Alexander

For more than 30 years, Mary Alexander and her plaintiff-side boutique, Mary Alexander & Associates, has been a powerhouse player in the sexual assault, wrongful death, clergy abuse, premises liability and catastrophic personal injury realm.

"Most lawyers take on a case -- a few take on a cause," reads a motto on her online profile.

"That absolutely sums me up," Alexander said. "That's my whole career and why I went to law school."

In mid-August, Alexander was elated at having just defeated a defendant's summary judgment motion in a sexual abuse complaint against Big Brothers Big Sisters of America for failing in its special relationship with a child on an overnight trip. The case involved an excursion to Yosemite during which a counselor -- who was a parent -- raped the plaintiff. Jane Doe v. Doe 1 et al., CGC-22-598308 (S.F. Super. Ct., filed Feb. 23, 2022).

Trial in the case is set for Sept. 30. "It's very difficult to hold these organizations like the Boy Scouts and soccer leagues and such accountable," Alexander said.

In a new case, Alexander represents a man stabbed multiple times at a bar in Pomona. The claim is for negligence and a failure to protect patrons by the venue and its security provider, Allied Universal Security Services, whose safety plan did not include a metal detector. Villegas v. The Derby Room et al., 24STCV19795 (L.A. Super. Ct., filed Aug. 7, 2024).

"There was no proper screening at the door," she said. "They checked bags, but there was no wand or walk-through detector, and a large knife got through."

She said premises liability cases can be interesting. "There are rules for public safety when you invite people into a place where alcohol is served."

Alexander's reputation and track record sometimes helps her to conclude cases swiftly. When two young children were orphaned by the death of their parents in an auto accident in Yolo County, she discovered that the truck that caused the crash was driven by the intoxicated son of a construction company owner. Afzili et al., by and through their guardian ad litem v. Poletti et al., PR2022-0099 (Yolo Co. Super. Ct., filed Oct. 15, 2023).

The son had been arrested for a DUI two weeks earlier and had a prior similar conviction on his record. Alexander negotiated a $6 million settlement without filing a complaint. "It was a negligent entrustment case," she said. "They were risking a trial and a larger verdict that could have cost them their business. That's the pressure I put on them."

In another case where the parties are anonymous, Alexander obtained a seven-figure settlement for her client, the victim of a defective product that caused serious injuries, without the defense requiring the client to go through a medical examination or give a deposition.

"I convinced the other side that a public trial would be detrimental to their name and business and reputation," Alexander said.

--John Roemer