Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP is pleased to announce attorneys Erika Contreras and David Rudorfer have been elevated to the position of partner within the firm, effective January 1, 2024.
“Both David and Erika have been valued and integral members of our firm. They are fierce advocates for our clients and leaders among their peers,” said founding partner, Brian Panish. “We are proud to now call them our partners.”
ERIKA CONTRERAS
Since joining the firm in 2011, Erika Contreras has focused her practice on catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, and motor carrier liability cases in California and Nevada. She has recovered millions of dollars in seven-figure and eight-figure results for her clients, including a $15,750,000 settlement for the mother of a 13-year-old girl who died as the result of a mismanaged asthma attack at school and a $10,000,000 settlement for a 3-year-old girl who sustained a traumatic brain injury when she fell due to inadequate railings in a stairwell.
“Being a partner is a milestone moment in my life,” said Ms. Contreras. “It’s a recognition of my hard work, dedication, and the incredible people I work with. I am grateful for the opportunity to continue to change the face of law and pave the way for future lawyers.”
Recognized by the Los Angeles Business Journal as a 2024 Leader of Influence, Ms. Contreras is a past recipient of the 2023 California Lawyer Attorney of the Year (“CLAY” Award) from the Daily Journal, a 2023 Consumer Attorneys of California Consumer Attorney of the Year finalist, as well as recipient of the 2022 Latina Trailblazer Award from the Latina Lawyers Bar Association. She has been named among the Top Women Attorneys in Southern California by Los Angeles Magazine and listed as a Southern California Super Lawyer, and among the Best Lawyers in America, since 2020.
Ms. Contreras received her bachelor’s degree from University of California Los Angeles and her Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School. Admitted to practice in California and Nevada, she serves on the Latina Lawyers Bar Association Board of Directors and is an active member of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, the Consumer Attorneys of California, the Mexican American Bar Association, and the Nevada Justice Association.
DAVID RUDORFER
Trial lawyer David Rudorfer has extensive experience handling serious injury cases involving traumatic brain injuries, spinal injuries, paralysis, and amputations as well as any injuries leading to death. Over the course of his career, he has obtained millions of dollars in landmark verdicts and settlements including a $26,000,000 jury verdict for a special needs student who was sexually assaulted by her classmates and a $39,500,000 settlement for a family devastated by a vehicle collision that caused the death of two adult sons.
“Reaching partnership is a huge accomplishment which I am very proud of,” said Mr. Rudorfer. “It’s been an amazing journey and I look forward to being the best partner I can be while continuing to make the world a safer place one case at a time.”
Named 2023 Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, Mr. Rudorfer’s skills as a trial attorney have been recognized by his peers and honored with numerous nominations including as a 2023 Consumer Attorney of the Year finalist by the Consumer Attorneys of California and a 2022 finalist for Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles Trial Lawyer of the Year.
Mr. Rudorfer graduated from the University of California Los Angeles, began his career at the firm as a law clerk in 2006, and was hired as an attorney in 2007 following graduation from Loyola Law School. He is an active member of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, the Consumer Attorneys of California, and the Los Angeles County Bar Association.