Firm Awards -

In The Recorder’s annual report of California’s top verdicts, four of the highlighted verdicts were obtained by Panish Shea & Boyle LLP – the most by any law firm. The four jury verdicts total over $75 million and all are among the top 33 highest in the state in 2012. Last year, Panish Shea & Boyle LLP was recognized by The Recorder as having five of the top verdicts in California in 2011, with awards totaling over $65 million.

The four verdicts demonstrate Panish Shea & Boyle LP’s continued ability to win significant verdicts at trial year after year. The 2012 verdicts include a $36.5 million jury verdict in a case arising from a big-rig truck crash that left a woman catastrophically injured (Sheth v. Schneider National Carriers, Inc.); a $20 million jury verdict in a case involving a hit-and-run truck crash that left a 47-year-old woman catastrophically injured (Rivas v. J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc.); a $10 million jury verdict in the death of a three-year-old boy with special needs who died on a bus ride home from school (Cisler v. Capistrano Unified School District); and a $9.3 million verdict for an injured worker in a case taken on by the firm the week before trial (Cedillo v. the Efim Sobol Trust).

The Recorder’s is a legal publication that provides attorneys and law firms with news, substantive law, profiles and practical content about the business of law both online and in a weekly publication.

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The National Law Journal (NLJ) has recognized Panish Shea & Boyle LLP as among the leading plaintiffs’ law firms in the country in its annual “Plaintiffs’ Hot List”. Only 19 law firms nationwide were chosen for the honor, and Panish Shea & Boyle is only firm on the list that is headquartered in Southern California.

According to the NLJ article published October 1, 2012, the selected firms “have done exemplary, cutting-edge work on the plaintiffs side” and “possessed an impressive track record of wins within the past three to five years” including one win between June 30, 2011, and July 1, 2012.

In the article, the NLJ highlights some of the firm’s significant victories since 2011, including a $17.845 million award in a wrongful death case involving four family members killed when a Marine jet crashed into their home, a $17 million jury verdict against the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority in the wrongful death of a visually impaired passenger, a $36.5 million jury verdict against Schneider National for a big-rig crash that left a woman with severe spinal cord injuries, and 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.

“Ensuring that our clients get the compensation and justice that they deserve is what motivates us,” said firm Partner Brian Panish. “We are proud that The National Law Journal has chosen to recognize the firm for its accomplishments over the past year.”

Panish Shea & Boyle LLP, located in Los Angeles, California, represents plaintiffs in wrongful death, catastrophic personal injury, class action, and business litigation cases. Panish Shea & Boyle LLP was also named to the NLJ’s Plaintiff’s Hot List in 2005.

You can view the full press release by clicking here.

You can read the full National Law Journal article by clicking here.

Brian Panish has been named by the Daily Journal as one of California’s Top 100 Lawyers of 2012. The list is a compilation of California attorneys “who moved the needle” and “had an impact on the legal industry, the state, the nation and the world”. Over 1000 attorneys were considered for the honor. In recognizing Mr. Panish, the Daily Journal cited to his $17 million jury verdict against the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority 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 San Diego home, and his recent $36.5 million verdict on behalf of a married couple who were injured when the car in which they were passengers was hit by a Schneider National semi-truck.

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In its April 30, 2012 edition, The Recorder highlights the top verdicts in California in 2011 and five of those verdicts were obtained by the Los Angeles personal injury law firm Panish Shea & Boyle LLP – more than any other law firm. Four of the verdicts are included among the top 30 highest California verdicts in 2011.

The five verdicts, totaling $65,396,107 in damages awards, demonstrate Panish Shea & Boyle LLP’s ability to consistently win significant verdicts at trial. The 2011 verdicts include a $17 million jury verdict against the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority 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 $14.46 million jury verdict in a wrongful death case involving a couple killed when the tire tread on their van separated resulting in the vehicle rolling over, a $13.96 million jury verdict for a truck driver who was catastrophically injured when a reckless crane operator knocked a 25,000 pound container directly onto the cab of his truck, and a $2.12 million jury verdict in the death of a man who was run over by a Bakersfield City truck while resting in a park.

The 2011 verdicts were in the following cases:

• Yoon v. USA: $17, 845,000 on December 28, 2011 in San Diego, California. The highest wrongful death award against the United States (20th highest verdict).
• Cuthbertson v. LACMTA $17,000,000 on July 29, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. The highest amount ever awarded by a California jury in the death of an adult child. (24th highest verdict)
• Barber v. Mossy Ford $14,465, 864 on January 11, 2011 in San Diego, California. One of the largest wrongful death verdicts in San Diego history. (25th highest verdict)
• Curiel v. SSA Marine $13, 961,981 on May 6, 2011 in Long Beach, California. The highest jury verdict in a Long Beach, California personal injury case. (26th highest verdict)
• Morataya v. City of Bakersfeld $2,123,262 on May 20, 2011 in Bakersfield, California. The highest personal injury jury verdict against the City of Bakersfield. (84th highest verdict)

The Recorder’s is a legal publication that provides attorneys and law firms with news, substantive law, profiles and practical content about the business of law both online and in a weekly publication.

You can view the verdicts here: The Recorder: California’s Million Dollar Verdicts

Los Angeles, January 25, 2012. In the recent 2012 Southern California Super Lawyers publication in Los Angeles Magazine, Panish Shea & Boyle LLP partner Brian Panish received the highest number of points overall among all Southern California attorneys in any practice area. Panish was also named among the Top Ten Super Lawyers in Southern California.

In 2011, Brian Panish had four multi-million dollar verdicts in personal injury and wrongful death cases, including verdicts of $17,845,000, $17,000,000, and $13,961,049. His 2011 settlements also include a $39,000,000 settlement in a malicious prosecution case against FLIR Systems, Inc. and a $20,010,000 settlement in a wrongful death and personal injury case against the State of California.

Panish Shea & Boyle LLP partners Adam Shea and Kevin Boyle and firm Director of Litigation, Hon. Peter Polos (ret.), were also named as Southern California Super Lawyers.

Super Lawyers selects attorneys for its publication on an annual basis using a three phase process, including the development of a candidate pool; the evaluation of candidates based on professional achievement and peer recognition; and peer evaluation by practice area. The final selection of Super Lawyers includes no more than 5 percent of the lawyers in the state. The firm’s attorneys have been consistently recognized as Super Lawyers and Rising Stars in the personal injury practice area over the years.

Firm attorneys have obtained more than 300 verdicts and settlements in excess of $1 million, including more than 20 verdicts and settlements of $10 million or more in the last 5 years. Panish Shea & Boyle LLP specializes in representing plaintiffs in catastrophic injury, wrongful death, products liability, and mass torts litigation.

The Consumer Attorneys of California have selected Brian Panish and Spencer Lucas among the finalists for its top annual award, the Consumer Attorney of the Year. Panish and Lucas were recognized for their landmark $13.96 million verdict in Felipe Curiel v. SSA Marine, Inc. Curiel suffered serious spinal injuries when a 25,000-pound shipping container, knocked off a stack by a port employee operating a crane, fell more than 40 feet and landed on the truck in which he was sitting. The crane operator tested positive for marijuana. The verdict in this case, along with a settlement against the same defendant in another case, has forced SSA to make safety a priority and launch a program of screening dock workers for drug and alcohol use.

From the press release:

CAOC Announces Award Finalists

CAOC President John Montevideo today announced the 10 finalists for Consumer Attorneys of California’s top annual award, the Consumer Attorney of the Year. The winner will be announced Nov. 12 at the CAOC Annual Awards Dinner to be held in conjunction with the 50th Annual CAOC Convention at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. In addition, the three finalists were announced for CAOC’s annual Street Fighter of the Year award, also to be presented that evening.

Brian Panish, Spencer Lucas and Juan Dominguez
Curiel v. SSA Marine DVC

CLEANING UP A WORKPLACE MADE DANGEROUS BY DRUG AND ALCOHOL USE

Felipe Curiel suffered serious spinal injuries when a 25,000-pound shipping container, knocked off a stack by a port employee operating a crane, fell more than 40 feet and landed on the truck in which he was sitting. The crane operator tested positive for marijuana. The attorneys filed suit against the crane operator’s employer, SSA Terminal, the largest port operator in the world, with a history of turning a blind eye to a culture of alcohol and drugs on the docks and failing to perform drug tests. The attorneys found hundreds of people at the docks have been seriously injured in recent years as a result of drug- and alcohol-related incidents. During discovery, their firm received death threats and promises of witness retaliation for exposing the port and shipping industry’s longstanding problems with substance abuse. In winning a verdict for their client that is believed to be the largest ever in Long Beach, the attorneys have forced SSA to make safety a priority and launch a program of screening dock workers for drug and alcohol use.

READ THE ENTIRE PRESS RELEASE HERE.