Baruch Cohen & Geoffrey Wells @ CAALA
PARTNER GEOFFREY S. WELLS HAS SUCCEEDED IN OBTAINING IMPRESSIVE RECOVERIES for his clients, resulting in more than 100 multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements in complex legal actions. These include cases involving motor vehicle injury, Quezda v. Motor Coach Industries - $8.15 million; Mehdipour v. City of Santa Monica - $2.65 million; wrongful death, Murillo v. U.S. Border Patrol - $3.3 million; and premises liability, Rosenbaum v. Security Pacific - $3.25 million. Among the high-profile cases that Geoff represents plaintiffs in is the Santa Monica Farmers Market crash which resulted in a total settlement of over $26 Million. Additionally, Geoff was one of the lead plaintiffs counsel in the Castillo v. DYK case involving multiple plaintiffs which resulted in a combined settlement and jury verdict of over $40 Million. He also succeeded on behalf of the victim in an amusement park ride lawsuit. The plaintiff, who fell approximately 35 feet to the ground when the lap bar on a Ferris wheel ride at Pharaoh's Lost Kingdom Amusement Park failed, was awarded $4.9 million in a binding arbitration agreement.
Geoff is an elected member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. He also is a member of the Consumer Attorneys of California, American Association for Justice and an officer of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles where he currently serves on their Board of Governors. Since 1995, Geoff has served as an arbitrator for the Superior Court for the County of Los Angeles. He is a frequent lecturer on trial preparation and practice in California. Other professional organizations that Geoff is a member of include the Los Angeles County and American Bar Associations, Santa Monica Bar Association and Eighth Street Trial Lawyers. From 2004-2013 Geoff was named a Super Lawyer by Law & Politics' Southern California Super Lawyers which lists the top five-percent of established Los Angeles and Orange County attorneys. From 2007-2013 Geoff was also named by Super Lawyers as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in L.A. County. In 2006, Geoff was named to the Lawdragon 500 New Stars, New Worlds list. He was also named one of the Best Lawyers in America by Woodward/White, Inc. based on a survey of his peers.
He is a graduate of the University of Washington, (B.A., 1981) and was a pitcher on the college baseball team. Geoff received his law degree from Pepperdine University School of Law (1985) and was a member of the Pepperdine Law School National Trial Competition Team. After being admitted to the bar in 1986, he began his legal career as a defense attorney with a focus on medical malpractice, hospital liability and special event and auto racetrack liability. Geoff worked for a plaintiff's sole practitioner for five years, where he tried 20 cases to verdict before joining GB&W in 1992.
Geoff is actively involved in youth sports, coaching both basketball and pony league baseball. He is a member of the University of Washington's Diamond Dawg Group which supports the University of Washington Men's Baseball Program. He is a member of the Sierra Club. Geoff is also a supporting member of the Manhattan Beach Education Foundation, and is an active PTA member. He and his wife Janet Ray support a variety of community causes including music, the arts and the Cardiac Arrhythmia Foundation.
