Trial lawyers raise $50,000 for pediatric cancer research

The Orange County Trial Lawyers Association honored five attorneys as “Top Gun” Trial Lawyers of the Year and raised more than $50,000 for charity at its annual awards dinner and silent auction last Friday night. More than 350 people attended the gala event held at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, Renee & Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall at Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

The night’s honorees and their practice areas included:

Darren O. Aitken - Personal Injury

Raymond P. Boucher - Mass Torts

Kimberly A. Valentine - Elder Abuse

Richard A. Cohn - Medical Malpractice

Robert C. Robinson - Employment Litigation

OCTLA was honored to have former California Angel & Baseball Hall of Famer Rod Carew as the keynote speaker for the evening. Since retiring and the death of his teenage daughter by Leukemia, Mr. Carew has devoted his time to working with children and on behalf of pediatric cancer research. His keynote address brought the issue home for the sold out crowd of more than 350 guests at the Renee & Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa.

“This night was not only about celebration of great lawyers, it was about celebrating baseball hall of famer Rod Carew’s fight for a cure and for an answer to the horrible disease of cancer. It was about giving back to the community and making a difference. We as trial lawyers, and citizens of the greatest nation on the planet, had the opportunity to take action to help PCRF fund its cutting edge research that can lead to medically sound treatment for children with cancer,” added Keith More, OCTLA President, and partner in the law firm Berman & More in Santa Ana.

The charitable receipts of the silent and live auctions — totaling more than $50,000 — will benefit the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation.

“Our organization’s moto is Take No Challenge Alone. OCTLA united to take on the challenge of childhood cancer. We are proud of our honorees and of the generosity OCTLA shared with the community for this important cause,” said event chair Katrina Anne Foley of the law firm Lents & Foley, LLP in Newport Beach.

Opera Performer Amy Alexandra Dinkins awed the crowd with her voice that carried through the hall’s perfect acoustics. Her originality, sparkle and modern edge gave the audience something to behold. Ms. Dinkins performed “Ave Maria” by Franz Schubert, “Rusulkas Aria to the Moon” by Antonin Dvorak, and “Viva la Novia y el Novio” by Joaquin Rodrigo.

During the silent auction reception, flautist Alexandra Wallin provided background music. Ms. Wallin is a “Tomorrow’s Star at the Center,” and a Music Performance major at the University of Southern California.

Photos and further information about the awardees are available upon request or by visiting: https://picasaweb.google.com/CouncilMemberFoley/OCTLATOPGUN2008#