Download the printer friendly version.
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Feb. 5, 2025 – During the 2025 Orange County Bar Association Judges’ Night and Annual Meeting, members of the bench and bar honored the Honorable Gail A. Andler (Ret.) as its Franklin G. West Award recipient and installed this year’s OCBA President Mei Tsang. This annual event honors the sitting judges of Orange County and was held on Jan. 16, 2025 at the Irvine Marriott.
The Franklin G. West Award, the highest honor awarded by the OCBA, was first established in 1971 in honor of the late Judge Franklin G. West. On Jan. 16, Judge Andler joined an outstanding group of attorneys and judges whose lifetime achievements advanced justice and the law.
After graduating cum laude from UCLA and obtaining her juris doctor from Loyola Law School, Judge Andler began her career in private practice and as a deputy district attorney for the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office. In 1994 Judge Andler was appointed to the Municipal Court by Governor Pete Wilson and then was elevated to the Superior Court in June 1997 where she continued to serve as an Orange County Superior Court judge for twenty-two years. Judge Andler’s illustrious career and impact can be further explored in the OC Lawyer magazine February 2025 issue. The Franklin G. West Award recognizes her nearly three decades of extraordinary dedication and service to the bar, the justice system, the community, and the probate and elder abuse clients she has masterfully represented.
Additionally, the OCBA installed Mei Tsang as the 2025 OCBA President, along with the OCBA Board of Directors and the OCBA Charitable Fund leadership.
As an Intellectual Property Partner at Umber Zipser LLP, Mei Tsang is focused on helping clients formulate their IP strategy, and shepherding their IP through various business cycles to achieve their business goals worldwide.
Mei earned her B.S. from Purdue University and her J.D. from the University of Illinois. She has been involved with the OCBA since 2007.
OCBA Officers
OCBA Board of Directors
About the Orange County Bar Association Established in 1901, the Orange County Bar Association, with over 7,500 members, is one of the largest voluntary bars in California. The mission of the Orange County Bar Association is to enhance the system of justice, to support the lawyers who serve it, and to assist the community served by it.
About the Franklin G. West Award Established in 1971 in memory of the late Judge Franklin G. West, a highly respected jurist who served on the bench from January 1939 to March 1965, the West Award is bestowed upon an outstanding attorney or judge who has made significant contributions to advance and elevate justice and law. Judge West’s 26 years and two months on the bench constituted the longest term ever served by a judge in California.
Media Contact: Erick Palacios (949) 440-6700, ext. 123 epalacios@ocbar.org
###