Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati mourns the loss of legendary retired partner Harry Bremond, a true trailblazer who played a foundational role in driving the growth and success of the firm since its earliest days. He passed away on December 8, 2025, at the age of 91.
As one of the very first Black lawyers practicing in the San Francisco Bay Area, Harry helped shape the growth of Silicon Valley. In 1967, he joined what is now Wilson Sonsini—then a small, local outfit with only a handful of attorneys—in Palo Alto. His practice focused on general commercial litigation, with an emphasis on real estate, employment, insurance coverage, and other business contract issues for a wide variety of clients.
During Harry’s 44 years at Wilson Sonsini, perhaps his most significant achievement was his participation in the founding and leadership of the firm’s pro bono practice—and the pro bono movement within law firms generally. He demonstrated a bold commitment to helping the underserved gain access to justice. Harry was a founding member of the firm’s Pro Bono Committee and a steadfast advocate for racial justice and civil rights, recognized by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley, the Equal Justice Society, and the Charles Houston Bar Association, among numerous others. Beyond these efforts, he mentored generations of young lawyers even after his retirement from Wilson Sonsini in January 2011. This reflects Harry’s spirit of service and passion for both giving back and paying forward. He freely shared his time, wisdom, and signature kindness and candor with many, regardless of background. Harry was widely known, respected, and regarded throughout the legal community and beyond.
Harry was born in Austin, Texas, in 1934. As a child, he moved with his mother and older brother to San Francisco, where he grew up in the public housing projects. Harry graduated from high school in 1951 and earned a B.A. in business from San Francisco State University in 1955 before enlisting in the U.S. Army from 1955-1957. Following his military service, Harry returned to San Francisco State for graduate school, receiving a master’s degree in business in 1958. He then worked at PG&E as an accountant and started law school at night at the University of San Francisco School of Law, eventually earning an LL.B. in 1962 as the second-ever Black USF graduate. After initially relocating to San Jose, Harry moved to East Palo Alto, where he ended up hanging his own shingle, handling estate, criminal, and domestic law matters. He met Pete McCloskey through the Palo Alto Bar Association, and Pete introduced him to John Wilson and Roger Mosher. Harry would ultimately join McCloskey, Wilson & Mosher on Welch Road—which would eventually evolve into Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati—and the rest is history.
As senior and founding partner Larry Sonsini shared, “Harry was a key advisor and a very good friend. His spirit and energy captured our imagination back in 1967, and as we were starting to formalize the firm, I asked that he be a part of our team and everyone agreed. He was someone I often went to for a sanity check—in fact, we went to lunch several times a week to talk about the culture of the firm we wanted to build. I will always be grateful for Harry’s counsel, and especially for his friendship, candor, and commitment to being the best we could be.”
In late 2024, the Stanford Center for Racial Justice launched the Harry Bremond-Wilson Sonsini Foundation Student Fellowship, which offers Stanford Law students the opportunity to immerse themselves in civil rights work through a wide range of impactful opportunities, including shadowing pro bono work at the firm. In November 2024, over 200 individuals attended a celebration of Harry and the fellowship at Stanford Law School, where both Wilson Sonsini Managing Partner Doug Clark and Pro Bono Partner Luke Liss were among the speakers. A video summary of the celebration is available here. In addition, in 2020, Wilson Sonsini created the Harry Bremond Award to honor attorneys who have consistently upheld Harry’s excellence in character, leadership, and service to the community.
Harry is survived by his wife, Peggy Woodford Forbes; daughter, Candace Bremond; stepdaughters, Maya Forbes and China Forbes; and two grandchildren and four step-grandchildren. Harry was predeceased by his daughter, Stephanie Bremond. At his family’s request, any gifts in Harry’s honor should be made to the Museum of the African Diaspora; Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area; Brotherhood Crusade (a nonprofit organization started by Harry’s brother, Walter, in Los Angeles); or the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. A celebration of Harry’s life will be held in the coming months; details will be provided once available.
