×
Go back to Martindale-Avvo ➔

Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein, LLPPartner
Donald C. Arbitblit
Pro

Donald C. Arbitblit

5.0
1 review

275 Battery Street, 29th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94111

Pharmaceutical Defects, Environmental Litigation and Personal Injury

About Donald C. Arbitblit

Donald C. Arbitblit is a leader among plaintiffs’ attorneys in assessing the legal, medical, and scientific aspects of personal injury, mass torts, and environmental and toxic exposure litigation . Don has served on Plaintiffs’ Science/Expert Committees in several national cases and served on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in the Actos bladder cancer injuries federal multidistrict litigation that settled in 2015 for $2.4 billion.

Don was a member of the trial team that won the first Actos bellwether trial in April 2014, including a $9 billion punitive damage award. Don was also Chair of the Epidemiology/Causation Subcommittee of the federal Vioxx litigation from 2005-2010, and he was a member of the trial team that won a plaintiffs’ verdict in that litigation in 2006. Between 1998 and 2014, Don has served on science and expert witness committees in the Actos, Yaz, Fen-Phen Diet Drug, Rezulin, Baycol, Vioxx, and Sulzer hip implant cases.

Since 2018, Don has served as a leader of the Plaintiffs’ Expert Witness Committee in the national Opioids Litigation MDL, working with experts in the fields of addiction medicine, psychiatry, pain management and epidemiology. Don was listed in the 2021 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers guide, based on “submissions, journalistic research and editorial vetting from a board” of his peers.

Publications & Presentations

•Co-Author with Wendy Fleishman, “The Risky Business of Off-Label Use,” TRIAL Magazine, March 2005
•Co-Author with William Bernstein, “Effective Use of Class Action Procedures in California Toxic Tort Litigation,” West-Northwest Journal of Environmental Law and Policy, No. 3, 1996
•“Comment on Joiner: Decision on the Daubert Test of Admissibility of Expert Testimony,” 6 Mealey’s Emerging Toxic Torts, No. 18, December 1997
•“The Plight of American Citizens Injured by Transboundary River Pollution,” 8 Ecology Law Quarterly, No. 2, 1979

Honors & Awards

•AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
•Selected for inclusion by peers in The Best Lawyers in America in fields of “Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions - Plaintiffs” and “Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs,” Best Lawyers, 2012 - 2026
•“Super Lawyer for Northern California,” Super Lawyers, 2004, 2006 - 2008, 2014 - 2025
•“Lawyer of the Year for Mass Tort & Class Action Litigation,” Northern California, Best Lawyers, 2022
•“Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers in America,” Lawdragon, 2021, 2022
•Legal 500 recommended lawyer, 2013
•“Lawdragon Finalist,” Lawdragon, 2009 - 2011

In the News

•August 21, 2025
36 Lieff Cabraser Lawyers Named to 2026 Best Lawyers Listings
•June 30, 2025
28 Lieff Cabraser Attorneys Selected as 2025 Northern California Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
•August 15, 2024
38 Lieff Cabraser Lawyers Named to 2025 Best Lawyers Listings
•August 17, 2023
34 Lieff Cabraser Lawyers Named to 2024 Best Lawyers Listings
•July 5, 2023
23 Lieff Cabraser Attorneys Selected as 2023 Northern California Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

 

Donald C. Arbitblit (San Francisco, California) View website

Awards

AV Preeminent Peer Rated
This elite award is granted to attorneys who have been recognized by their peers for their very high ethical standards, with an average peer review score of 4.5 or higher.
Martindale-Hubbell Peer AV

Client Champion Awards

Client Champion awards recognize those attorneys who excel at service as affirmed by their clients. The awards, based on the quantity and quality of an attorney’s Martindale-Hubbell client reviews, demonstrate an ongoing commitment to delivering excellent client service. Award recipients stand out from their peers with a platinum, gold or silver icon.

Champion Badge Silver

At least three reviews and a score of 4.0 or higher.

Champion Badge Gold

At least six reviews and a score of 4.2 or higher.

Champion Badge Platinum

At least ten reviews and a score of 4.5 or higher.

Martindale Peer Awards

A lawyer who receives a minimum threshold of qualifying responses from fellow attorneys can qualify for one of three prestigious Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings:

Martindale-Hubbell Peer AV Preeminent Rating

AV Preeminent®: The highest peer rating standard. This rating signifies a large number of the lawyer’s peers rank him or her at the highest level of professional excellence for their legal knowledge, communication skills and ethical standards.

Donald C. Arbitblit got this award in 2021

Martindale-Hubbell Peer Distinguished Rating

Distinguished: An excellent rating for a lawyer with some experience. This rating indicates the attorney is widely respected by their peers for high professional achievement and ethical standards.

Martindale-Hubbell Peer Notable Rating

Notable: This rating indicates that the lawyer has been recognized by a large number of their peers for strong ethical standards.

Avvo Awards

Avvo Top Contributor

Avvo Top Contributor: The Avvo Top Contributor Award is granted to attorneys who have earned significant contribution points in a given year on our sister site, Avvo.com. Contribution points are earned by answering questions in Q&A, publishing Legal Guides, and other useful contributions to the Avvo community.

Avvo Client Choice

Avvo Client’s Choice: The Avvo Client's Choice Award Badge is granted to attorneys with a significant number of 4+ star reviews in a given year.

Reviews for Donald C.

This lawyer does not have any client reviews on Lawyers.com yet

Write a Review

Services

Areas of Law

  • Personal Injury
  • Other 2
    • Pharmaceutical Defects
    • Environmental Litigation

Practice Details

  • Firm Information
    Position
    Partner
    Firm Name
    Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein, LLP

Experience

  • Bar Admission & Memberships
    Admissions
    1979, Vermont
    1986, California
    1986, California Supreme Court
    1986, U.S. Court Of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
    1986, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
    Memberships

    Professional Associations and Memberships

    •ACTOS MDL Plaintiffs' Steering Committee
    •Bar Association of San Francisco
    •Co-Chair, California JCCP Yaz Science Committee, 2010-Present
    •Federal Science and Expert Witness Committees (Diet Drugs MDL
    Baycol MDL
    Rezulin MDL)
    •State Bar of California
    •VIOXX MDL Chair of the Epidemiology/Clinical Trials Subcommittee
    •YAZ MDL Federal Court-appointed Science Executive Committee

  • Education & Certifications
    Law School
    Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California, Berkeley
    J.D.
    1979 Order of the Coif
    Other Education
    Tufts University
    Class of 1974
    B.S.
    magna cum laude

Email Donald C. Arbitblit

Case type is required.
I am is required.
First name is required.
Last name is required.
A valid zip code is required.
Country is required.
State is required.
A valid city is required.
A valid email address is required.
A valid phone number is required.
Message is required.
0/1000 characters

By clicking the Submit button, you agree to the Terms of Use, Supplemental Terms and Privacy Policy. You also consent to be contacted at the phone number you provided, including by autodials, text messages and/or pre-recorded calls, from Lawyers.com and its affiliates and from or on behalf of attorneys you request or contact through this site. Consent is not a condition of purchase.

You should not send any sensitive or confidential information through this site. Emails sent through this site do not create an attorney-client relationship and may not be treated as privileged or confidential. The lawyer or law firm you are contacting is not required to, and may choose not to, accept you as a client. The internet is not necessarily secure and emails sent though this site could be intercepted or read by third parties.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA. See Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

Thank you! Your message has been successfully sent.

For your records, a copy of this email has been sent to test@test.com.

Summary of Your Message
Case Type:
I am a/an:
First Name:
Last Name:
City:
Zip Code or Postal Code:
State:
Country:
Phone Number:
Message:
Return to Profile Reset Form

Attorneys FAQs

  • What year was this attorney first admitted to the bar?
    Donald C. Arbitblit was admitted in 1979 to the State of Vermont.
  • Is this attorney admitted to the bar in more than one state?
    Yes, Donald C. Arbitblit is admitted to practice in California and Vermont.
  • Is this attorney admitted to practice in any U.S. Federal Courts?
    Donald C. Arbitblit is admitted to practice before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and United States District Court for the Northern District of California.
  • What law school did this attorney attend?
    Donald C. Arbitblit attended Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California, Berkeley.
  • Is this attorney listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers?
    Donald C. Arbitblit is listed in the Antitrust Law, Aviation Law, Civil Rights, Civil Trial Practice, Environmental Law, Labor and Employment Law, Personal Injury, Product Liability Law, Securities Law and Toxic Torts section of the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers.

Attorney information displayed in this FAQ section is based upon information the lawyer has included on their profile, in addition to the information we collect from state bar associations and other organizations that license legal professionals.

These FAQs include information about a lawyer's background, but do not evaluate their knowledge of the law, past performance on individual cases, personality, or communication skills.

It is solely the responsibility of lawyers and law firms to ensure that any information they provide complies with all applicable laws and rules of professional conduct.

You should be aware that the information we rely upon may not be comprehensive, or frequently updated.

Always research the lawyer further to get a better understanding of their license credentials, disciplinary status, background, and experience.

Lawyers.com Client Reviews

Martindale-Hubbell® Client Review Ratings™ display reviews submitted by individuals who have either hired or consulted the lawyers or law firms.

The Client Review Rating score is determined through the aggregation of validated responses. People who submit reviews are either individuals who consulted with the lawyer/law firm or who hired the lawyer/law firm and want to share their experience of that lawyer or law firm with other potential clients. Reviewers can be anyone who consults or hires a lawyer including in-house counsel, corporate executives, small business owners, and private individuals.

Martindale-Hubbell validates that a reviewer is a person with a valid email address. As part of the review process, respondents must affirm that they have had an initial consultation, are currently a client or have been a client of the lawyer or law firm identified, although Martindale-Hubbell cannot confirm the lawyer/client relationship as it is often confidential. The content of the responses is entirely from reviewers.

Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome and Martindale-Hubbell accepts no responsibility for the content or accuracy of any review. For more information on Martindale-Hubbell Client Review Ratings, please visit our Client Review Page

Martindale Peer Reviews

Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ are the gold standard in attorney ratings, and have been for more than a century. These ratings indicate attorneys who are widely respected by their peers for their ethical standards and legal expertise in a specific area of practice.

The Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings process is the gold standard due to its objectivity and comprehensiveness. Lawyers solicited for peer reviews include both those selected by the attorney being reviewed and lawyers independently selected by Martindale-Hubbell. All reviewers are verified as attorneys through Martindale-Hubbell’s extensive attorney database. Only attorneys practicing at least three years and receiving a sufficient number of reviews from non-affiliated attorneys are eligible to receive a Rating.

What are the different Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings?*

• AV Preeminent®: The highest peer rating standard. This rating signifies that a large number of the lawyer’s peers rank him or her at the highest level of professional excellence for their legal knowledge, communication skills and ethical standards.

• Distinguished: An excellent rating for a lawyer with some experience. This rating indicates the attorney is widely respected by their peers for high professional achievement and ethical standards.

• Notable: This rating indicates that the lawyer has been recognized by a large number of their peers for strong ethical standards.

Lawyers who have received peer reviews after 2009 will display more detailed information, including practice areas, summary ratings, detailed numeric ratings and written feedback (if available). Details for individual reviews received before 2009 are not displayed.

Attorneys that receive reviews from their peers, but not a sufficient number to establish a Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating, will have those reviews display on our websites.

For more information on Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings™, please visit our Ratings Page on Martindale.com and our Frequently Asked Questions