Baruch Cohen & Mike Alder @ CAALA
Mike Alder is one of the top trial attorneys in California, consistently obtaining record verdicts and settlements for his clients. Mr. Alder has repeatedly been recognized for his accomplishments as a trial lawyer and for the verdicts and settlements he obtains for his clients. In 2014, he received the Clay Award and was named the personal injury “California Attorney of the Year” by California Lawyer. Mr. Alder is the only attorney in the country to ever have 3 verdicts listed in Verdict Search’s “Top 100 Verdicts” of the year. He achieved this accomplishment in 2011 when he obtained the largest personal injury verdict in Ventura County history ($39.4 million); the largest personal injury verdict in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana, history ($29.1 million); and a breach of contract award with punitive damages in Los Angeles County ($33 million). Mr. Alder has been a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) since 2003. He was the youngest lawyer to ever be named CAALA’s “Trial Lawyer of the Year.” He has also been named a “Top 100 Super Lawyer” for Southern California every year since 2004. Mr. Alder is a 5-time nominee for California’s Trial Lawyer of the Year and is one of the youngest recipients of Daily Journal’s Top 100 Lawyers in California (2011).
At AlderLaw, Mr. Alder has established a unique formula for success where a team of lawyers, paralegals, and legal assistants vigorously pursue all cases on behalf of his clients; however, Mr. Alder maintains ultimate control over every case at AlderLaw, from small day-to-day decisions to trying the case to a jury when necessary. This formula has permitted AlderLaw to grow in size while still allowing Mr. Alder to be personally involved in each and every case.
Mr. Alder is a past president of CAALA and is a frequent speaker at seminars on trial strategy and has published numerous articles regarding trial strategy. Mr. Alder has a long history of supporting other trial attorneys. Mr. Alder maintains a deposition database and an expert witness directory and provides information at no charge to any trial lawyer requesting it. Mr. Alder also created the “Warrior Fund” to serve as a funding sponsor to make sure new attorneys have the resources necessary to pursue cases against well-funded insurance companies. In addition, Mr. Alder founded the Trial Lawyers Charity, which has been extremely successful in raising money to support causes in the Los Angeles area. He has also served as a member of the Los Angeles Superior Court Bench/Bar Committee since 2008.
A native of Louisiana, Mr. Alder received his undergraduate and law degree from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Following a clerkship with the Hon. Lenore Prather, the presiding justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court, Mr. Alder moved to Los Angeles and began practicing law and representing plaintiffs who needed a strong advocate for their case. A firm believer in giving back to the community, Mr. Alder established the Alder Family Foundation to assist local students in obtaining a quality education based on merit, not their ability to pay. He is also a member of the Board of Governors for the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
