LOS ANGELES, Calif. — May 2026 — Attorneys from Arias Sanguinetti and co-counsel have been recognized with a prestigious 2026 California Lawyer Attorneys of the Year (“CLAY”) Award for their work securing an historic $828 million settlement on behalf of survivors sexually abused while housed in Los Angeles County juvenile halls and probation camps.
The recognition honors the legal team’s work in Jane BP1-B Doe, et al. v. Doe 1, et al., Los Angeles County Superior Court Case No. 22STCV25961, a landmark case that resulted in one of the highest average per-plaintiff recoveries ever achieved in a sexual abuse case against a government entity. The settlement resolved claims on behalf of approximately 414 survivors, with average recoveries exceeding $2 million per plaintiff.
The award recognized the work of Mike Arias, founding and managing partner; Sahar Malek, partner; as well as co-counsel. The litigation exposed decades of alleged abuse and systemic failures inside Los Angeles County juvenile facilities, with some allegations dating back to the 1950s.
A defining moment in the litigation came when Arias and his team decided to separate their clients from the initial global settlement discussions involving thousands of claims. After evaluating the proposed framework, the team pursued an independent litigation strategy focused on trial preparation and survivor-centered advocacy. That approach ultimately led to the record-setting settlement approved by the court in April 2025.
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According to the CLAY Award submission, the legal team helped uncover widespread failures in supervision, reporting, and discipline across multiple county-run facilities. Through discovery and coordinated litigation efforts, the attorneys demonstrated that the abuse reflected longstanding institutional failures rather than isolated misconduct.
The settlement also represents a significant milestone in the evolving landscape of sexual abuse litigation in California. The claims were made possible in part through Assembly Bill 218, legislation that temporarily revived expired claims for survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Attorneys involved in the case said the litigation demonstrated how survivor-focused legislation can create meaningful accountability against powerful public institutions.
Combined with earlier resolutions involving Los Angeles County juvenile facility abuse claims, total recoveries in the broader litigation now exceed $4 billion, making it one of the largest sexual abuse settlements involving a government entity in United States history.
The annual CLAY Awards recognize attorneys and legal teams whose work has made a substantial impact on the legal profession, public policy, or society as a whole. Arias also received the award in 2022.
