Updated 12/9/25: This video was played to introduce and honor John Keker as one of the San Franciscans of the Year during the Icons Celebration on Dec. 3.
We are proud to share that Keker, Van Nest & Peters founding partner John Keker has been named a San Franciscan of the Year by the San Francisco Examiner. The annual recognition honors individuals whose contributions have had an extraordinary impact on the city and who embody San Francisco’s values on the national stage.
A decorated Marine veteran wounded in Vietnam, Keker launched his firm in 1978 and built a career defined by an unwavering commitment to the rule of law. As one of America’s most respected trial lawyers, he has contributed to San Francisco’s identity as a protector of justice and an advocate for fairness and integrity in the courtroom and the legal landscape.
The Examiner particularly highlighted Keker’s “fearless defense of justice and civic integrity,” noting the national attention Keker and the firm received earlier this year after standing up to attacks on the legal system when the White House issued a memorandum targeting law firms.
“If lawyers and law firms won’t stand up for the rule of law, who will?” wrote Keker with Bob Van Nest and Elliot Peters in an op-ed article published in The New York Times in March.
The Examiner described Keker as “courageous, principled, and unafraid to challenge power when decency and the rule of law are at stake.”
Keker and the other award recipients will be honored at the San Franciscans of the Year Icons Celebration at the Julia Morgan Ballroom on December 3.
