Hinshaw Partner William Bogdan Selected for National Law Journal 2023 Litigation Trailblazers

Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP is delighted to announce that partner William A. Bogdan was selected by National Law Journal as one of its 2023 Litigation Trailblazers.

Each year, National Law Journal recognizes litigators for success in noteworthy cases and for making significant marks on the practice of law, policy, or technological advancements in their sectors. In announcing this year's Litigation Trailblazers, the publication noted the litigation section "continues to be one of the most popular in terms of the number of nominations received." Fifty-three litigators across the United States were among the "handful of honorees" selected.

Bogdan was recognized for his success in the groundbreaking case Kuciemba v. Victory Woodworks, where he convinced the California Supreme Court to invalidate the take-home COVID theory of liability against employers. At issue was whether an employer must compensate infected strangers to the worksite because they live with an employee that they claim brought the virus home from work. The case wound its way through state and federal courts and in response to certified questions from the Ninth Circuit, the California Supreme Court ultimately ruled in favor of Bogdan’s client, leading to the Ninth Circuit dismissing the case.

In his Trailblazers profile, Bogdan noted that "all litigators blaze trails, [and] each case treads new ground for the client, though that path is often short and self-evident." However, "sometimes the issues are bigger than the litigants, requiring a long view while treading an uncertain course. The Kuciemba case was one such issue." As for the bearing the case will have on the future, Bogdan said he and the client "achieved our objective while improving the legal process." He added that not only were employers “spared society's burden of having to compensate COVID sufferers, but defendants now have the means to challenge duty right out of the box rather than first struggling through questions of fact."

Based in Hinshaw’s San Francisco office, Bogdan focuses his practice on construction issues and employment litigation and counseling. He routinely represents contractors in indemnity, injury, and property damage matters and defends employers against various workplace and compensation claims.

Bogdan is a member of the Bar Association of San Francisco, serves on the Legal Advisory Committee of the California Association of General Contractors, and is a member of the State Bar Association of California’s Labor & Employment Section.

View the complete list of honorees

Related Content

• Appellate Spotlight: Ninth Circuit Reacts to California Supreme Court Ruling, Dismisses "Take-Home COVID" Case
• A Pair Beats Four of a Kind: Take-Home COVID and the 'Rowland' Duty Factors
• California Supreme Court Win in "Take-Home COVID" Case Lauded by Business Groups and Press Commentators