Avocat Mike Arias

Mike Arias is the founding and managing partner of Arias Sanguinetti. 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 country. In 2022, he was named 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 a Top 500 Plaintiff Attorney in the nation every year since 2019. Mike has also been a Super Lawyer every year since 2009, a Best Lawyer every year since 2019, and The Recorder honored him as a California Trailblazer in 2019.

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 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 pro-civil justice and 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. 

Leadership Positions

• American Association for Justice (AAJ): Member – AAJ Executive Committee; Co-Chair – AAJ PAC Development Committee; Member – AAJ Organization Review Committee; Member – AAJ National Finance Council; Member – AAJ Evergreen Advisory Committee; Past-Chair – AAJ Council of Presidents; Past-Chair – AAJ PAC Task Force; Past-Chair – AAJ Convention Planning Committee; Past-Chair – AAJ Leaders Forum Advisory Committee; Past Co-Chair – Class Action Litigation Group
• Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC): President (2019); Past Chair – CAOC PAC; Past Chair of the Legislative, Education and Membership Committees
• Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA): President (2018); Founding Chair/Faculty – Plaintiff Trial Academy; Past Vice-Chair Education Committee
• Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA): Past Member – Litigation Section Executive Committee

Association Memberships

• American Association for Justice
• American Bar Association
• Association of Business Trial Lawyers
• Belli Society
• California Employment Lawyers Association
• Consumer Attorneys of California
• Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles
• Los Angeles County Bar Association
• National Civil Justice Institute
• Public Justice
• Orange County Trial Lawyers Association
• San Diego Trial Lawyers Association
• Western Trial Lawyers

Awards & Honors

• California Lawyer of the Year – Daily Journal (2022)
• Trial Lawyer of the Year – CAOC (2021)
• California Top 30 Plaintiff Lawyers – Daily Journal (2018-2022)
• Top 100 Attorneys in California – Daily Journal (2019, 2021-22)
•  Top Rated Lawyer – Martindale-Hubbell™ (25+ years)
• 500 National Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers – LawDragon (2019-2022)
• Plaintiff Trailblazer – National Law Journal (2020)
• California Trailblazer – The Recorder (2019)
• Best Lawyers in America (2019 – 2023) 
• Super Lawyers (2009-2023)
• President’s Distinguished Service Award 2015 & 2020 – AAJ 
• Above and Beyond Award 2016 & 2017 – AAJ 
• Wiedemann & Wysocki Award 2019 – AAJ 
• Citizen of the Year by the Los Angeles Police Department – Pacific Division Boosters
• Entrepreneur of the Year by the Loyola Marymount University – School of Business
• Volunteer of the Year – Westchester Family YMCA of Los Angeles
• Community Service Award – LAX Coastal Area Chamber of Commerce
• YMCA Kids Need Heroes – Community Pillar Award
• Inducted into the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles’ Golden Book (the Y’s highest honor, in recognition of his many years of service)

Articles

• “Only half-way there” (Forum Magazine, July/August 2019, Vol. 49 No. 4)
• “Getting all on board” (Forum Magazine, May/June 2019, Vol. 49 No. 3)
• “Forced arbitration: How AB 51 could right many wrongs” (Los Angeles Daily Journal, June 19, 2019)
• “CAOC has worked and continues to work tirelessly for YOU” (Forum Magazine, March/April 2019, Vol. 49 No. 2)
• “AB 2230: New year brings more efficient civil procedures” (Los Angeles Daily Journal, January 9, 2019)
• “Let’s not get too confident in 2019 – we still have a lot of work to do” (Forum Magazine, January/February 2019, Vol. 49 No. 1)
• “Wage-and-hour class actions: The law and the cases that have shaped it” (Advocate Magazine, February, 2015)
• The CAALA Plaintiff Trial Academy (Advocate Magazine, January, 2015)
• A Class Action Primer (Advocate Magazine, March, 2010)
• Class Actions: Getting Your Class Certified (Advocate Magazine, February, 2010)

Pro Bono/Volunteer

• Settlement Officer – Joint CAALA/ASCD/ABOTA Settlement Program
• Arbitrator – Beverly Hills/Los Angeles County Bar Association Fee Dispute Program
• Settlement Officer – Los Angeles County Superior Court Personal Injury and Employment “Crash Settlement” Programs.

Community Service

• Past President – Neighborhood Council of Westchester/Playa del Rey
• Past Vice-President Governmental Affairs – LAX Coastal Area Chamber of Commerce
• Past Chair – Westchester Family YMCA Board of Managers (two terms)
• Board of Directors – Westchester Playa Del Rey Youth Foundation
• Board of Directors – LAPD Pacific Area Boosters Association
• Past Board of Directors – Westchester Rotary Club
• Chaired several charity golf tournaments
• Coach/Manager – Little League/Babe Ruth baseball, Jr. Lakers basketball, Pop Warner football and AYSO soccer teams

Other

Mr. Arias has been certified as an agent with the National Basketball Players’ Association, Major League Baseball Players’ Association and National Football League Players’ Association, and has negotiated millions of dollars in contracts for dozens of professional athletes.