Alison P. Buchanan

Alison P. Buchanan is a shareholder at Hoge Fenton Jones & Appel in San Jose and started taking on professional responsibility matters when she joined the firm in 2005. She was a fourth-year associate at that point.

“Since then, I have had many mentors in the practice area, including the Hon. James Towery (Ret.), who was my supervisor when I joined Hoge Fenton,” Buchanan said. “Later, he encouraged me to apply for an appointment to the State Bar’s Committee on Professional Responsibility and Conduct (COPRAC), which I did in 2011; my three-year appointment to COPRAC ended up being a wonderful experience, where I made many friends and found several other mentors, who generously helped me as I became more experienced in the practice area.”

Recently, she won a complete defense verdict following a lengthy legal malpractice trial arising from unfounded allegations of an insufficient settlement.

“The jury also awarded the law firm defendant all fees claimed in its cross-complaint for unpaid fees. In addition, the law firm defendant was awarded significant costs, including expert costs, based on beating its CCP 998 offer to compromise,” Buchanan said.

She also addressed trends in the field that need to be addressed. “With the enormous shift toward hybrid working, satisfying one’s duty to supervise and rebutting allegations of inadequate supervision will be a more significant challenge for lawyers,” she said.