SCAMPINI, MORTARA & HARRIS, a firm specializing in trial work, has existed under that firm name since 1970; it is the successor firm name of Scampini, Mortara & Ertola, a firm in existence since the late 1940s. The firm was founded by Angelo J. Scampini, following many years of association with, and as personal attorney for, A. P. Giannini, founder of the Bank of America. Mr. Scampini represented Mr. A. P. Giannini and the interests of the Bank of America commencing in 1929, winning for A.P. Giannini a proxy fight in 1932, as a result of which Mr. Giannini retained control of Transamerica Corporation, and hence, also, the Bank of America. Mr. Scampini was on the Board of Transamerica from 1932-1939, thereafter leaving to return to private practice. He was associated with the late Alfonso J. Zirpoli, Chief Judge of the U.S. Federal District Court.

In the late 1940s, Mr. Scampini took in as partners, Ben Mortara, Jr., who retired from the law firm in 2001, as well as John A. Ertola, who later became a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, being elected its President in 1968. In 1970, Mr. Ertola successfully ran for the Superior Court and upon his election, of course, withdrew from the law firm, at which time the firm changed its name to Scampini, Mortara & Harris.

Haig A. Harris, Jr. was employed as a summer law clerk by Scampini, Mortara & Harris in 1965, following his second year of law school, and was then offered an associate position in the firm upon graduation. He accepted that employment and has been with the firm ever since.

The firm has, since that time, continued with a lawyering staff of between five to seven lawyers, by choice remaining small. Although the emphasis of the firm has shifted somewhat over the years, it always was and continues to be a firm specializing in trial work, in the areas of personal injury, insurance defense, products liability, employment discrimination, professional malpractice and business litigation.