Brian J. Panish

Personal Injury

Trial lawyer Brian J. Panish is used to being in the thick of some of the nation’s most prominent personal injury cases, whether it’s representing victims of the Aliso Canyon natural gas leak or the deadly Woolsey fire. His recent caseload is no exception.

A founding partner of Los Angeles-based Panish Shea Boyle Ravipudi LLP, he and his team are representing the husband and son of “Rust” cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in their wrongful death lawsuit. Hutchins v. Rust Movie Productions, Alexander Baldwin, et al., D-101-CV-2022-00244 (1st Dist. New Mex., filed Feb. 15, 2022). The complaint alleges actor Alec Baldwin and other defendants are responsible for Hutchins’ on-set death in October 2021 because they failed to take necessary firearm precautions.

“A lot of rules were broken for that to happen,” said Panish, explaining the film crew cut corners to keep the low-budget Western on schedule.

Meanwhile, Panish and his team recently secured a $39.5 million settlement on behalf of a California State University San Bernardino student who suffered a severe brain injury, cardiac arrest and multisystem organ failure after experiencing heatstroke during an outdoor college class. The February 2021 settlement deal includes a condition that the university system develop and implement a heat illness prevention policy across its 23 campuses. Freeman v. Board of the Trustees of the California State University, CIVDS1902640 (San Bern. Sup. Ct. filed Jan. 25, 2022). Panish’s wins haven’t gone unnoticed. He’s completing his second year as president of the Inner Circle of Advocates, an invitation-only organization of U.S. plaintiff trial attorneys who’ve won a physical injury or death case with a million-dollar verdict. Membership is limited to just 100 lawyers at any time.

“It’s really been a great thing to be a part of,” Panish said. “It’s like being invited into the world’s greatest law firm.”

He will remain on the organization’s board when his presidential term is up in August 2022.

Panish said he owes his successes to a willingness to learn every day. For example, he recently passed the state bar exam of Nevada alongside his daughter, Diana R. Panish. Panish said the new jurisdiction will further his firm’s work in the neighboring state.

– Jennifer McEntee