John A. Girardi

An extremely accomplished attorney with well over four decades of diverse experience in the legal services industry, John A. Girardi has received recognition in the prestigious network of prominent professionals with Continental Who’s Who. Over the course of his brilliant career, John has consistently exhibited the passion, vision, dedication and diligence to be considered among the upper echelon of his field. As a result of his superlative body of work as well as the overwhelming amount of success he has experienced throughout his entire occupational history, John has been named as a Continental Who’s Who Pinnacle Professional among Legal Professionals.

Currently serving in the role of Partner and Attorney at Law with the Girardi and Keese law firm, he works vigorously to ensure that the needs of his clients are met and their expectations are exceeded. Beginning his career in 1972, John has tried over 100 civil jury and non-jury matters during his four plus decades of practice, representing the interests of individuals or businesses that have suffered a loss at the hands of another. One of the founding members of Girardi and Keese, John specializes in the areas of pharmaceutical litigation, government entity liability, product liability (including automobile design), toxic tort litigation, employment, negligence matters and class action lawsuits. In his role with the law firm, John is charged with the principal responsibility for handling litigation involving large groups of plaintiffs in cases involving pharmaceutical litigation, property damage, toxic exposure, construction defects and the sexual victimization of minors.

An AV Preeminent® attorney according to Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™, his phenomenal work as an attorney has led to more than 175 verdicts and settlements in excess of $1 million. Among the highlights of John’s prolific career is the case of Rhodes, et al. v. Trinity Broadcasting Network, Inc., a civil action stemming from an inebriated driver who struck a vehicle, leading to the serious injuries of the involved parties, including the eventual death of one of the plaintiffs. After almost two years of litigation, the matter was resolved for $4.5 million. In the case of Carlson, et al. vs. Southern California Edison, John helped approximately 100 homeowners win a confidential settlement in excess of eight figures due to the negligence of Southern California Edison, which resulted in serious fire damage to the plaintiffs’ homes and property in 2007 due to a wildfire in the Grass Valley section of Lake Arrowhead, California. Another important case in on John’s remarkable resume was Borbor v. Isabel Nursery School, which involved the representation of 22 children from 16 families as plaintiffs in an action against a nursery school in the Eagle Rock area of Los Angeles. Sexually victimized by the taking of inappropriate photographs, the eight-year battle led to a settlement of just under $4 million.

There was also Sundquist v. Coach USA, which was a civil action resulting from a collision of a truck and a bus on Interstate 5 in the Newhall area that caused the plaintiff to go through a series of epidural injections in the neck and back as well as two spinal surgeries. That suit resulted in a reward of $2.75 million for the plaintiff. Placing a considerable emphasis on the value of collaboration, the lawyers at Girardi and Keese meet on a regular basis to discuss cases and to share ideas. Regardless of their level of experience, there is a great deal of respect given to the knowledge of all of their attorneys, allowing them to learn from each other, whether it be one of the newest associates or a founding partner. In total, lawyers at Girardi and Keese have been responsible for the recovery of more than $10 billion in verdicts and settlements for clients who have been injured or killed because of someone else’s actions. The firm is small enough to have a synergetic, receptive work environment, yet large enough to possess the resources required to present a formidable challenge to some of the biggest companies in the world. The success the firm’s lawyers have achieved in all of their practice areas has provided them with the financial backing and courtroom credibility to guarantee the continuation of favorable outcomes. In total, Girardi and Keese has successfully recovered in excess of three billion dollars for their clients. The law firm of Girardi and Keese ensures that the necessary care and resources are provided for every case that is handled by their lawyers.

Acting as a “voice for the injured,”   the firm has been victorious in several notable cases. In 1970, they were responsible for the first million-dollar medical malpractice verdict in California. Other cases of significance include a $1.9 billion settlement for California consumers and a $25,000 verdict for a homeless man that was bitten by a dog. In addition to regular practice, pro bono work and community involvement, John has served for over a decade as a co-host of the nationally syndicated ABC radio program, The LawBusiness Insider, which features an impressive panel of best-selling authors, premier lawyers and prominent newsmakers. Some of the nation’s top attorneys appear on The LawBusiness Insider, including Gerry Spence, Roy Black, Joe Jamail, Barry Scheck, Dan Petrocelli, Tom Mesereau, Bob Shapiro, Tom Girardi and Mike Ramsey. Also making appearances on the show is Fortune Magazine’s Senior Editor at Large Allan Sloan, The New York Times Financial Editor Gretchen Morgensen, Congressman Ron Paul, CNN’s Jane Velez Mitchell and Fox Network’s TV Judge Cristina Perez. John also serves as a key contributor to California Law Today, which is an annual print publication that highlights the accomplishments of the personal injury attorneys at Girardi and Keese.

The goal of the magazine is to inform individuals in the southern California region about the legal victories that the firm’s lawyers have secured for clients who were hurt by the actions and negligence of others. In addition to containing reports on specific cases, California Law Today covers a variety of other topics, keeping the public informed about their rights and the legal system itself. Furthermore, John has been published on multiple occasions, including his article entitled, “Sargent Shriver and the Ordered Quest for Justice,” an interview he conducted with Mark Shriver for the October 2012 edition of Verdict Magazine. He also did an interview with Attorney Dicky Grigg for the October 2007 issue of Verdict Magazine. Additionally, John wrote an article entitled, “Premises Liability — What’s New for 2002,” for the July 2002 issue of The Advocate and “Proof Positive: Pornography in a Day-Care Center,” which was published in 1997 for Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment Vol. 9, No. 1. Highly respected among his peers, John has given presentations to such entities as the California Judicial College, Loyola Law School, Pepperdine Law School, Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles, Consumer Attorneys of California, the National Business Institute, the Dependency Court of Los Angeles County, California Continuing Education of the Bar, Los Angeles Superior Court, the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel and the Los Angeles County Bar Association.

On top of the substantial amount of expertise he has gained through his vast professional experience, John is a highly educated individual who earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame. He then went on to earn his Juris Doctor from the Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, where he graduated with Honors and became a member of the International Legal Honor Society of Phi Delta Phi. Due to his professional proficiency, John has been the recipient of various accolades over the years, including being honored as a Distinguished Alumnus of Loyola Law School, where he serves on the Board of Overseers; Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association; Southern California SuperLawyers since 2006 by Los Angeles Magazine; and one of the Top 100 Lawyers in Southern California in the area of personal injury. Additionally, he has been nominated for Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles and the Consumer Attorneys of California. He was also the recipient of a Presidential Award of Merit from the Consumer Attorneys of California in 2008 and recognized for Outstanding Volunteer Contributions for Alternative Dispute Resolution by the Los Angeles County Superior Court in 2009. Further evidencing his remarkable reputation in his field, John has been affiliated with numerous national and international professional societies, including the American Bar Association, the American Board of Trial Advocates, the American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys, the Italian-American Bar Association, the Irish-American Bar Association, the American Association for Justice, Consumer Attorneys of California, Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, the Beverly Hills Bar Association, Attorneys Information Exchange Group, the South Bay Bar Association, the Orange County Bar Association and the Los Angeles Superior Court Arbitration Committee.

Additionally, John served on the Los Angeles County Superior Court Arbitration Committee from 1988-1991 and the Board of Directors for the Association of Business Trial Lawyers from 2009-2012. He was also part of the Coalition of Concerned Legal Professionals’ Board of Advisors from 1998-2015 and the Consumer Attorneys of California’s Legislative Review Committee from 1987-2015 and on its Board of Governors in 1987 and 1988, as well as from 2005-2012. Always looking to give back to the community when the opportunity presents itself, John has been recognized for his work as a volunteer mediator by the Los Angeles County Superior Court. He is also one of the founding Board members of the Immigrant Justice Clinic at Loyola Law School, and since 2004, he has served on the Board of the Save the Children Action Network, a national organization advocating on behalf of children’s issues. In addition, he serves as President of the Los Angeles Chapter of the National Football Foundation and Co-Chair of the Advisory Board of Loyola Productions, Inc., as well as Board Secretary of the Pacific Institute for Community Organization. 

 

Together with his wife Denise, John has two sons, who have been a great source of pride over the years. Their son Patrick, who has worked with the UCLA football program since 2008, has served in the role of Director of Player Personnel for the past three years. Their son Vincent, who earned a Master of Professional Studies degree in Sports Industry Management from Georgetown University, most recently served as a Graduate Volunteer for the Georgetown University football program. After more than four decades of continuous success as a substantial figure in his field, which has included an enormous amount of momentous achievements, it is quite apparent that John has an indisputably considerable knowledge of what is necessary in order to be prosperous in a professional environment. While John has already achieved a great deal of success throughout his celebrated career, he remains focused on the positive impact he can have on the world in the present as well as in the future. Quite appreciative for the good fortune he has attained during his career, John gives a lot of credit his parents, Al and Jane, who provided him with a massive amount of support over the years.