Lawrence J. Gornick is a trial lawyer with a practice focused on mass torts, products liability, consumer class actions and unfair business practices. He has tried cases in courts across the country, including California, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Washington. Mr. Gornick has successfully argued numerous appeals and has resolved hundreds of cases through mediation and arbitration. In his prior practice, Mr. Gornick served as national, regional, and state counsel for manufacturers in mass product liability litigation and consumer class actions. Mr. Gornick also has substantial experience in litigation related to complex commercial disputes, franchisor liability and misappropriation of trade secrets. He has lectured on trial advocacy skills at Stanford Law School and the University of San Francisco School of Law.

In recognition of his legal accomplishments, Mr. Gornick has been selected as a Northern California Super Lawyer® every year since 2012. He has achieved the highest rating possible, AV Preeminent®, by the attorney rating firm, Martindale-Hubbell®, for his legal ethics and abilities. Mr. Gornick has also been honored by the Top 100 Trial Lawyers for California and the National Trial Lawyers Association on numerous occasions for his exceptional trial advocacy.

Primary Current Engagements
Mr. Gornick currently serves on the Plaintiff’s Steering Committees for the following MDLs: Testosterone Replacement Therapy Products Liability Litigation (appointed by U.S. District Court Judge Matthew F. Kennelly); DePuy ASR Hip Implant Products Litigation (appointed by U.S. District Court Judge David A. Katz); DePuy Pinnacle Hip Implant Products Litigation (appointed by U.S. District Court Judge Ed Kinkeade); Mr. Gornick also serves as Liaison Counsel for the California state court Reglan/Metoclopramide Litigation (appointed by Superior Court Judge Richard A. Kramer), Liaison Counsel for the DePuy Pinnacle Hip System Cases (appointed by Superior Court Judge Richard A. Kramer) and on the California state court Plaintiff’s Steering Committee for the DePuy ASR Hip System Cases (appointed by Superior Court Judge Richard A. Kramer).

Areas of Practice

  • Defective Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Cases
  • Catastrophic Personal Injury Cases
  • Product Liability
  • Consumer Class Actions

Bar Admissions

  • California
  • U.S. District Court Central District of California
  • U.S. District Court Northern District of California
  • U.S. District Court Eastern District of California
  • U.S. District Court Southern District of California
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit

Education

  • University of California, Davis School of Law
    • J.D. – 1988
  • University of California, Santa Barbara
    • B.A. – 1985

 

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • American Association for Justice
  • Consumer Attorneys of California
  • San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association
  • The National Trial Lawyers

Legal Experience

  • Partner and Founder, Kaiser Gornick LLP, 2011 to Present
  • Partner, Levin Simes Kaiser Gornick LLP, 2006 to 2011 – served as leader of the Mass Tort Practice Group
  • Partner, Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker LLP, 2002 to 2006 – served as Global Vice Chair of Litigation Department, Office Chair of San Francisco Litigation Department and Chair of San Francisco Associate Development Committee
  • Partner, Brobeck Phleger & Harrison LLP, 1996 to 2002 – served as Chair of the Brobeck Pro Bono Committee
  • Associate, Brobeck Phleger & Harrison LLP, 1988 to 1996