Civil trial litigator Don Gottesman prepares each case by immersing himself in the facts and events, rather than fitting the case to a specific area of law. “I look at a case not from a legal perspective, but based on what actually happened,” he said. This method works well for Gottesman who has always sought out a diverse caseload, tackling such areas as major real estate, construction, tax, partnership, antitrust, brokerage, employment, and insurance disputes. “Don has always had a very eclectic practice. He is a true generalist in an age of specialization, and he does everything equally well,” said partner Glen Kulik. The trial process ties everything together, and it is where all of Gottesman’s careful preparations come alive. “It’s the idea of American justice coming out of the explosion or clash of adversaries in court,” he said. “Once you get into court, everything becomes exciting. You’re involved with people, emotions, the process of examining witnesses. I find all of that exciting,” he said. Gottesman graduated from the Hastings College of Law in 1978. He spent five years as a public defender for Los Angeles County, and eight years with Allen, Matkins, Leck, Gamble & Mallory. In 1990, Gottesman started his own firm, Gottesman, Kulik, Mouton & Siegel, LLP, with his childhood friend and college roommate, Glen Kulik. “We had no chairs, tables, or computers nothing. We worked out of my brother’s law office and when clients came in, we would ask my brother to shuffle out,” he said. “People would ask why we had someone else’s diplomas on the wall.” Today the firm has grown to 19 lawyers, and Gottesman himself juggles ten cases at a time. Before becoming lawyers, Kulik recalls being in a rock band with Gottesman in college. Not only does he point out Gottesman’s musicianship, but describes him as having a personable and humorous personality. It has made him everyone’s favorite tough opponent. “Don is an intense practitioner of the law, but not an intense person to communicate with. I don’t think he ever tries to take unfair advantage of people,” said Kulik. Though being in court is his favorite part, all of Gottesman’s pre-trial efforts are part of the package for coming out on top in court. “It’s fair to say that Don is pretty fearless. He knows his case, he knows his arguments and he’s very thorough and very persistent,” said Kulik. Despite being a formidable opponent, Gottesman manages to maintain a courteous relationships with opponents. He feels that competitiveness and hostility has been increasingly taking the place of good-natured communication between opposing counsels. “I’m not a scorched-earth litigator. I like to be professional, polite, and courteous, dealing with other lawyers openly and honestly. For the most part it works,” he said. Elizabeth Hsing-Huei Chou