Born in the United States, Eric Kweon moved in the fourth grade to his parents’ native South Korea, where his father had a business. The experience of living in a new country soon sparked in Eric an interest in travel. He was eager to learn about different cultures, their ways of life and the different laws under which people lived.
“It was eye opening,” Eric recalled. “My dad traveled with me to see different places. He would encourage me to look at the different types of history between countries and to look at the different types of law.”
So transformational were his travels, in fact, that upon moving back to the United States in ninth grade, Eric decided he wanted to pursue a career in international law.
“The most important thing I learned through my experiences is that no two laws are the same. There’s always a way to interpret the law differently. And my experiences with the different types of laws in different countries helped me to have an open mind,” he said.
Approaching law with an open mind has helped Eric thrive as a partner in Goldberg Segalla’s Workers’ Compensation practice group, enabling him to better understand the vast needs of his diverse range of clients and advocate effectively on their behalf.
“It’s a thrill whenever I resolve a case, either at depositions, trial, or even at a cross-examination of a doctor. These things all excite me,” said Eric. “The feeling that I get representing a client and resolving a matter gives me great satisfaction.”
Despite his initial desire to pursue international law, Eric learned while he was in law school of an opportunity to gain some experience working with a friend’s relative in Workers’ Compensation. The offer provided a chance to work on depositions and gain some courtroom knowledge. But what Eric didn’t anticipate was just how much he would enjoy this particular area of law.
It was another transformational experience.
Now based in Goldberg Segalla’s Orange County, California office, Eric’s practice is devoted to representing employers, insurance carriers, and third-party administrators before the California Workers’ Compensation Board and other venues. His clients include manufacturers, hospitals, restaurants, hotels, and retailers – all of whom he defends in cases concerning workplace accidents and occupational exposure claims.
“The vast majority of my clients are small mom and pop shops,” he said. “So, I have the ability to help these people protect what they’ve been doing their entire life. Protecting their livelihood gives me great happiness. It’s a great responsibility that I have and I’m more than happy to take the challenge.”
Eric’s success is rooted in the genuine care he has for his clients.
“I treat clients of mine like they’re my family,” he said. “And part of that is communication. I will never ignore a call from a family member, the same as I will never ignore a call from a client. You have to treat clients with respect. You have to sympathize with their needs.
“I love talking on the phone,” Eric added. “I’m not an email person. Email to me feels a little bit distant but when I pick up the phone, or actually meet up with the person, I get a sense of what’s important to them. I always want clients to have a feeling that I’m available to them 24-7. It gives them a great sense of safety that I’m always available and that I could talk to them. The biggest thing for me with my clients is communication.”
Fluent in Korean, Eric said he is particularly proud that he is able to communicate with some of his clients in their own language, allowing them to be more at ease.
“There are a lot of Asian American business owners, and they feel more comfortable speaking their native language for obvious reasons. Representation matters to them,” Eric said. “When I went to law school, there wasn’t that many of us. But now I see a lot of graduating law students who are Asian American. It’s good to have representation in our community.”
Eric’s commitment to communication is a reflection of the culture within Goldberg Segalla itself, where coast-to-coast, attorneys are there daily for one another to ensure the firm’s clients are always positioned to succeed.
“I’ve never seen a firm where communication among the attorneys themselves is as top-notch,” Eric said. “I could ask a legal question, and three or four partners will jump at me right away. They are always available. I might even abuse that power and call them on the weekends. But they pick up their phone and treat it as if it were their own file. These attorneys, they will do whatever it takes to help you. And that sets Team GS apart from other places.”
Noting that a wise professor once told him the best attorneys are the ones that are happy with the result on both sides, Eric said an integral part of bringing resolution to a client’s case is the ability to communicate with opposing counsel.
“They’re reasonable people too. They want a certain result; I want a certain result. If I speak with them, they speak with me and we speak to our respective clients, almost all the time we can come up with a resolution that makes everybody happy. And that’s the goal, right?”
Calling law “an honorable field,” Eric said he remains motivated by aiming to be the best attorney possible and building a reputation in which he is known for always being prepared, always closing cases and always being responsive to clients.
“Those are the three most important things that keep me going.”
Reflecting upon his career, Eric said, “My father and mother had a great influence on me when I was growing up. The most important thing that they taught me was to be honest. I’ve lived, and practiced, law, honestly, for a long time now. It’s been 15 years. And to any other attorney, I would say ‘Be honest and stay active.’ And when I say, ‘stay active,’ I mean communicate with your clients, communicate with the board and communicate with opposing counsel. Be honest with them and you will succeed as an attorney.”