Mike Arias is the founding and managing partner of Arias Sanguinetti Wang & Torrijos LLP. He is a past president of both the Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC) and Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA), two of the largest trial lawyer associations in the nation.
Numerous publications and peer organizations have recognized Mr. Arias as one of the top trial attorneys in the nation. In 2022, he was named a California Lawyer of the Year by the Daily Journal. He was named a CAOC Trial Lawyer of the Year in 2021. The Daily Journal has also honored him as one of the Top 30 Plaintiff Attorneys in California every year since 2018 as well as one of the Top 100 Attorneys in California in 2019, 2021 and 2022. The National Law Journal honored him in 2020 as a Plaintiff Trailblazer and LawDragon has recognized him as one of the Top 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumers Lawyers in 2019 and 2020.
During his 40+ year career, he has litigated and tried matters throughout the United States in both state and federal court. He has served as lead, co-lead, or liaison counsel in well over 100 class and mass tort/plaintiff actions, including actions against some of the largest corporations and institutions in the nation.
He was co-liaison counsel for the plaintiffs in the University of Southern California/Dr. George Tyndall litigation on behalf of over 700 women who were sexually abused and assaulted by the disgraced USC OB/GYN. He was instrumental in obtaining legislation to allow the survivors to pursue their claims and which ultimately led to a historic $852 million settlement, the largest known settlement in a sexual abuse case in U.S. history, as well as the largest-known personal injury settlement against a university.
His trial experience is as diverse as the firm’s practice. His last several trials have included serious personal injury, wrongful death, employment, consumer class actions and mass wage and hour claims. He has recently resolved several class actions and mass plaintiff matters involving antitrust, toxic torts, consumer, wage and hour, environmental issues, product liability and sexual assault. During his career he has resolved hundreds of matters, resulting in well over a billion dollars in recovery for the firm’s clients.
Mr. Arias is very involved in political fundraising and has been integral in helping bring greater representation and equity throughout the political arena through his fundraising efforts on behalf of consumer-friendly political candidates for state and federal offices nationwide.
He is admitted to practice law in California, New York, New Jersey, and the District of Columbia. He also is admitted before numerous federal courts throughout the country. He holds an “AV” rating by Martindale-Hubbell. The “AV” rating is the highest rating given and is awarded only upon reaching “heights” of professional excellence, both in terms of legal ability and ethical standards.
