Don Hernandez (1961 – 2019)

It is with deep regret that we announce the passing of our dear friend and colleague Don Hernandez. Don was a litigation partner in the Los Angeles office of Zuber Lawler & Del Duca LLP, and he served as head of our Firm’s litigation group since 2017. He passed away on Thursday, May 2, as the result of injuries sustained in a bicycle accident several days earlier. He was 57 years old.

Don was a caring, engaging and vigorous man who loved life and lived it intensely. His interests were deep and far-reaching and he set a powerful example for everyone at our Firm by his contagious enthusiasm, his professional achievements and the generosity and kindness he consistently extended to others. He was a man of the utmost integrity.

We will remember Don for the joy and relish he brought to everything he did. He was rarely shy about sharing his interests and enthusiasm with others. We loved hearing him energetically reminisce of the weekend club rides he took with his various cycling friends, we were familiar with his active commitment to church and community, and we were touched by the abiding pride he felt for his children – Kristen and Stephen – and their impressive list of accomplishments. Don delighted in the simple joys of everyday life – the good-natured banter with longtime coworkers, proudly modeling his first tailor-made suit, or the momentary diversion of working a jigsaw puzzle.

Don also loved the practice of law, and he was a particularly skilled practitioner. He represented a broad spectrum of fortune clients and financial institutions in relation to IP and complex commercial litigation. A cum laude graduate of Harvard College and a graduate of Stanford Law School, he was a champion debater in high school and college. He loved the give-and-take of spirited intellectual discussion, and he saw each deposition and court appearance as an opportunity to improve his performance while advancing his client’s cause.

Those of us at Zuber Lawler will remember Don as a spirited and generous colleague who was never too busy to help another attorney with a vexing issue or offer advice to a less experienced associate. Don’s door was nearly always open, and he was an active participant in nearly every aspect of law firm life. The evening before his tragic accident Don participated in a social hour to celebrate the contributions of our non-attorney employees, and he brought his trademark enthusiasm to the event to the delight of all involved.

There will be a memorial service for Don on Monday, May 6th at 4:00 p.m., at the La Cañada Presbyterian Church, 626 Foothill Boulevard in La Cañada Flintridge. Our Firm will close at 3:00 p.m. on Monday to allow our attorneys and staff to participate.

We are grateful for the time we had with Don. He was loved and admired. He will be sorely missed.