pro bono, public interest law firm. For over 20 years, PLC has been devoted to achieving the goal of equal justice under law for Orange County's poor and under-represented. Guilford was previously honored by the Anti-Defamation League for his contributions to improving indigent access to the legal system.

Guy Halgren, chair of the Executive Committee, said, "No one has contributed more to the Orange County legal community than has Andy. He has made a concrete difference. His partners are very proud of him."

In addition to his legal practice, Guilford is active in professional activities on the county, state and federal level. He has previously served as President of the State Bar of California, President of the Orange County Bar Association and President of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers. Guilford was also elected to the American College of Trial Lawyers. More recently, he was selected as Business Litigation Trial Attorney of the Year by the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association.

Guilford has handled cases involving a wide variety of business matters, including technology, professional liability, real estate, finance and unfair competition. He recently served as counsel in two high-profile cases, including one which involved Cottonwood Christian Center. The federal case involved the City of Cypress violating the church's constitutional rights under the First and Fifth Amendment of the Bill of Rights and violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. Guilford also served as plaintiff counsel in Ronald C. Stock v. Herbert Hafif, successfully obtaining a $1.3 million verdict after a two-week trial, in a breach of contract case.

Sheppard Mullin has more than 400 attorneys among its eight offices in Orange County, San Diego, Del Mar Heights, Los Angeles, West Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. The full-service firm provides counsel in Antitrust and Trade Regulation; Business Litigation; Construction, Environmental, Real Estate and Land Use Litigation; Corporate; Entertainment and Media; Finance and Bankruptcy; Financial Institutions; Government Contracts and Regulated Industries; Healthcare; Intellectual Property; International; Labor and Employment; Real Estate, Land Use, Natural Resources and Environment; Tax, Employee Benefits, Trusts and Estates; and White Collar and Civil Fraud Defense. The Firm celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2002.