K. Poncho Baker

BIOGRAPHY

Poncho, initially a nickname picked by his grandma, became his chosen name by the 2nd grade. Born and raised in a small Iowa town (Spirit Lake), and the youngest of 5 children. In a small town you play all sports and, on the weekends, you learn how to bowl, golf, hunt, fish and play cards. Basketball became his passion, and he attended Briar Cliff College on a basketball scholarship. In 1988 he was accepted to Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco, so he packed his Ford LTD and set off for the big City. After graduating from law school in 1991, Poncho and his wife Karim moved to Fresno where they have raised their three kids Brianna, Alyssa, and Hayden. And yes, Poncho’s son Hayden was named after the Iowa football coach Hayden Fry. Go Hawkeyes! When not following Iowa sports, Poncho spends time golfing, reading, gardening, traveling with Karim, and spending time with their four grandchildren.

Experience

Poncho is an experienced trial lawyer and former ABOTA member who has tried over 20 cases to jury verdict. During a 7-year break from private practice, Poncho was CEO and General Counsel for a Trucking Company with locations in 7 states. He recently returned to private practice with a renewed focus on trial related work. Former representative clients include Foster Poultry Farms, Unocal Corp, City of Fresno, and Children’s Hospital.

Poncho has been retained as an expert witness in several cases involving disability discrimination and the accommodation process. He has acted as a local Arbitrator in fee disputes and has spoken at numerous seminars on topics which include: Harassment Training; HR Practices, ADA and Interplay with Worker’s Compensation, Hiring and Termination Processes and Leave Issues.