Governor Schwarzenegger today announced the appointment of three commissioners to the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board, the 7-member body that reviews petitions for reconsideration of decisions by administrative law judges and adopts adjudication rules of practice and procedure for work injury claims.
The governor reappointed Frank Brass, 76, of San Francisco, who has been a WCAB commissioner since 2001. Brass has more than 40 years of experience as an attorney specializing in workers’ compensation law. He served as an attorney for the law firm Parente & Christopher in 2001 and as a partner in the law firm Brass & Zuckerman/Fremont Indemnity from 1997 to 2000. From 1995 to 1997, Brass was an attorney in self-practice. Prior to that, he was a partner at Luttringer & Brass from 1988 to 1995, Greene & Brass from 1984 to 1988, Brass & Luttringer/Mission Insurance from 1976 to 1981 and Brennan & Brass from 1973 to 1976. Brass also was an attorney with Neyhart, Anderson, Nusbaum, Reilly & Freitas from 1981 to 1984. Mr. Brass holds a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of San Francisco School of Law and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of San Francisco. Brass is a Democrat.
The governor also announced the reappointment of James Cuneo, 68, of Carmichael, who, like Brass, has served as a WCAB commissioner since 2001. In 1984 Cuneo founded the workers’ compensation law firm of Cuneo, Black, Ward & Missler, where he served as president until his appointment to the Appeals Board in 2001. From 1971 to 1984 he was an attorney, then partner, in the workers’ compensation defense firm of Hanna & Brophy (now Hanna, Brophy, MacLean, McAleer & Jensen) and prior to that he served from 1967 to 1970 as staff tax counsel for the California State Department of Employment. Cuneo earned a Juris Doctorate degree from Golden Gate University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame. Cuneo is a Democrat.
In addition to reappointing Brass and Cuneo, the governor named Deidra Lowe, 57, of Hillsborough to the Board. Since 1985, Lowe has been an associate attorney and partner with Hanna, Brophy, MacLean, McAleer & Jensen. Prior to that, she was an associate attorney for Metz, Johnson & Larson from 1981 to 1985 and Green & Azevedo from 1979 to 1981. A member of the Workers’ Compensation Section of the State Bar of California and the Northern California Defense Attorneys Association, Ms. Lowe earned a Juris Doctorate degree from McGeorge School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the U.C. Davis. Lowe is a Republican.
The appointments of Brass, Cuneo, and Lowe, like that of Alfonso Moresi, who the governor nominated last fall, will not be finalized until confirmed by the state senate. Compensation for WCAB commissioners is $128,109 per year.