Patrick McNicholas

Few trial lawyers have Patrick McNicholas' track record when it comes to holding powerful institutions accountable. For more than 30 years, Patrick has represented survivors of institutional sexual abuse, victims of devastating California wildfires and catastrophic disasters, including complex injury and wrongful death matters.

Patrick was a lead attorney who was instrumental in one of the largest municipal settlements in U.S. history, a $4 billion resolution for more than 7,000 survivors of sexual abuse in Los Angeles County juvenile detention centers. Among his other landmark results, Patrick was a steering committee member for a $13.5 billion settlement on behalf of wildfire victims in the largest utility bankruptcy in U.S. history; an $85 million nationwide class action against Mercedes-Benz that exposed a dangerous safety defect; a $44 million settlement for air crash victims; a $41 million consumer fraud settlement, the largest in Orange County; and multimillion-dollar verdicts in cases involving sexual assault, construction injuries, and wrongful death.

As a recognized authority in wildfire litigation, Patrick has led McNicholas & McNicholas in representing thousands of families and businesses affected by utility-caused fires. Under his direction, the firm has recovered more than $14 billion for fire victims and continues to play a central role in holding utilities responsible for widespread damage. As a result of his historic settlement with PG&E for the Butte, North Bay and Camp/Paradise fires, PG&E agreed to bury 10,000 miles of power lines to reduce wildfire risk. Patrick was involved in the leadership for the Eaton Fire litigation against Southern California Edison, representing more victims than any other law firm.

Patrick’s commitment to accountability in the courtroom is grounded in a long family tradition of service and advocacy spanning four generations. Reflecting that legacy, McNicholas & McNicholas has pledged $100,000 in scholarships annually to Loyola Marymount University’s Loyola Law School and offers paid summer clerkships for high-achieving students. He also helped fund a University of San Francisco scholarship and is the founder of Urban Compass, a nonprofit that has provided more than $500,000 in resources and programming to support at-risk youth in Los Angeles.