Most lawyers choose this profession. I was born in it, molded by it.

Growing up, my mom and dad ran a small law firm in mid-City Wilshire in Los Angeles. As a young kid, it was not unusual to find me poking around at the office during afterschool hours. There, I used to watch different people from all walks of life come in and out of the doors. My dad was also a pro tem judge. He would often take me to court with him where he would let me sit in the front row of the gallery. The people in court wore spiffy suits and used fancy words that I didn’t understand. It was a big, scary place where people were so formal – even my dad looked intimidating wearing a jet-black robe. I didn’t realize it at the time, but the courtroom he introduced me to at such a young age, would later become home.

One day, when I was about 8 or 9 years old, I watched the conference room door open. A middle-aged man walked out. He had a kind looking, but weather-beaten face. My dad followed shortly after him and gave him a grin. “Congratulations, I am happy for you”, my dad said. The man’s eyes looked wet. “Thank you” he whispered back. He hesitated like he wanted to give my dad a hug, but as if his better judgment got the best of him, he awkwardly stuck his hand out instead. The two shook hands and parted ways. When the man left, I went into the conference room by myself. Inside, there was a box of pears and an envelope with $50 inside. I asked my mom what had happened and all she explained to me was that the man had come to pay what he could. Since mom and dad were okay with it, I didn’t think anything of it.

Twenty years later, I went to law school. Besides learning the black letter law, law school impressed upon me a desire for power: you would never be a big successful attorney unless you got one of the highly coveted jobs working for powerful people and corporations. But the story of the man who had paid my parents with a box of pears and fifty bucks had stuck with me. I remember thinking how my mom and dad had gotten it wrong. How could you devote your life to representing poor, weak people? There was no respect – no glory or honor in that. I told myself that I was not going to make that same mistake.

After law school, I got my first job representing a powerful Fortune 50 company. My friends would introduce me as a “corporate attorney” and I noticed that people treated me differently. I liked the new feeling of power and respect. I remember sometimes thinking that, unlike my mom and dad, I had made it.

My dad passed away unexpectedly and suddenly in 2014 at only 62 years old. The funeral was packed. The pews were filled, attendees lined the walls, and even poured out onto the sidewalks outside the church we attended. The church was overflowing with people whose lives had been touched by my dad. As I stood there and looked at all of the different faces, most of whom I had never seen before, I realized at that moment that I had gotten it all wrong. Mom and dad had been right all along: real strength comes from the dying breed of warriors who are willing to stand up for the voiceless when no one else will – regardless of whether they only have pears and fifty bucks to offer. I quit my job representing the powerful and rich.

Integrity. Grit. Compassion. Advocacy.
These were the core values my mom and dad imprinted on my two brothers and me – and which I hope to imprint on my three children. These are also the same values that I take with me as both a sword and a shield, whenever I go to battle for a client. My love of the courtroom was what brought me to the practice of law nearly a decade ago, but doing right by people is something that is woven into my DNA.

Notable Settlements and Verdicts:
For nearly a decade, Brian has helped recover more than $100 million for individuals with life-altering injuries, which include:

  • $45,000,000 – Verdict in wrongful death/negligence case (Rachel Fernandez vs. State of California).
  • $12,500,000 – Settlement in premises liability/negligence case resulting in traumatic brain injury against one of the largest pharmacy store chains in U.S.
  • $11,000,000 – Settlement in motor vehicle versus pedestrian collision involving near amputated leg while client was pushing disabled vehicle on the freeway.
  • $10,000,000 – Verdict in traumatic brain injury case involving a motor vehicle collision (Antonio Pureco v. David De La Torre Carillo).
  • $5,975,000 – Settlement in premises liability case involving permanent disfigurement caused by burn injuries in a condominium fire.
  • $3,250,000 – Settlement in wrongful death/premises liability and ADA case against major open-air outlet mall in California.
  • $3,000,000 – Verdict in wrongful death/vehicle negligence case (Estate of Oscar F. Palma v. Frank McKenzie, et al.).
  • $3,000,000 – Settlement in sexual battery case involving an A-List celebrity.
  • $2,500,000 – Settlement in wrongful death/medical malpractice case against Beverly Hills plastic surgeon.
  • $2,050,000 – Verdict in wrongful death/vehicle negligence case (Estate of Eleanor Minami v. Sonia Ekmakji).
  • $2,000,000 – Settlement for 79 year old woman struck on the head by a canopy/tent pole while at an outdoor event and suffered a mild traumatic brain injury .
  • $1,960,000 – Settlement against the State of California in a road defect case resulting in mild traumatic brain injury.
  • $1,250,000 – Settlement in a mild traumatic brain injury case involving a motor vehicle versus motorcyclist collision in San Diego, CA.
  • $1,000,000 – Settlement in a motor vehicle versus pedestrian case while client was under the influence of methamphetamines.
  • $1,000,000 – Settlement in police shooting case against confidential police agency.
  • $1,000,000 – Settlement for bicyclist who was sideswiped by a commercial truck resulting in back injury requiring lumbar surgery.
  • $900,000 – Settlement for client who suffered back injury requiring lumbar surgery caused by collapsed asphalt due to negligent excavating.
  • $860,000 – Settlement for driver and passenger who was struck by commercial vehicle resulting in permanent back injuries.
  • $843,910 – Verdict for 68 year old woman involved in motor vehicle collision causing injuries requiring lumbar surgery (Noemi Lalama v. Dominic Manzella).
  • $750,000 – Settlement for elderly client who sustained hip fracture from moving taxicab while being loading into vehicle.
  • Numerous other six and seven figure verdicts and settlements.

Education and Honors:

  • Loyola Law School, Los Angeles (2011)
  • Loyola Marymount University (2004)

Since 2018, Los Angeles Magazine recognized Brian as a Southern California “Rising Star” an honor reserved for lawyers under the age of 40 who exhibit excellence in practice. Only 2.5% of attorneys in Southern California receive this distinction.

Admissions:

  • State Bar of California
  • United States District Court – Central District
  • United States District Court – Eastern District
  • United States District Court – Northern District
  • United States District Court – Southern District