Patrick McNicholas
Partner | McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP
Patrick McNicholas is a mass torts, sexual abuse and wrongful death trial lawyer and partner at McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP in Richmond, California. J.D., University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law.
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Contact
Suite 106
Richmond, California 94801
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Patrick McNicholas is a partner at McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP, a California plaintiffs’ firm with offices in Los Angeles, Santa Ana, Point Richmond and San Bernardino. For more than 30 years he has represented survivors of institutional sexual abuse, victims of utility-caused wildfires and other disasters, and families in catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases.
McNicholas was a lead attorney in the $4 billion resolution reached with Los Angeles County for more than 7,000 people abused in county juvenile detention facilities, and he sat on the steering committee behind the $13.5 billion settlement for wildfire victims in the PG&E bankruptcy. His bio also credits him with an $85 million class settlement with Mercedes-Benz over a safety defect and a $44 million settlement for victims of an aircraft crash at Long Beach Airport, and he has helped lead the firm’s Eaton Fire litigation against Southern California Edison.
He earned his law degree at McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento and a political science degree from the University of San Francisco, where he has served on the board of trustees. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, a member of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and has served on the boards of the American Board of Trial Advocates and the Consumer Attorneys of California. He also founded Urban Compass, a nonprofit serving at-risk youth in Los Angeles.
Experience and Expertise
Qualifications
Timeline
- J.D., McGeorge School of Law
- B.A., Political Science, University of San Francisco
Practice Areas
- American College of Trial Lawyers (Fellow)
- International Academy of Trial Lawyers
- American Board of Trial Advocates (Board of Governors)
- Consumer Attorneys of California (Board of Governors; PAC Board Member)
- Los Angeles County Bar Association (Board of Trustees)
- University of California, Irvine Civil Justice Research Institute (Board of Advisors)
- University of San Francisco (Board of Trustees)
- Los Angeles Trial Lawyers' Charities (Honorary Board of Governors)
- American Association for Justice (Leaders Forum Patron)
- Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles
- Urban Compass (Founder; Board of Directors)
- Best Lawyers in America (2026; recognized since 2019)
- Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers (2026)
- Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America (2026)
- Daily Journal Top Plaintiff Lawyers (2025; recognized since 2020)
- National Law Journal Elite Trial Lawyers, Mass Tort Finalist (2026)
- Benchmark Litigation, California Litigation Star (2025)
- Southern California Super Lawyers (2023; recognized since 2019)
- Los Angeles Business Journal LA500 (2026) and Leaders of Influence: Litigators & Trial Attorneys (2026)
- Los Angeles Magazine, Best of L.A. Legal (2026)
- The Recorder, California Trailblazers (2020)
- $4 Billion Settlement: Lead attorney in the resolution for more than 7,000 survivors of sexual abuse in Los Angeles County juvenile detention centers.
- $13.5 Billion Settlement: Steering committee member for wildfire victims in the PG&E bankruptcy, which also led PG&E to agree to bury 10,000 miles of power lines.
- $300 Million Settlement: Class action settlement against Epson America, Inc.
- $85 Million Settlement: Nationwide class action against Mercedes-Benz USA over a dangerous safety defect.
- $44 Million Settlement: For victims of an aircraft crash at Long Beach Airport.
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