One of the country’s leading trial attorneys, Los Angeles personal injury lawyer Brian Panish has obtained some of the most significant jury verdicts in United States history on behalf of plaintiffs. His courtroom victories include a $4.9 billion record verdict in the landmark products liability case Anderson v. General Motors, over 100 verdicts and settlements in excess of $10 million, seven verdicts in excess of $50 million, and more than 500 verdicts and settlements over one million dollars in personal injury, car accident, wrongful death and business litigation cases.
Mr. Panish consistently serves in a leading role in the largest personal injury cases in California and the country. He currently serves as Plaintiffs Co-Lead Counsel in the Woolsey Fire litigation, Plaintiffs Co-Lead Counsel in the Southern California Fire Cases litigation arising from the 2017 Thomas Fire and subsequent debris flows in Montecito, California, and serves on the Plaintiffs Executive Committee for the 2017 North Bay Fires in Northern California. Mr. Panish also serves as Lead Trial Counsel in the Southern California Gas Leak Cases where he led a team of lawyers in obtaining a $1.8 billion settlement from Southern California Gas Company and Sempra Energy. He previously served in leadership roles in the Asiana Airlines Crash Litigation, the Olympus Superbug CRE Litigation and DePuy ASR Hip Implant Litigation, among others.
Most recently, Mr. Panish has been retained to represent the husband and son of Halyna Hutchins, a cinematographer who was fatally shot and killed by Alec Baldwin on the movie set of ‘Rust’ in October 2021.
Since 2011, Mr. Panish has obtained more than $600 million in verdicts including, among others, a $135 million verdict for two men who were sexually abused by a teacher in the Moreno Valley Unified School District, a $23,720,996 bench trial award for a Southern California man and his wife after the man suffered a lower leg amputation as a result of being struck by a 28-foot utility truck while riding his motorcycle, a $21,503,420.48 verdict for a man who suffered catastrophic injuries after a vehicle illegally exiting the 405 Freeway HOV lane struck his motorcycle, a landmark $53,745,374 verdict for two Southern California brothers who were severely injured following a head-on collision with CRST big rig, a $41,864,102 jury verdict and subsequent $46,000,000 settlement for a United States Air Force Captain who suffered catastrophic injuries after being struck from behind while on his motorcycle and then dragged the length of a football field and a half by a Southern California Gas Company truck, a $36.5 million jury verdict against Schneider National for a big-rig crash that left a woman with severe spinal cord injuries, a $34.5 million verdict for a man who suffered a below the knee amputation after being hit by a tractor trailer, a $21,503,420.48 jury verdict for a Southern California man who suffered catastrophic injuries after a vehicle illegally exiting the 405 Freeway HOV lane struck his motorcycle and sent him careening across three lanes of traffic and into a passing flatbed trailer, a $17.4 million verdict for a Ph.D. student who suffered brain and jaw injuries during a rear end chain collision accident, a $17 million jury verdict against the Los Angeles MTA in the wrongful death of a visually impaired passenger, a $17.845 million award in a wrongful death case involving four family members killed when a Marine jet crashed into their home, a $20 million jury verdict for a woman who suffered a brain injury in a hit-and-run accident involving a J.B. Hunt tractor trailer, a $17 million jury verdict for a 84-year old man hit by a bus resulting in a leg amputation, a $15.3 million jury verdict for a woman and her daughter after the woman was severely injured on a negligently driven Alameda Contra-Costa Transit District bus, a $10.45 million jury verdict for the family of a security guard killed on the CBS studio lot and a $8.3 million jury verdict in the first DePuy ASR Hip Implant case to go to trial.
Because of his expertise in personal injury, wrongful death, mass tort and product liability cases, Mr. Panish has been appointed to serve on the Plaintiffs’ Steering and Executive committees in numerous high profile mass torts and major disaster cases, including litigation involving train crashes (co-lead counsel in the the Chatsworth Metrolink disaster, the Glendale Metrolink crash, and the Placentia Metrolink collision), airplane disasters (Alaska Airlines Flight 261 and Singapore Airlines Flight 006 crashes), pharmaceuticals (Vioxx and diet drugs), and defective product cases (Welding Rods, DePuy ASR Hip Implant Litigation, and Toyota Unintended Acceleration cases.) He is currently handling numerous cases involving the Asiana Flight 261 plane crash as well as serving as Plaintiffs Co-lead Trial Counsel, representing over 7,000 clients in the Porter Ranch Gas Leak litigation.
Mr. Panish has been recognized by numerous publications and organizations as being among the top trial lawyers in the country. Some of the honors he has received include the following:
2024 Leading Commercial Litigators – Daily Journal
2024 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America
2024 Best Lawyers® Lawyer of the Year – Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs – Los Angeles
2024 Best Lawyers® Lawyer of the Year – Aviation Law
2023 Top 100 Lawyers in California – Daily Journal
2023 Hall of Fame Inductee — Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles
2023 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers
2023 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America
2023 Leading Commercial Litigators – Daily Journal
2022 Finalist for CAOC Consumer Attorney of the Year
2022 West Trailblazer – The American Lawyer
2022 Top 100 Lawyers in California – Daily Journal
2022 LA 500 – Los Angeles Business Journal
2022 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America
2022 Top Plaintiff Lawyers in California – Daily Journal
2022 Top 100 Lawyers – Los Angeles Business Journal
2022 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America
2022 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers
2022 California Lawyer Attorney of the Year (CLAY) Award in the area of Personal Injury
2022 Titan of the Plaintiffs Bar – Law360
2021 Leaders of Influence: Litigators & Trial Attorneys – Los Angeles Business Journal
2021 Best Lawyers® Lawyer of the Year – Mass Tort Litigation / Class Action – Plaintiffs – Los Angeles
2021 Top 100 Lawyers in California – Daily Journal
2021 Top Plaintiff Lawyers in California – Daily Journal
2021 LA 500 – Los Angeles Business Journal
2021 Lawdragon Leading Lawyers in America
2020 Top 100 Lawyers in California – Daily Journal
2020 Lawdragon Leading Lawyers in America
2020 Plaintiffs Lawyer Trailblazer – National Law Journal
2020 Top Plaintiff Lawyers in California – Daily Journal
2020 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers
2019 Top 100 Lawyers in California – Daily Journal
2019 Top Plaintiff Lawyers in California – Daily Journal
2019 Plaintiffs Lawyer Trailblazer – National Law Journal
2019 Titan of the Plaintiffs Bar – Law360
2019 California Lawyer Attorney of the Year (CLAY) Award in the area of Personal Injury
2019 Best Lawyers® Lawyer of the Year – Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs – Los Angeles
2018 Finalist for CAOC Consumer Attorney of the Year
2018 Top 100 Lawyers in California – Daily Journal
2018 Top Plaintiff Lawyers in California – Daily Journal
2018 Daniel O’Connell Award – by Irish American Bar Association-Los Angeles
2018 Best Lawyers® Lawyer of the Year – Aviation Law – Los Angeles
2017 Top 100 Lawyers in California – Daily Journal
2017 Top Plaintiff Lawyers in California – Daily Journal
2017 Civil Advocate Award – by the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel (ASCDC)
2017 Finalist (2) for CAOC Consumer Attorney of the Year
2016 Outstanding Litigator – by Southwestern Law School
2016 Top Plaintiff Lawyers in California – Daily Journal
2016 Best Lawyers® Lawyer of the Year – Plaintiff’s Personal Injury Litigation – Los Angeles
2015 National Law Journal’s Elite Trial Lawyers Hall of Fame
2015 Best Lawyers® Lawyer of the Year – Product Liability Litigation – Los Angeles
2015 Top 25 Plaintiff Lawyers in California – Daily Journal
2015 Robert E. Cartwright Sr. Award (given by the Consumer Attorneys of California in recognition of excellence in trial advocacy and dedication to teaching trial advocacy to fellow lawyers and to the public.)
2014 Consumer Attorney of the Year – by the Consumer Attorneys of California
2013 California Lawyer Attorney of the Year (CLAY) Award in the area of Personal Injury
The National Law Journal’s 100 Most Influential Lawyers In America
Daily Journal’s Top 100 Most Influential Attorneys in California
2012 Top 20 Lawyers in California by The Recorder
2010 Trial Lawyer of the Year by the California Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)
2010 Champions of Justice award from Loyola Law School
2010 Best Lawyers® Lawyer of the Year – Product Liability Litigation – Los Angeles
2009 Best Lawyers® Lawyer of the Year – Personal Injury Litigation – Los Angeles
1999 Trial Lawyer of the Year – by Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA)
Top 500 Attorneys and Litigators in the United States by Lawdragon
Top 10 Southern California Super Lawyers® (various years, including from 2009-2017)
Listed in Best Lawyers® since 2001
Listed in Southern California Super Lawyers® since 2004
In addition to his numerous honors, Mr. Panish currently serves as immediate past president of the prestigious Inner Circle of Advocates, comprised of 100 of the nation’s top plaintiffs’ lawyers. He is also a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers (including serving on the State Selection Committee), the International Society of Barristers, the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), and was the 2011 President of the Los Angeles Chapter of ABOTA. He is a member of the American Bar Association (formerly a Litigation Section Board Member), the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (formerly on the Board of Governors), and the Consumer Attorneys of California (formerly on the Board of Governors). He also serves on the Best Lawyers® Board of Advisors.
Mr. Panish received his law degree, with honors, from Southwestern Law School, and received an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Southwestern in 2011. He received his B.S. from California State University Fresno, where he was named Scholar Athlete, was the recipient of the Athletic Directors Award and was named an outstanding alumnus at the school’s Centennial Celebration in 2010. Mr. Panish is licensed to practice in California, Nevada, and Texas. Submit our online contact form to request legal assistance with your claim.
Verdicts and Settlements:
The following is a list of just some of the landmark cases that Brian Panish has been involved in:
$4.9 Billion – Anderson v. General Motors Corp.
$3.3 Billion – LA County v. Tobacco Industry
$1.8 Billion – Southern California Gas Leak Cases
$160.5 Million – John Doe v. Nevada Property 1
$135 Million – Blair v. Moreno Valley Unified School District
$58 Million – Griggs v. Caterpillar, et al.
$55.4 Million – Lampe v. Continental General Tire
$53.745 Million – Lennig v. CRST
$46 Million – Lo v. Southern California Gas Company
$39.5 Million – Freeman v. Board of the Trustees of the California State University
$36.5 Million – Sheth v. Schneider National
$34.5 Million – Casillas v. Landstar Ranger, Inc.
$32.5 Million – Johnson/Allen/Cascio v. City of Beverly Hills
$32 Million __ J.G. v. Tulare County Child Welfare Services
$27 Million – Dominguez v. San Francisco
$25.5 Million – Sherman v. Courrege
$23.7 Million– Rojas v.Hajoca Corporation
$23.5 Million – Lee v. Pupil Transportation Cooperative
$22 Million – Pogosyan v. SCRTD
$21 Million – Nelsen v. Hillyard, Inc., et al.
$17.845 Million – Yoon v. United States
$17. 4 Million – Sheaffer v. NuCO2
$17 Million – Cuthberton v. LACMTA
$15.75 Million – Doe v. Alaska Airlines
$15.3 Million – Francisco v. AC Transit
$15 Million – Tilton v. Southern California Gas & Electric
$15 Million – Wu v. Singapore Airlines
$14.5 Million — Montanez v. Sunrise Farms, LLC
$11 Million – Witham v. Avjet
$10.45 – Villamariona v. CBS
$10 Million – Doe v. Alaska Airlines
$9.5 Million – Ledesma v. Patel
$9.3 Million – Cedillo v. The Efim Sobol Trust
$8.3 Million – Kransky v. DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc.
$8 Million – Rastello v. City of Torrance
$7.5 Million – Rennie v. FedEx
Brian Panish in the News:
The following is a list of some of the articles in which Brian Panish is featured:
What is the value of a poor man’s life?
Brian Panish addresses The Senate Judiciary Committee
Brian Panish of Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP Top Vote Getter Among Southern California’s Personal Injury Super Lawyers
Former Fresno State footballer (Panish) gives generously to Dan Brown Legacy Fund – MedWatch Today, 9/2/10
Brian Panish and the Toyota Recall – Press Release, 6/7/10
Judge Agrees to Expand Plaintiffs Committees in Toyota MDL – The National Law Journal, 5/17/10
Brian Panish Receives #3 Ranking in 2010 List of Top 10 Southern California Super Lawyers – Press Release, 2/2/10
Personal Injury Litigators of 2010 – The National Law Journal, 2010pdf View PDF of Article
Brian Panish Talks About His Numerous Wins in Air Disaster Cases – The National Law Journal, 2010pdf View PDF of Article
The Los Angeles Area’s Best Lawyers 2006 Survey Results – West – Los Angeles Times Magazine, 11/12/06
The Top 100: California’s Leading Lawyers – The Daily Journal, 9/21/06
Profiles in Power: The 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America – The National Law Journal, 6/19/06pdfView PDF of Article
Lawyering Up Pellicano’s Victims – Deadline Hollywood Daily, 3/9/06
Does Brian Panish Ever Lose? – Super Lawyers Magazine, 2006
The Plaintiffs’ Hot List – The National Law Journal, 10/10/05pdfView PDF of Article
One of America’s Top Trial Lawyers Opens New Law Firm – Press Contact, 4/18/05
Top 10 LA County Super Lawyers – Southern California Super Lawyers, 2/05
pdfA Report On The Lawsuit Industry In California 2005 – Trial Lawyers Inc., 2005
Jury Trials in The US – Faculty of Law, University of Hong Kong, 10/11/04
The Top 100 – The Daily Journal, 10/27/03
pdfBrian Panish Interview – California Civil Jury Instructions, 2003
The Top 100…Reasons Why It’s Good That Lawyers Have Power – The Daily Journal, 9/30/02
The Top 100 – The Daily Journal, 10/29/01
WINNING – Successful Strategies from 10 of the Nation’s Leading Litigators – The National Law Journal, 2001
The Top 100: California Law Business Ranks the State’s Most Influential Attorneys for 2000 – The Daily Journal, 10/30/00
The Top 100: California Law Business Ranks the State’s Most Influential Attorneys for 1999 – The Daily Journal, 9/13/99
pdfTo Panish, Client’s Most Important – Verdicts & Settlements, 2/16/96
pdfBrian Panish named TLPJ’s Trial Lawyer of the Year – TLPJ Foundation Letter, 8/6/90
pdfATLA Meeting This Week in San Diego – California Law Business, 7/23/90
pdfLA’s Top Attorneys & Law Firms – Angeleno Magazine
Panish Leaves Greene Broillet For Own Firm – The Daily Journal
pdfPanish Among 500 Leading Lawyers – Lawdragon
pdfPanish Among 500 Leading Litigators – Lawdragon