Brian J. Panish

Los Angeles • Personal Injury

Brian Panish, a founding partner at Panish Shea Boyle Ravipudi LLP, has established himself as one of the country's leading trial lawyers, consistently taking on high-profile personal injury cases and securing substantial verdicts and settlements for his clients.

His leadership has been instrumental in several significant litigations, such as the Social Media Cases, Woolsey Fire, Thomas Fire, North Bay Fire Litigations, Aliso Canyon Gas Well Blowout, Asiana Airlines Crash, Olympus Superbug/CRE, DePuy ASR Hip Implant, and the Chatsworth Metrolink disaster. Notably, Panish secured a $4.9 billion verdict in Anderson v. General Motors, and he has obtained over 100 verdicts and settlements exceeding $10 million.

Earlier this year, a Central Valley court approved a landmark $32 million settlement for a child neglected by the Tulare County Child Welfare Services. J.G. v. County of Tulare, VCU286277 (Tulare Co. Super. Ct., filed Dec. 28, 2021).

Despite the county's initial denial of its duty to protect the child, Panish's determined efforts revealed that the county employees could have intervened to prevent the catastrophic harm had they utilized their available resources.

"J.G. vs. County of Tulare is significant because, in the child welfare system, infants are the most abused children," Panish said. "This case held the county of Tulare responsible for its actions and shows that the most vulnerable in our society need to be protected. People with their oversight must be held accountable for failing to fulfill that important duty of protection."

Another significant case led by Panish is the Southern California Gas Leak litigation, where he negotiated a settlement of up to $1.8 billion on behalf of over 35,000 victims affected by the largest natural gas leak in U.S. history. The settlement concluded nearly six years of intense litigation and marked one of the largest environmental tort settlements in California.

Panish has also contributed to the North Bay Fires litigation, representing plaintiffs against PG&E, which was held responsible for starting 12 of the fires leading to significant loss of life and property. Although not lead counsel, his role as a member of the Plaintiffs Executive Committee was vital.

Highlighting the need for reform, Panish stresses the importance of adequately resourcing public agencies responsible for child welfare. He insists that the government must prioritize the protection of children, especially the most vulnerable in society.

"The public agencies charged with protecting the children within the child welfare system need to give this population the time and resources they deserve to protect them," he said. "One of the duties of our government is protection of children, especially the most vulnerable in our society who need the most protection."

Panish's professional associations and honors are extensive. He is the immediate past president of the Inner Circle of Advocates, a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA).