Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP partners Brian Panish and Erika Contreras have been named among the 2024 Top Plaintiff Lawyers in California by Daily Journal. The legal publication’s annual list recognized 49 lawyers this year who are the top performing plaintiff lawyers in California.
BRIAN PANISH
The article highlighting Mr. Panish’s work features two of his recent landmark victories — a confidential settlement obtained for the husband and son of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins who was shot and killed by Alec Baldwin on the film set of Rust, and a $135 million jury verdict in Riverside County for plaintiffs Blair Brady and Justin McGregor, two Moreno Valley Unified School District students who were sexually abused by their teacher. The plaintiffs were grown men at trial.
“This is believed to be the highest jury verdict in a sexual molestation case after the California lookback statute was enacted, enabling victims to bring claims that occur well before the statute of limitations ran,” Mr. Panish revealed in an interview with the Daily Journal. “This case helped raise the value of sexual abuse claims that happened many years ago.”
The perpetrator, Thomas Lee West, was convicted and is currently serving 53 years to life in prison in Mule Creek State Prison.
This is Mr. Panish’s 10th consecutive year of recognition as a Top Plaintiff Lawyer in California by Daily Journal. He was first named to the annual list in 2015, the inaugural year of the publication.
ERIKA CONTRERAS
Ms. Contreras has been practicing since law since 2008 and has seen firsthand the positive impact a good lawyer can have on a someone’s case. In an interview with Daily Journal, she shares how the experience solidified her desire to help people navigate tough situations.
“Any case involving children is always near and dear to my heart,” Ms. Contreras said. “I am a mother of four, a daughter, a wife, and sister first and foremost. I use that to guide me when handling these cases.”
The article highlighting Ms. Contreras’ work features two such cases — a $15.75 million wrongful death settlement against the Yucaipa-Calimesa Unified School District for the mother of Adilene Carrasco, an eighth-grade student who died from an asthma attached she suffered at school, and a $5 million wrongful death settlement for the family of Prisco Aviles who was killed when a poorly maintained metal gate came crashing through the window of his work truck.
The decedent left behind a wife and two young daughters.
To learn more, Daily Journal subscribers can view the full publication here.