EDUCATION

University of Southern California (USC), J.D.
University of Southern California (USC), B.S.L.

AWARDS

Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles
Member/Inductee, Hall of Fame, 2006

Los Angeles Trial Lawyers Association (Now known as Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles)
Trial Lawyer of the Year, 1985

California Trial Attorney’s Association (Now known as Consumer Attorneys of California)
Chapter President of the Year, 1973

Consumer Attorneys of California
Certificate of Recognition in trial practice, professional negligence, product liability, personal injury and bad faith insurance.

LexisNexis Register of Pre-eminent Lawyers
Named a 2009 pre-eminent Lawyer. Fewer than 5% of all law firms in America receive this distinction.

Los Angeles Magazine and Law & Politics
Recognized as a “Super Lawyer” by Los Angeles Magazine and Law & Politics 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019

AREAS OF PRACTICE

Mr. Jacobs’ firm and practice is limited to the REPRESENTATION OF PLAINTIFFS– those people and their families who have been killed, suffered major injuries, are paralyzed, brain injured or somehow been victimized. Approximately 90% of the cases in his office are referred to him from other lawyers (or law firms, legal profession). The cases Mr. Jacobs agrees to handle are complex and often involve fighting powerful companies or corporations with clients who have catastrophic injuries. The firm’s criteria for acceptance of a case is very strict. As such, the firm maintains a very small caseload thereby enabling Mr. Jacobs to be personally involved in all aspects of the cases he commits to handle.

MARTINDALE-HUBBELL RATING: AV

ACHIEVEMENTS

Mr. Jacobs has tried in excess of 145 JURY TRIALS to verdict and has obtained numerous seven and eight figure verdicts and settlements on behalf of his clients. He is one of a few actively practicing members of the Los Angeles Trial Lawyers “Hall of Fame” and continues to regularly and successfully engage in jury trials involving major complex cases. Mr. Jacobs is one of the original Plaintiff trial lawyers holding the rank of “diplomate” (the highest ranking) in the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA).

A FEW OF HIS CASES ARE SUMMARIZED BELOW:

• $21,600,000 product liability judgment against a SUV manufacturer on behalf of a 47 year old quadriplegic involved in a rollover and roof crush freeway accident…
• $20,000,000 settlement from governmental entity, general contractor and resident engineering firm on behalf of 24 year old driver of an SUV who lost control of her vehicle because of negligent implementation of a traffic control plan and lack of proper guard rail…
• $18,400,000 settlement from a school district on behalf of a 15 year old who was rendered a quadriplegic when he engaged in “horseplay” on the athletic field…
• $17,000,000 judgment following trial and appeal on behalf of widow for bad faith failure to pay life insurance benefit…
• $16,654,343 verdict after trial for a 50 year old cameraman/news reporter injured in a helicopter crash…
• $8,100,000 verdict after trial for young man suffering third degree disfiguring burns due to electrical fire…
• $7,500,000 verdict following trial for a female rendered a quadriplegic as the result of fatigue failure of after market aluminum wheel…
• $7,350,000 verdict following trial for bad faith denial of insurance benefits after rear-end accident…
• $7,100,000 verdict following trial and appeal for 16 year old paraplegic shot by gang members while on premises of community center…
• $5,800,000 verdict after trial for 15 year old quadriplegic who dove into shallow water from houseboat while under the supervision of defendants…
• $5,700,000 wrongful death verdict following trial and appeal for single father of a 9 year old killed in car vs truck accident. One of the highest jury verdicts for the death of a minor or adult child in California which was paid with full interest following denial of full appeal.
  $5,080,249 judgment following a jury verdict in a wrongful death of a 55 year old husband leaving a 55 year old wife and two adult sons in their twenties…
• $4,550,000 settlement of wrongful death of 37 year old husband and father of two children with limited life expectancy due to pre-existing heart disease…
• $4,402,119 jury verdict in a wrongful death case on behalf of 64 year old mother and 71 year old father for the

AFFILIATIONS

State Bar of California

American Board of Trial Advocates
Rank of Diplomate
Senior Life Fellow

Litigation Council of America
Fellow

Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (Formerly know as Los Angeles Trial Lawyers Association)
President, 1972

Consumer Attorneys of California (Formerly known as California Trial Lawyers Association)
Secretary, 1975
Board of Governors, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1979

Los Angeles Superior Court
Special Settlement Officer

American Association for Justice

PUBLICATIONS

Editor: “Dynamic Jury Arguments”, California Trial Lawyers Association, 1979, Vol. I and II, 1983, Vol. III and IV
Editor: “Courtroom Persuasion”, California Trial Lawyers Association Forum
Founder of the Advocate and Associate Editor thereof: “Tips, Tactics & Strategy”, Advocate, Los Angeles Trial Lawyers Association
Co-Author: “Malicious Prosecution – A Response to Assault with a Deadly Lawsuit! A Wrong in Search of a Remedy”, 53 L.A. Bar Journal 10 (July 1977)
Over 100 articles related to civil tort trial practice

SEMINARS

Mr. Jacobs has participated as a speaker, moderator and seminar chairman in excess of 100 seminars involving the area of torts, including bad faith and trial practice for the following organizations:
CALIFORNIA CONTINUING EDUCATION OF THE BAR, PRACTICING LAW INSTITUTE, CALIFORNIA TRIAL LAWYERS ASSOCIATION, NEW MEXICO TRIAL LAWYERS ASSOCIATION, UTAH TRIAL LAWYERS ASSOCIATION, LOS ANGELES TRIAL LAWYERS ASSOCIATION, VENTURA TRIAL LAWYERS ASSOCIATION, SAN DIEGO TRIAL LAWYERS ASSOCIATION, ORANGE COUNTY TRIAL LAWYERS ASSOCIATION, POMONA-SAN BERNARDINO-RIVERSIDE TRIAL LAWYERS ASSOCIATION, BELLI TORT SEMINAR, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA DEFENSE LAWYERS ASSOCIATION, AMERICAN REINSURANCE COMPANY, PRUDENTIAL INSURANCE COMPANY, MUTUAL PROTECTION TRUST COOPERATE OF AMERICAN PHYSICIANS, INC.

Topics include:
Opening Statements; Closing Arguments; Modern Voir Dire Techniques; Trial of a Wrongful Death Breadwinner Case; Trial of a Child Wrongful Death Case; Arguing Damages in a Quadriplegic or Paraplegic Case; the Brain Damaged Plaintiff; Trying a Loss of Limb Case; Single Vehicle Collisions; Calculating and Proving Damages in Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Cases; Demonstrative Evidence: its Use and Abuse; Bad Faith Litigation and Insured Versus Insurer Disputes; Arguing Punitive Damages; Investigation of the Substantial Injury Case; Cross-examining the Defense Medical Doctor; Collateral Attack of Defense Experts; Direct Examination of the Plaintiff’s Witness; Motions in Limine and Trial Brief Techniques; Jury Dynamics: Psychological and Tactical Approaches; Defending a Deposition; Countering the Defense Attack on Plaintiff’s Economist; Combatting Computer Animations; Settlement Techniques for Substantial Cases.

EXPERT WITNESS

Mr. Jacobs has been retained on numerous occasions by both plaintiff and defense interests in various areas of law including but not limited to legal malpractice, medical malpractice, insurance bad faith, product liabilities, legal ethics.