The Prestige Award is given to an attorney whose achievements, talent and resolve demand the utmost respect. Attorney Nicholas C. Rowley exemplifies what it means to be a successful trial attorney, and moreover, a Golden Advocate for his clients.

Attorney Rowley and the “Chicken Suit Case” against the Kern High School District gained international media attention this summer after he secured a settlement of $10.5 million, six years after the original incident. The tragic nature of the "Chicken Suit Case" and the school's mishandling of the injuries was detailed in news outlets such as the LA Times, CBS News, the Washington Post, Daily Mail UK and the NY Daily News.

During the incident, Mitch Carter was dressed in a chicken suit to mimic a rival school’s mascot during his high school's pep rally when his classmates began to beat and jump on top of him without interruption from school personnel. After the attack, a school administrator attempted to minimize his injuries by giving him paper towels to wipe the blood from his head. Carter sustained a TBI from the incident, among other damages.

When local Bakersfield attorney Michelle Palla heard about Carter's situation, she immediately became invested in Carter’s wellbeing and took on the case with the founder of the firm, Ralph Wegis. These two attorneys worked tirelessly for four years to try to settle with the school district, but the district refused to admit liability and would not adequately compensate the teen, despite multiple cell phone videos of the incident. Just before trial began, Palla and Wegis contacted CZR’s Special Ops team to use their expertise in multi-million dollar cases. Beverly Hills-based attorney Nicholas C. Rowley, of Carpenter, Zuckerman & Rowley, LLP, and Long Beach-based Joseph Low, IV, of The Law Firm of Joseph H. Low IV, were employed to take the case to trial.

Attorney Low took the floor first and argued that the school was responsible for the injuries suffered by Carter. His persistent litigation technique led to condemnation of the district for their failure to intervene, allowing Attorney Rowley to begin his argument for damages in this bifurcated suit. Throughout the trial, he was relentless in making certain the jury would empathize with the severity of his client’s injuries. Attorney Rowley's commitment to placing himself and the audience in Carter's perspective went further than compelling oration and powerful presentation of the evidence. Despite having minimal time to prepare for trial, Attorney Rowley contacted DK Global to quickly produce a visual presentation that would assist him in explaining the complex brain injuries to the jury. Rowley even went so far as to wear the same style chicken suit worn by his client to deliver his closing argument. His unconventional tactics and absolute resolve for ensuring justice forced the defense to settle the matter during the trial rather than continuing to a verdict. In just a couple weeks, Attorney Rowley's involvement led to the resolution of a case that had lingered for six years. His extensive experience in multi-million-dollar litigation and his dedication led to another success under his belt, continuing a tradition of his representation leading to justice and adequate compensation for his clients.