Honoring Judge William J. Elfving

Bill Elfving and Hank Morrow

From left: Dennis P. Milligan; Hon. William J. Elfving; Charles H. Brock; Thomas H R Denver; John W. Appel

With heavy hearts, Hoge Fenton announces the passing of the Honorable William (“Bill”) J. Elfving (Ret.), a respected Santa Clara County Superior Court judge who served the South Bay legal community for nearly six decades as a trial lawyer, firm leader, jurist, and mediator. Bill sat on the Superior Court bench for 20 years following a 30-year career with Hoge Fenton, passing away at the age of 85.

Bill was a former shareholder, longtime colleague, and friend of the firm. He served as Hoge Fenton’s managing shareholder from 1982 to 1986.

“Bill built his reputation in the courtroom, trying (and winning) cases for thirty years with a level of preparation and skill that set the bar for all of us. As someone who worked for him, I think of his example in my practice as I try to be the best lawyer I can be,” said Dan Ballesteros, shareholder with Hoge Fenton.

Born March 17, 1941, in San Mateo, California, Bill earned a Bachelor of Arts from Stanford University in 1962 and a Juris Doctor from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law in 1965. He was admitted to the California bar in 1966 and served as a Captain in the United States Army from 1965 to 1967. In 1967, Bill joined Hoge Fenton in San Jose, where he spent the next 30 years as a trial lawyer handling legal malpractice defense, malicious prosecution, real estate, personal injury, contract, and family law matters. He rose to become the firm’s managing shareholder, a role he held from 1982 to 1986. A Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, Bill was admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Northern, Southern, and Eastern District Courts of California.

Governor Pete Wilson appointed Bill to the Santa Clara County Superior Court on November 13, 1997. During his 20 years on the bench, Bill presided in the court’s civil litigation and family divisions and chaired the court’s Arbitration/ADR Committee. He earned a reputation as a decisive, thoroughly prepared jurist, and became particularly well-known for his rulings in complex intellectual property matters arising out of Silicon Valley. Following his retirement from the bench in 2017, he continued serving the legal community as an arbitrator and mediator with the JAMS Silicon Valley Resolution Center.

Throughout his career, Bill was deeply committed to the local legal community, serving as a director of the Santa Clara County Legal Aid Society, a trustee of the Santa Clara County Bar Association, and a member of the Association of Defense Counsel of Northern California.

Bill is survived by his wife, Barbara, and his sons and daughters-in-law, Mark and Amanda Elfving, Scott and Krista Elfving, Todd and Whitney McNair, and Jason and Tina McNair. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Parker, Riley, and Jonah McNair, Savannah, Calvin, Evelyn Elfving, James Elfving, and Liam Elfving.

Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and colleagues.