Our credentials

U.S. Court of Appeal

The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, sometimes referred to simply as the Ninth Circuit, is one of the thirteen federal appellate courts. The court was established in 1891. It is by far the largest appellate court, with 29 posts. The court is headquartered at the James R. Browning Federal Courthouse in San Francisco, California, but meets at locations throughout the Ninth Circuit. The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has jurisdiction over the district courts in Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Guam, and the Northern Marianas Islands.

U.S. Court of Federal Claims

The United States Court of Federal Claims is a court of record with national jurisdiction. The United States Court of Federal Claims was recreated in October 1982 by the Federal Courts Improvement Act pursuant to Article 1 of the United States Constitution. The court consists of sixteen judges nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate for a term of fifteen years. The Court of Federal Claims is authorized to hear primarily money claims founded upon the Constitution, federal statutes, executive regulations, or contracts, express or implied in fact, with the United States.

California State Bar

Created by the state legislature in 1927, the State Bar is a public corporation within the judicial branch of government, serving as an arm of the California Supreme Court. All State Bar members are officers of the court. Membership in The State Bar of California affords attorneys the right and privilege of practicing law in this state. The bar’s integrated network of functions and services — many of them mandated by law — protects the public and assists attorneys in meeting their professional obligations.

U.S. Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of the United States (sometimes colloquially known as “SCOTUS”) is the highest federal court of the United States. Established pursuant to Article III of the United States Constitution in 1789, it has ultimate (and largely discretionary) appellate jurisdiction over all federal courts and over state court cases involving issues of federal law, plus original jurisdiction over a small range of cases. In the legal system of the United States, the Supreme Court is the final interpreter of federal constitutional law, although it may only act within the context of a case in which it has jurisdiction.

U.S. Federal Court

The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, known informally as the D.C. Circuit, is the federal appellate court for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Appeals from the D.C. Circuit, as with all the U.S. Courts of Appeals, are heard on a discretionary basis by the Supreme Court. The court is given the responsibility of directly reviewing the decisions and rulemaking of many federal independent agencies of the United States government based in the national capital, often without prior hearing by a district court.

U.S. Federal Court of California

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California (USAO) is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the Central District of California. This includes criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits by and against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers.

Top 50 Settlements in California

For the settlement amount received in the case of Anthony Weber v. LA County Sheriff Department, Attorney Gregory Y. Yates was honored with this award. TopVerdict presented this award for the top 50 settlements obtained in California in the year 2019. The list is comprised of cases filed either in a state or federal court, and those settled prior to commencing a lawsuit. Recognized law firms, attorneys, and their top legal victories are listed under the corresponding year and jurisdiction.

Martindale-Hubbell Preeminent Attorney

Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™, the gold standard in attorney ratings, have recognized lawyers for their strong legal ability and high ethical standards for more than a century. Attorneys looking to refer a client, as well as individuals researching lawyers for their own legal needs, use these ratings to identify, evaluate and select the most appropriate lawyer for their legal issue. Martindale-Hubbell Client Review Ratings provide the perspective of the client: Who better to describe the services and counsel that lawyers or law firms offer than those who previously retained them? Taken together, peer review ratings and client review ratings deliver a comprehensive view of a lawyer’s legal abilities and service and benefit the entire legal community.

Best Attorneys of America

The attorney directory of Rue Ratings’ Best Attorneys of America® is becoming one of the most celebrated and respected groups of attorneys in the country. Membership is extremely selective, carefully screened and limited to the most qualified and accomplished attorneys in the United States. With these high standards, less than one percent (1%) of the attorneys of America have been invited to be a member of Rue Ratings’ Best Attorneys of America.

Million Dollar Advocates Forum

Established in 1993, the Million Dollar Advocates Forum (which includes the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum) is one of the most prestigious groups of trial lawyers in the United States. Membership is limited to attorneys who have won million and multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements. There are over 4000 members throughout the country. Fewer than 1% of U.S. lawyers are members.

The National Top 100 Trial Lawyers

The National Trial Lawyers: Top 100 is an invitation-only organization composed of the premier trial lawyers from each state or region who meet stringent qualifications as civil plaintiff and/or criminal defense trial lawyers. Selection is based on a thorough multi-phase objective and uniformly applied process which includes peer nominations combined with third-party research. Membership is extended only to the select few of the most qualified attorneys from each state or region who demonstrate superior qualifications of leadership, reputation, influence, stature and public profile measured by objective and uniformly applied standards in compliance with state bar and national Rule 4-7.

Nations Top One Percent

The National Association of Distinguished Counsel is an organization dedicated to promoting the highest standards of legal excellence. The mission of the NADC is to objectively recognize the attorneys who elevate the standards of the Bar and provide a benchmark for other lawyers to emulate. By virtue of the incredible selectivity of our research process, only the elite few are invited to join the ranks of the NADC. Specifically, less than 1% of practicing attorneys in the United States are members of the “Nation’s Top Attorneys”. The recipients of this prestigious award have demonstrated the highest ideals of the legal profession.

California Lawyer of the Year

Now California Lawyer, established in 1980, is a magazine combining legal news, case commentary, and coverage of technology and business trends. Each issue includes news, reviews, profiles and opinion. Each spring, the magazine announces the recipients of the California Lawyer Attorney of the Year (C.L.A.Y.) awards, an accolade for California attorneys.

American Board of Trial Advocates

The American Board of Trial Advocates is a national association of experienced trial lawyers and judges dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the civil jury trial right provided by the Seventh Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Since 1958, ABOTA has worked to uphold the jury system and to elevate the standards of integrity, civility and professionalism in the legal profession.

Avvo

Avvo.com is an online legal services marketplace. Avvo offers on-demand, affordable legal advice through Avvo Advisor, which delivers an Avvo-rated, experienced lawyer for 15 minutes over the phone, available online or via a free app for iOS devices. In the Avvo Q&A forum, consumers can get their legal questions answered for free by more than 250,000 participating lawyers or search more than 8 million previously asked questions and attorney-provided answers. The Avvo lawyer directory provides Avvo-rated profiles, client reviews, and peer endorsements for 97 percent of all lawyers in the United States. The Avvo attorney directory may also include client reviews, disciplinary actions, and peer endorsements. The website also includes lawyer-submitted legal guides.