Profile
Stephen Garcia's sense of justice led him to become one of the leading elder and nursing home abuse attorneys -- with record-setting verdicts and settlements -- in the Southwest, as well as a premier class action attorney. At The Garcia Law Firm, they leave no stone unturned to ensure that everything legally possible is done to get justice for consumers who have been injured or even killed due to the wrongful actions of corporations or long-term care facilities. On behalf of those injured, Garcia served as lead counsel in cases against Sun West Healthcare, Ensign Healthcare, Pleasant Care, Longwood Health Care, Medtronic, Tenet Healthcare, Countrywide Home Loans, Motorola and more. Garcia sits on the board of governors of Consumer Attorneys of California. He also has been named to the Top 100 Super Lawyers list and Lawdragon Leading 500 Plaintiff Attorneys.
About Stephen Garcia
Admitted: 1986, California
Professional: www.lawgarcia.com/Bio/StephenGarcia.asp
Honors and Awards: Top 500 Plaintiffs' Attorneys in America, Lawdragon, 2007, The American Academy of Trial Counsel, Fellow, one of only 2,500 attorneys nationwide, Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Billion Dollar Club, Los Angeles Daily Journal, Street Fighter of the Year, Consumer Attorneys of California, Finalist, 2007
Bar/Professional Activity: State Bar of Texas, 2003, State Bar of California, 1985, Consumer Attorneys of California, Board of Governors, Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, Board of Governors, Mexican-American Bar Association, South Bay Bar Association, Los Angeles County Bar Association, Fresno County Bar Association, American Association for Justice, American Bar Association, Coalition of Concerned Legal Professionals, The National Academy of Elder Law Lawyers, American Academy of Trial Counsel, Founding Fellow, Adjunct Professor of Law, Elder Abuse Litigation, Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, Frequent Lecturer, Continuing Education Seminars, Whittier Law School, State Bar of Arizona, 2003
Pro bono/Community Service: South Bay Volunteer Center, Board of Directors, Richstone Center, a volunteer organization devoted to addressing issues around child abuse treatment and prevention, Alpha Delta Gamma, Urban Compass, Founder and Board Member, an organization dedicated to ending the cycle of death and violence in the inner city
Scholarly Lectures and Writings: "Avoiding Caps in a Wrongful Death Action Predicated on Elder and/or Dependent Adult Abuse Pursuant to the Elder Adult and Dependent Adult Abuse Civil Protection Act," The Forum Magazine, January/February 2006, "Utilization of the California's Consumer Legal Remedies Act to Improve Care in Long-term Care Facilities," co-author, published and presented at Consumer Attorneys of California conference, February 2008., "HMOs Abuse Elder and Dependent Adults Every Day -- How We Can Stop Them," Winter Meeting, March 2004, and as Lecture, Consumer Attorneys of California, College of Trial Arts, 2004, "It's Not Just for Nursing Homes Anymore -- Using the Elder Abuse Act to Sue Insurers and HMOs," Consumer Attorneys of California, 42nd Annual Convention, 2003., "Elder Abuse, It's Not Medical Malpractice," Consumer Attorneys of California, 41st Annual Convention, 2002, "Dealing with Obligations in Difficult Cases from an Ethical Point of View," Consumer Attorneys of California, 34th Annual Convention, "RCFEs: Freedom from MICRA," Consumer Attorneys of California, 36th Annual Convention, "Formal Discovery: Is It Worth the Effort?," Consumer Attorneys of California, 38th Annual Convention, "Profits Over People; It's a Fact: How to Convince the Jury," Consumer Attorneys of California, 40th Annual Convention, "Distinguishing Elder Abuse Claims from Professional Negligence Claims: Why Section 425.13 Does Not Apply to Elder Abuse Claims," The Forum Magazine, July/August 2000., "Skilled Nursing Facilities - How Many Times Can We Tell You - It's Not Medical Malpractice," Verdict Magazine, January 2003, "What a Plaintiff's Counsel Looks For in Evaluating and Presenting a Case," Lecturer, Southern California Association of Defense Counsel, 2006 Annual Convention, "Elder Abuse Discovery You Need," Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, 2005 Annual Convention, "Avoiding Caps in a Wrongful Death Action Predicated on Elder and/or Dependent Adult Abuse Pursuant to the Elder and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act," California Regional Trial Lawyers Association, 2005 Annual Conference, "Good Care is Not Always Enough," Lecturer, California Healthcare Association, 2003 Annual Convention, "Re-victimizing the Nursing Home Plaintiff: Making a Bad Case Referral," Lecturer, Long Beach Probate and Estate Planning Counsel, 2001, "Views from Advocates and Neutrals," Lecturer, Judicate West, 2001, "Resident Councils: Your Eyes and Ears," Lecturer, California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, 2000, "How to Litigate the Elder Abuse Case," Lecturer, California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, 1999, "Dealing with Objections in Difficult Cases from an Ethical Point of View," Lecturer, Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, 1996, "Elder Law Face-Off: Why the Other Side is Just Wrong!," Plaintiff Attorney Stephen Garcia vs. Defense Attorney Michael Le Vangie, mediated by the Hon. (Ret.) Cecily Bond, American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants, Sacramento Chapter, May 2008
Verdicts and Settlements: $8 Million Settlement in a national class action against AOL and Best Buy for fraudalent practices; Stephen Garcia is named class settlement counsel, $6.7 Million Verdict for the unlawful discharge of a resident, which caused his death, by a long-term care facility, $5.4 Million Settlement against Sunwest, a long-term care facility, in a class action affecting the lives of 4,000 elder and infirm Californians and another 2,000 elder and infirm adults in Oregon. Stephen Garcia is lead counsel., $4.25 Million Settlement against Pleasant Care, a long-term care facility, that effected the lives of more than 22,000 elder and infirm Californians. Stephen Garcia is lead counsel., $3.6 Million Settlement in a class action against long-term care facility Ensign, which effected the lives of more than 22,000 elder and infirm Californians; Stephen Garcia was lead counsel, Has served as lead counsel in more than 750 cases of elder and/or infirm adult abuse, including Radle v. Confidential ($3.15 Million Settlement); Pruett v. Confidential ($2.8 Million Settlement); Baeza v. Confidential ($2.7 Million Settlement); Castellanos v. Confidential ($2.25 Million Settlement in Trial); Smith v. Confidential ($1.1 Million Settlement in Trial); to name a few examples., Authored the amicus curiae brief on behalf of the Consumer Attorneys of California in Inclan v. Covenant Care in which the California Supreme Court distinguished Elder and Dependent Adult abuse claims from those of professional negligence.
Representative Clients: Represents consumers who have been wrongfully injured - or killed - by corporations and/or long-term care facilities
Other Outstanding Achievements: Has served as a California Legislative Analyst on behalf of elders regarding legislation affecting the rights and safety of elder and infirm adults, Has testified before the California Legislature in support of legislation advancing the rights and concerns of California's elders
Educational Background: Bachelor's Degree, Loyola Marymount University, 1982