Mike Arias is the founding and managing partner of Arias Sanguinetti Wang & Torrijos LLP. He is the 2018 President of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA) and President-Elect of the Consumer Attorneys Association of California (CAOC). During his nearly 35-year career, he has litigated and tried matters throughout the United States, in both state and federal court. He has served as lead, co-lead, or liaison counsel in well over 100 class and mass tort actions. His trial experience is as diverse as the firm's practice. His last ten trials have included serious personal injury, wrongful death, employment, consumer class actions, and mass wage and hour claims. He has recently resolved several class actions and multiple plaintiff matters involving antitrust, toxic torts, consumer, wage and hour, environmental issues, and product liability. During his career, he has resolved hundreds of matters, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars in recovery for the firm's clients. Mr. Arias is a Member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) and was selected as a 2018 California Top Plaintiff Lawyer by the Daily Journal. Mr. Arias is admitted to practice law in California, New York, New Jersey, and the District of Columbia. He is also admitted before numerous federal courts throughout the country. He holds an "AV" rating by Martindale-Hubbell. The "AV" rating is the highest rating given and is awarded only upon reaching "heights" of professional excellence, both in terms of legal ability and ethical standards. He has also been selected annually as a Southern California Super Lawyer, an honor reserved for the top 5% of attorneys practicing in Southern California.
Leadership Positions
Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA): 2018 President; Founding Chair/Faculty - Plaintiff Trial Academy; Past Vice-Chair Education Committee Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC): President-Elect (2019 President); Chair - CAOC PAC; Past Chair -
Legislative, Education & Membership Committees
American Association for Justice (AAJ): Board of Governors; Chair - AAJ PAC Task Force; Chair - Convention Planning Committee; President-Elect - Council of Presidents; Member - National Finance Council; Past Co-Chair - Class Action Litigation Group; Member (Past-Chair) - Leaders Forum Advisory Committee; Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA): Past Member - Litigation Section Executive Committee
Association Memberships
American Bar Association Orange County Trial Lawyers Association Public Justice California Employment Lawyers Association Los County Bar Association Association of Business Trial Lawyers
Awards & Honors
Member - American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) California Top Plaintiff Lawyers - Daily Journal (2018) Above and Beyond Award 2016 & 2017 - American Association for Justice (AAJ) President's Distinguished Service Award 2015 - AAJ Citizen of the Year by the Los Angeles Police Department - Pacific Division Boosters Entrepreneur of the Year by the Loyola Marymount University - School of Business Volunteer of the Year - Westchester Family YMCA of Los Angeles Community Service Award - LAX Coastal Area Chamber of Commerce YMCA Kids Need Heroes - Community Pillar Award Inducted into the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles' Golden Book (the Y's highest honor, in recognition of his many years of service)
Presentations
2018 Updates in Process 2017 Updates in Process 2016 Updates in Process 2015 Updates in Process Understanding Your Case and Understanding Your Jury - Importance of Focus Groups & Jury Consultants in Preparing Your Case for Trial (Kentucky Justice Association, Louisville, Kentucky - June 26, 2015) Trying the Class Action: Practical Tips from the Pros (American Association of Justice - Class Action Seminar, June 4, 2015) Taking an Effective Deposition - Deposing Expert Witnesses (CAOC/Consumer Attorneys of the Inland Empire, May 2, 2015) Evaluating Potential Class Actions - What's Hot and What's Not (CAOC/San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, 9thAnnual Class Action Seminar, February 10, 2105) Class Actions: Identifying the Differing Types (CAOC Galine Hawaii Seminar, December 1, 2014) CAOC Annual Convention, Class Actions: 21stCentury Lawsuits Including Internet Privacy, Intellectual Property/Patents - Using Class Actions to Protect Intangible and Intellectual Property (November 15, 2014) CAALA Annual Judges Evaluation Seminar (October 23, 2014) CAALA Annual Convention, Employment Class Action Cases (August 30, 2014) CAALA Annual Trial Lawyer Skills for the New Attorney, Ethics and the Trial Lawyer (March 22, 2014) CAOC/San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, 8thAnnual Class Action Seminar, Getting Your Settlements Approved - The Changing Landscape (February 25, 2014) CAOC Annual Convention, Winning Certification Motions in the Post Brinker Era - The Latest Cases (November 16, 2013) Chair/Moderator, CAALA Annual Convention (August 31 - September 1, 2013) CAOC Galine Hawaii Seminar, Class Actions: An A to Z Crash Course (November 27, 2012) CAOC Annual Convention, Class Actions - New Developments Regarding Cy Pres Funds (November 10, 2012) CAALA Annual Judges Evaluation Seminar (October 24, 2012) Chair/Moderator, CAALA Annual Convention (September 6 - 9, 2012) Class Action Litigation Group, Jury Selection in Class Action Trials (American Association for Justice, February, 2012) Chair/Moderator, CAALA Annual Convention (September 8 - 11, 2011) CAALA Annual Convention, Class Actions (September 3, 2010) CAALA Annual Convention, Certifying a Class (September 4, 2009) Chair/Moderator, CAOC/CAALA Class Action Seminar (June 9, 2009) Chair, CAALA Annual Judges Evaluation Seminar (November 20, 2008) Chair, CAALA Annual Judges Evaluation Seminar (November 16, 2006) CAALA Annual Convention, An Overview of Business Torts (September 9, 2006) CAALA Annual Convention, Taking the Defendant's or PMK's Deposition (September 10, 2005)
Articles
Wage-and-hour class actions: The law and the cases that have shaped it(Advocate Magazine, February, 2015) The CAALA Plaintiff Trial Academy(Advocate Magazine, January, 2015) A Class Action Primer (Advocate Magazine, March, 2010) Class Actions: Getting Your Class Certified (Advocate Magazine, February, 2010)
Pro Bono/Volunteer
Settlement Officer - Joint CAALA/ASCD/ABOTA Settlement Program Arbitrator - Beverly Hills/Los Angeles County Bar Association Fee Dispute Program Settlement Officer - Los Angeles County Superior Court Personal Injury and Employment "Crash Settlement" Programs.
Community Service
Immediate past President - Neighborhood Council of Westchester/Playa del Rey Vice-President Governmental Affairs - LAX Coastal Area Chamber of Commerce Chair - Westchester Family YMCA Board of Managers (two terms) Board of Directors - Westchester Playa Del Rey Youth Foundation Board of Directors - LAPD Pacific Area Boosters Association Board of Directors - Westchester Rotary Club Chaired several charity golf tournaments Coach/Manager - several Little League/Babe Ruth baseball, Jr. Lakers basketball, Pop Warner football and AYSO soccer teams
Other
Mr. Arias has been certified as an agent with the National Basketball Players' Association, Major League Baseball Players' Association and National Football League Players' Association, and has negotiated millions of dollars in contracts for dozens of professional athletes.
