Attorneys > H.L. (Mike) McCormick
mmccormick@mkblawyers.com
Education: George Washington University and San Jose State College (A.B., 1951) with majors in economics and psychology; Graduate work in clinical psychology; Hastings College of the Law, University of California (J.D., 1961) awarded Law School Scholarships; Elected Thurston Honor Society, Editor Law Review; Am Jur Awards given to the student achieving the highest grade in a subject awarded in Civil Procedure Creditors Rights, Real Estate, Constitutional Law and Evidence; Elected Order of Coif upon graduation (given to individuals in the top 10 numerically in a graduating class); numerous courses in mediation and arbitration through the State Bar of California and the Orange County Bar Association. Completed the course on “Mediating the Litigated Case” at the Straus Institute at Pepperdine University.
Admissions: 1962 California, U.S. District Court, Central District of California, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California and U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit; 1976, U.S. District Court, Southern District of California; 1977, U.S. Tax Court, U.S. Claims Court and U.S. Supreme Court.
Professional Fraternity: Delta Theta Phi, Former President Hastings Chapter; Former President, San Francisco and Orange County Alumni Chapters. Awarded National Scholarship Key (1960); selected Outstanding Student Member Western U.S. (1961).
Biography: Panelist Real Property Remedies, 1976-1977, 1979-1980, 1982, 1988 and Proposition 13 and Property Tax Matters, 1980-1981, 1987; California Continuing Education for the Bar Lorman Seminar Real Property Matters 1994-1996; Authorship "Recovery in Deceit Actions in California," 11 Hastings Law Journal 183; "Excessive Force Claims Under the Fourteenth Amendment," The Urban Lawyer, Vol. 29, No. 1, Winter, 1997. Contributing Author: "Real Property Remedies, "California Continuing Education for the Bar Book, 1982; Speaker, Alternative Dispute Resolution State Bar Convention, 1988. Numerous appearances as Speaker and/or Panelist on Litigation Appraising, Valuation, Condemnation Law, Public Law, Evidence and Civil Procedure Matters from 1961 to present.
Organizations: Former Member, Board of Governors, 1966—2006 and President, 1973, Hastings Alumni Association. Life Member of Alumni Association. President, Board of Trustees, Hastings 1066 Legal Foundation, 1975-1977; Selected Hastings Alumnus of the Year, 1992 (award presented by former Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court); former member of The Bar Association of San Francisco; Member Orange County Bar Association, 1963-present; (Member, Judiciary Committee, 1982-1985. Administration of Justice Committee, 1990-1996; (Chairman, 1991-1992). Lawyers Reference Service 1993; Liaison to State Commission of Future of The State Bar and Legal Profession, 1993-1994. Delegate State Bar, 1985-1993), Member Mandatory Fee Arbitration Committee; American Bar Association (Life Member) Member: Condemnation and Condemnation Procedure Committee, Section on Local Government Law, 1963-1985; Committee on Legal Education, 1975—; Committee on Natural Resources, 1973—) Bar Associations; The State Bar of California (Member: Condemnation Law and Procedure Committee, 1965-1968; Public Law Section; Litigation Section; Intellectual Properties Section); A former member of The Association of Trial Lawyers of America; Member American Board of Trial Advocates (President, Orange County Chapter, 1973); American Judicature Society; Orange County City Attorneys Association (President, 1972); California Condemnation Lawyers Group; Former member of Consumer Attorneys of California; Member American Business Trial Lawyers Assoc.; and Federal Bar Association.
Judicial and Arbitrator Experience: Judge Pro Tem, Orange County Superior Court, 1975, 1981, 1984. Former Member, Panel of Arbitrators, American Arbitration Association.
Mike McCormick has over 45 years experience as a trial attorney and public law practitioner. Former senior and managing partner of a major law firm; founding partner of a boutique public law and litigation firm in Orange County. Mr. McCormick has litigated business disputes, tort claims, real estate and many types of public law issues. He has represented major developers and other corporations. He has also handled and litigated numerous condemnation and other cases for the cities of Cypress, Lynwood, Yorba Linda, Newport Beach, Garden Grove, and other cities and special districts in Orange, Los Angeles, and Riverside counties. He has handled major acquisitions for numerous special districts and utilities, including the Edison Company, the Municipal Water District of Orange County, and the Metropolitan Water District.
Mr. McCormick has been selected for Who’s Who in American Law, Who’s Who in Industry and Finance, Who’s, Who in the West, Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in the World.
Martindale Rating: Mr. McCormick has been rated AV in Martindale since 1963 and listed as one of its prominent lawyers in the United States. Published Cases: State of California v. Superior Court (1974) 12 Cal.3d 237, 524 P.2d 1281, 115 Cal.Rptr. 497; Cucamonga County Water Dist. v. Southwest Water Co. (1971) 22 Cal.App.3d 245, 3 ERC (BNA) 2007, 99 Cal.Rptr. 557; Warren v. Atchison, T.&S.F. Ry. Co. (1971) 19 Cal.App.3d 24, 96 Cal.Rptr. 317; Enyeart v. Board of Supervisors (1967) 66 Cal.2d 728, 58 Cal.Rptr. 733, 427 P.2d 509; Costa Mesa Union Sch. Dist. v. Security First Nat. Bk. (1967) 254 Cal.App.2d 4, 62 Cal.Rptr. 113; People v. Terry (1964) 224 Cal.App.2d 415, 36 Cal.Rptr. 722; People v. Hayward Bldg. Materials Co. (1963) 213 Cal.App.2d 457, 28 Cal. Rptr. 782; People ex rel. Dept. of Public Works v. Alexander (1963) 212 Cal.App.2d 84, 27 Cal.Rptr. 720.
Clubs and Organizations: Former Member Board of Governors of the Orange County Business Committee for the Arts and The Philharmonic Society, Member The Classic Yacht Association, Former Member The Air Force Association and Marine Memorial Corps Club of San Francisco, Ninth Circuit Historical Society, Life Member Elks Lodge (Santa Ana), Masonic Lodge (Pacific Rim Chapter) Charter Member of the Orange County Conservatory of the Scottish Right, El Bekal Shrine, Foothill Association, Springs County Club of Rancho Mirage, Santa Ana Canyon Historical Society, Charter Member of the International Right-of-Way Association, Orange County Chapter, Registered Senior Member of the Right-of-Way Association, Audubon Society, Charter Member U. S. Holocaust Museum, Member Supreme Court Historical Society, Hoag Hospital Support Group 552-Club.
Military Service: Mr. McCormick served as a Jet Fighter Pilot in Korea in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean Conflict and later was a flight instructor for the U.S. Navy at Pensacola, Florida. He served for 12 years (1951-1963) in the USMC Reserves. He possesses a commercial pilot license (instrument rated commercial single – multi-engines, prop and jet, land rating. He is a designated Naval aviator.
ADR Experience: Mr. McCormick has been a speaker on ADR subjects at the State Bar Convention; was a panelist/arbitrator for the AAA for a number of years; has completed training as a mediator at the Strauss Institute and conducts a mediation practice in addition to his continued relationship with McCormick, Kidman & Behrens, LLP, the law firm he founded in 1988. His mediation and arbitration website is: www.mccormickmediations.com. He is a member of the OC Bar Association ADR Committee and the American Bar Association ADR Committee. He is also listed on mediate.com in its list of mediators in Orange County. He has completed various advanced mediation and arbitration courses.