The head of The Russo Law Firm, Mr. Vickness is responsible for overseeing all of the firm's operations. He is a certified specialist in workers' compensation law and has served as a judge pro tem at the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board. Mr. Vickness is also experienced in social security disability and retirement law. He has substantial experience representing public safety employees.
Prior to practicing in the field of workers' compensation, Mr. Vickness litigated employment discrimination, wrongful termination and personal injury cases. He obtained a B.A. from
Clark
University (Phi Beta Kappa), a Master of Fine Arts from the California Institute of the Arts and a J.D. from Golden Gate University School of Law. He has published on the law of sexual harassment (Oppenheimer, Vickness, Employer Liability for Sexual Harassment by Supervisors, California Labor and Employment Law Quarterly (Spring 1997) and has obtained a precedent setting published decision from the California Court of Appeal in William Smith v. WCAB.
Mr. Vickness has been a guest speaker at numerous seminars and conferences including moderating a panel on discovery in workers' compensation at the semi-annual California Applicant's Attorney's Association Convention (Monterey, CA), training physicians in how to become agreed medical examiners (Oakland, CA), and participating as a featured speaker in a program on ADA, FMLA and Workers' Compensation in California (Oakland, CA).