Mike Arias

Personal Injury, Sexual Assault & Harassment, Employment Law, Class Action, Wrongful Death, & Consumer Protection

Whether it’s battling major institutions that failed to protect innocent people or helping individual clients, Mike Arias said he gains the most satisfaction from winning cases for those whose lives have been turned upside down.

With a career spanning more than three decades, Arias has obtained eight- and nine-figure verdicts and settlements in employment, sexual assault, personal injury and mass tort lawsuits and class actions.

But winning a big verdict doesn’t necessarily make someone a good trial lawyer, Arias said. The best trial lawyers, he said, have the ability to connect with their clients, and many have struggled in their own lives, which makes them more relatable.

“You don’t see too many silver spoon lawyers who are great trial lawyers,” he said.

And as a top plaintiffs’ attorney, Arias is known for his ability to relate to his clients. He said he loves being able to pick those who truly need his help.

“I go to bed every night and sleep like a baby because I don’t have to represent somebody I don’t believe in,” he said.

Arias made headlines in 2018 when he served as co-liaison counsel for the plaintiffs in the case against USC and its campus gynecologist, Dr. George Tyndall, who was accused of sexually assaulting more than 700 female students at the university.

The case resulted in a historic $852 million settlement.

“This case was especially important because of the length of time and the magnitude, with so many women affected,” he said. “These women trusted that person with an intimate part of their body and when that person violates you, it’s very hard to trust again. A lot of these victim survivors have a hard time trusting people.”

Arias said he hopes the settlement will send a message to other institutions to change policies to focus on protection and prevention.

“We need to have policies put in place to prevent this from happening in the first place,” he said. “There shouldn’t be a victim No. 1.”

– Kelly Puente