At Callahan & Blaine, our talent pool is deep. Each month, we publish our “Attorney Spotlight” where we look past the briefcases to see what makes the men and women of Callahan & Blaine tick. How have we won over $2 billion in verdicts and settlements? It’s a team effort of hard work, dedication, experience and savvy litigation. Today, meet Senior Associate / Senior Trial Attorney, Adrian L. Canzoneri!
The Basics:
Name: Adrian L. Canzoneri
Position: Senior Associate / Senior Trial Attorney
Birth city: Arcadia, California
Current city: Rancho Mission Viejo, CA
Law school: Loyola Law School (’09)
Attorney Q&A:
Q: What attracted you to the legal field?
A: For most of my childhood I was dead-set on becoming an attorney. It’s hard to pin-point one thing that attracted me to the field, but I’ve always excelled in the area of public speaking, while also being very opinionated. Combining those traits along with the theatrics of a courtroom setting just called my name from the beginning!
Q: Was there anyone along the way who mentored or influenced your work?
A: My dad immediately comes to mind first. The work ethic he instilled in me and my siblings was invaluable. He wasn’t an attorney, but he became an incredibly successful business man, and witnessing the passion and dedication he gave to his business, and the growth and success he achieved throughout my life has been the best source of inspiration for me to continue working incredibly hard towards being. My grandfather comes in a close second as far as a mentor goes.
I’ve also been blessed over the 10+ years of practicing law to have worked with incredible attorneys, all of whom I can thank in some form or another for my continued development and growth!
Q: What do you think sets Callahan & Blaine apart from the rest?
A: Definitely the culture and the people. We have some of best and most reputable litigators in California and, from the top down, there is nothing but mutual respect and appreciation for what each of our diverse array of litigators brings to the firm. Every attorney here has at least 10 years of experience, which provides for a dynamic day-to-day atmosphere. Everyone here is great at what they do. We get even better results. The firm just fosters a “winning” attitude that permeates the office and motivates everyone to keep the momentum moving forward!
In addition, given the diverse backgrounds of our attorneys, there are not many matters that we cannot handle. We aggressively represent clients of all sizes, both on the plaintiff and defense sides of litigation, which employs us with the opportunity to service a vast array of clients in an even vaster array of practice areas.
Q: Tell us about a case that you are particularly proud of (or was interesting).
A: Part of my role here at C&B is as a member of the Health Care Litigation Team, where we are currently pursuing multiple class action and individual cases against the country’s largest health care insurance companies stemming from, among other issues, their bad faith insurance practices in denying individuals medically necessary care and treatment, both in the mental health/substance use disorder arena as well as the cancer treatment arena. We are taking immense pride in our efforts to hold these health care giants accountable to the very individuals they are supposed to be providing care for. These companies cannot be allowed to continue to place profits over patients, and we are working hard towards putting an end to that conduct!
Q: What are the things you wish you knew as a junior associate that you know now?
A: Just how important it is to be open minded to constructive feedback from senior attorneys/partners. While it is good to be confident in your own abilities, there is always something to be learned, and there are always ways to improve and to get better. Understanding and appreciating what senior attorneys/partners had to offer in terms of mentorship, growth and development is something I would have liked to take advantage of earlier in my career.
Just for fun:
Favorite TV show: Pardon the Interruption (ESPN); any Lakers’ game.
Family Facts: My wife and I met about seven years ago in San Francisco, and will be married five years this coming August. We have two little studs (three-and-a-half years old and two years old) who keep things lively, along with their “sister” Cookie (our English Bulldog)! We are both originally from Southern California, so we left San Francisco for Orange County in November 2019, and have not looked back!
We all love sports! There is a family split between the San Francisco 49ers (Adrian’s team) and the LA Chargers (Her team). But other than that mini divide, we are all on board with the Lakers and Angels!
Guilty Pleasure: Jelly Belly Jelly Beans.
No. 1 Bucket List Item: Tour/play all of the famous golf courses in Scotland (St. Andrews, Carnoustie, Turnberry, etc.)
Dogs or Cats: Dog….definitely dog. (See pic of Cookie below!)
Dream vacation: Australian Outback
Favorite High-Profile Case: TOUGH question. Growing up in Los Angeles, I’d have to say the OJ Case and the Menendez Brothers Case. Both of those cases seemed to consume everyone in the city!
Favorite Fictional Lawyer: Tom Cruise in a “Few Good Men,” Matthew McConaughey in “A Time to Kill” and “The Lincoln Lawyer,” and Harvey Specter in “Suits.”
Stay tuned for next month’s Attorney Spotlight, where we will meet another talented Callahan & Blaine attorney! Our law firm represents corporate, professional and entrepreneurial clients of all sizes. To find out more about our distinctive approach to advocacy and dispute resolution in complex litigation, contact us at the Callahan & Blaine offices in Santa Ana.
