Lawyering Up Pellicano's Victims

Deadline Hollywood Daily
By Nikki Finke

March 9, 2006

I've learned that two high profile Westside Los Angeles litigators, Neville Johnson (of the firm Johnson and Rishwain) and Brian Panish (of Panish Shea & Boyle) are meeting with many victims of the Pellicano wiretapping scandal to jointly represent them. Remember last month's LA Times story speculating how costly these cases could be if deep pocketed cities like Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, or fancy-shmancy law firms, or super-rich Pellicano clients were found liable in some way for The Pelican's deeds? Well, Johnson was quoted by the paper warning that the damages could be vast. (Cuba Gooding Jr. should be shouting, "Show me the money!")

Quick bios are in order. Expectedly, both attorneys are well-awarded.

Johnson is a foremost go-to guy for invasion-of-privacy torts, especially against the media. He repped Carolyn Condit (wife of Cong. Gary Condit) in a libel lawsuit against the National Enquirer that was settled for a secret amount. He's sued ABC for its newsmagazine shows' tactic of using hidden cameras. Most recently, Johnson is leading indie label TSR Records' antitrust lawsuit against Sony BMG Music Entertainment; it's an outgrowth of the music giant's settlement of those pesky payola allegations. His firm takes on many such David vs Goliath cases even though it's much more common here to embrace Goliath and kiss off David.

Panish is best known as the lead plaintiffs' lawyer who brought General Motors to its knees in 1999 over secret documents and memos stemming from fuel-tank fires that erupted in collisions. He scored a $4.9 billion jury award, forcing the auto maker to eventually settle a string of accident related-personal injury lawsuits. More recently, Panish was the plaintiffs' lawyer when an Orange County jury ordered the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway to pay $2.8 million to the parents of a commuter who died in a 2002 Metrolink accident. But that's peanuts compared to the largest ever San Francisco jury award of $27 million he secured for the family of a 4-year-old girl hit by a Muni truck. Panish also is repping victims and families against the City of Santa Monica for that accident when a car driven by an 88-year-old man plowed through a crowded farmers market, killing 10 and injuring 63.

Train Accidents Product Defects Bus Accidents Business Litigation Aviation Disasters Pharmaceutical Litigation Corporate Fraud Government Liability General Personal Injury Wrongful Death Automotive / Tire Defects ATV/ Rhino Rollovers More Practice Areas

Latest Firm News

Tilton v. Sempra - $15 million verdict for brain injury to minor resulting from a power company truck hitting a family vehicle.

Dominguez v. San Francisco - $21 million settlement while case was on appeal. Wrongful death of 4 year-old girl. Largest settlement ever paid by San Francisco.

Contreras v. State of California - $9 million settlment for amputation caused by a damaged freeway guardrail.

Don Gino Dominguez v. South Central Los Angeles Regional Care Center - $2 million verdict for wrongful death of a mentally and physically disabled 39 year-old man. Health care center left man unsupervised and he choked to death.

Doe v. Driver - $5.5 million settlement for death of pedestrian in an auto accident.

Doe v. Oil Refinery - $6.2 Million settlement for wrongful death and personal injury caused by the collapse of tank floating roof.

Avila v. Dresick Farms - $5.64 million dollar jury verdict for girl injured in truck v. van collision. Believed to be the largest verdict in the history of Imperial County, California.

Konrad, et al. v. Hewlett-Packard - Lawsuit filed against Hewlett-Packard for pretexting journalists and their families

Chief Warrant Officers v. Boeing, et al. - $13.55 million settlement for Army maintenance officers severely injured in the crash of Apache Longbow helicopter on a maintenance test flight during Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq.

Does v. Doe Auto Manufacturer: confidential multimillion dollar settlement on behalf of a family involved in on-road rollover of sport utility vehicle.

Does v. Van Manufacturer and Rental Company - Confidential multi-million dollar settlement on behalf of the survivors and family members of 14 church group members involved in a fifteen passenger van rollover.

Hill v. Titan Tire - Confidential multi-million dollar settlement for a 42 year old man who sustained brain injuries following a tire failure on his vehicle.

Dominguez v. San Francisco - $27.4 Million Verdict - Mother and 6 others witnessed a city truck driver run over her daughter on a sidewalk. City completely denied responsibility. Largest verdict ever against the City of San Francisco.

Sherman v. Courrege - $25.5 Million Verdict - Wrongful death of mother, father, and son hit by a drunk driver.

Sorenson v. Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway - $2.8 Million Verdict - Plaintiffs were parents of a 48 year-old man killed when a freight train crashed into a commuter train.

Doe v. Auto Manufacturer - Major Confidential Settlement Fuel fed fire caused by defectively designed 15 passenger van rollover. Many occupants killed or severely burned.

Flores v. Continental Tire - Major Confidential Settlement - Woman sustained paraplegia when the right rear tire on the family's Ford Windstar van experienced a tread belt separation, causing the vehicle to roll over.

Panish, Shea & Boyle on TV - The trial attorneys at Panish, Shea & Boyle have been on numerous televisions shows because of their involvement in many high profile cases.