Longtime Malibu resident, Clayton “Clay” Clark Averbuck, died on Aug. 22 at the age of 67 after a hard-fought battle with cancer.
Averbuck was born on the Bolling Air Force Base in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 3, 1950, to Colonel Arthur and Winnifred Averbuck. He spent his childhood in both the U.S. and Germany, eventually settling in Los Angeles in the early ‘60s. He attended Loyola Marymount University, where he was a member of Delta Sigma Phi, and graduated with a Juris Doctorate from the University of LaVerne Law School in 1979.
After practicing for 18 years in Los Angeles, Averbuck partnered with Jon Monroy and Jennifer Gysler in 1997 to form the law firm of Monroy, Averbuck and Gysler in Westlake Village, where he practiced for the last 21 years. He was accepted into the American Board of Trial Advocates and had the highest “AV” rating with Martindale-Hubbell.
“His clients’ best interests were his top priority and he would go out of his way to help anyone he knew with whatever legal problem they faced,” a loved one said.
A client recently described him as “an amazing lawyer who was smart, quick on his feet, very up to date on the law and had a fierce will to win.”
“Averbuck was a cowboy at heart and the complete personification of true grit in every sense of the word, with a splash of Jimmy Buffett,” a loved one said. In his free time, you could find him working hard on the ranch or sitting by the water with a glass of fine wine. He enjoyed boating, skiing, spending time with his family and his biannual getaways with his fraternity brothers and their families.
“He was a great father, devoted son, skillful and talented lawyer, loyal friend, and neighbor, and will be remembered by all who knew him for his charisma, quick wit, tenacity and extreme generosity,” a loved one said.
Averbuck was preceded in death by his father and his sister, Melanie Averbuck Ingram; he is survived by his mother, Winnifred Averbuck, and his two sons, Christopher C. Averbuck and Ken S. Averbuck (Julianne).
A private celebration of life will be held in the future. The LA County Board of Supervisors will be adjourning its September meeting in his memory.