R. Parker White

Parker White was born on February 4, 1952 in New Haven, Connecticut. His family moved to California when his father, a best–selling novelist, was granted a creative writing fellowship at Stanford University.

Parker attended high school at Woodside High School where he was involved in theater, three varsity sports and was president of the student body. He went on to receive his Bachelor’s degree in English. He attended Colorado State University where he led his rugby team to championships in the PABST Cup, the Coors Cup and the Notre Dame Invitational.

After college, Parker went to work for a Mountaineering firm, Alpine Products, in Davis, CA. Parker had grown up backpacking with his family in the High Sierra, so for him it was a perfect job: managing the warehouse, testing gear and shooting pictures for the catalog. But after two years, a desire to go into politics led him to law school.

He attended University of Pacific McGeorge School of Law where he earned a spot on the trial advocacy competition team. He was the regional champion in the American College of Trial Lawyers competition and placed third in the National Trial competition. During law school, he clerked with nationally known attorney Edward Freidberg. There, he was first exposed to actions involving medical malpractice and quickly developed an interest and expertise in this area of litigation. Once exposed to trial work, he knew it was his calling. Thus, any thought of a political career was gone.

In 1984 he joined the firm of Friedman, Collard & Poswall, initially as back-up attorney for Morton Friedman. There, Parker handled numerous cases involving medical malpractice. He organized and managed a series of highly complicated actions including the “heart cases” against University of California, Davis Medical Center which resulted in a multi–million dollar settlement. By 1987 he was named partner in the firm.

In 1993, Poswall & White left to form their own firm at their current location, 1001 G Street. Since 1994, Parker has been an active visiting faculty member at Stanford University Law School and University of San Francisco Law School, teaching in the schools’ Trial Advocacy Programs. Parker greatly cherishes the ability to pass on his skills and experience to younger lawyers.

At a very early age, Parker fell in love with photography, a dedication which has been with him throughout. He taught a course in photography at Humboldt State University, earned a five star award in the Canon Masters Photography Program and has had three shows of his work locally. He utilizes photography extensively in his law practice.

In 1991, Parker was elected to the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). Since that time, he has been involved in continuing legal education programs for lawyers first as a participant in two ABOTA Masters in Trial programs. In 2000, he was a moderator and organizer of the Masters in Trial, Trial Notebook. It was the most heavily attended such program in California history. In 2001, he organized and moderated the Mock Trial Presentation of ABOTA. Again, it was the most heavily attended such program in California history.

In 2003, Parker was honored by the American Board of Trial Advocates at its Sacramento Chapter before judges and attorneys, as its recipient of the Civility Award given to the attorney who bests exemplifies professionalism and civility in the advocacy of his clients’ interests. In 2011, Parker was again honored by the American Board of Trial Advocates as Trial Lawyer of the Year. At the time, he was the only member to receive the Civility Award and the Trial Lawyer of the Year.

Although he relishes trying any type of personal injury matter, Parker has been singled out as the only lawyer in Sacramento to be honored as a Northern California Super Lawyer in the field of plaintiff Medical Malpractice.

Parker has recently transitioned his practice to full-time mediation.

R. Parker White, Esq.

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