harles Hawkins and Paul Caputo specialize in representing seriously injuredpeople in Silicon Valley. Mr. Hawkins is a prominent triallawyer who has been practicing in Northern California for overthree decades and is also a respected mediator and foundingmember of Mediation Masters. Paul Caputo is an outstanding litigatorwho was honored as the Trial Lawyer of the Yearfor Santa Clara County in 2004. The firm of Hawkins? Caputo accepts only serious and catastrophic personal injury andwrongful death cases of all types and enjoys a well-earned reputation in the legal community for skill, dedication andhonesty. The majority of the firm? cases come from referralsfrom previous clients and other attorneys, which is itself recognitionof the fine representation which they provide. People who havesuffered catastrophic injuries and families who have lost loved onesneed the assistance of skilled, dedicated attorneys to help themput their personal and financial lives back together. Hawkins ?aputo also emphasizes that a tragic injury to one personhas a ripple effect that extends beyond the injured partyto his family, friends and to his work place. Charlieand Paul frequently receive referrals from corporations, business executives andmanagers in Silicon Valley who understand that an employer? obligationto an injured employee goes beyond providing health and disabilityplans and should include making certain that the injured employeeis well represented by an experienced attorney. Besides creating anobvious benefit to the injured party, skilled plaintiff? counsel canoften assist the employer in obtaining reimbursement of the medicalbenefits which have been provided by the company health planand in some cases, returning funds to the employer? workers?ompensation carrier if the employee was injured by a thirdparty during the course of his employment. This, in turn,may prevent increases in the employer? costs for medical andworkers? compensation insurance. Charlie and Paul have successfully handled manymulti-million dollar cases throughout California and hold the highestprofessional rating which can be conferred by Martindale Hubbell. ?t gives us great personal and professional satisfaction to helppeople and families whose lives have been shattered by aterrible injury or death. We work hard to put ourclients? lives back together by obtaining the best possible resultsand we consistently strive to maintain our reputation for skill,expertise and fairness,? says Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Hawkins is aStanford graduate who has been practicing law in the SantaClara Valley since 1968. He is a past member ofthe Board of Governors of the California Trial Lawyers Association(now CAOC), has lectured on various topics for theSanta Clara County Trial Lawyers Association, the Continuing Education ofthe Bar Program and as a lecturer at the Universityof Santa Clara Law School. In addition to his lawpractice, Mr. Hawkins is a busy mediator and has beeninvolved in Alternative Dispute Resolution since the early 1970?when he began acting as a settlement conference judge protem in Santa Clara County. He subsequently founded Mediation Mastersand has become one of the most sought after mediatorsin Northern California. Mr. Caputo is a graduate of SantaClara Law School, past President of the Santa Clara CountyTrial Lawyers Association, recognized by Law & Politics magazine, alongwith the publishers of San Francisco Magazine as a ?orthern California Super Lawyer,? a member of the Million DollarAdvocates Forum, a member of the Santa Clara University Boardof Fellows, and an adjunct professor at the Lincoln UniversitySchool of Law. If you or your employee have experiencedthe devastation of a serious personal injury or death, thepartners at Hawkins ? Caputo and their professional staff wouldbe privileged to offer their assistance. 46 BAY AREA LAWYERSEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005 C 96 North Third Street Suite 300San Jose 408.280.7111 Fax: 408.292.7868 ?t gives us greatpersonal and professional satisfaction to help people and families whoselives have been shattered by a terrible injury or death.?awkins ? Caputo [ L E G A L EA G L E S ]