Gregory J. Owen

As a preeminent lawyer in the legal community, the work of senior partner, Greg Owen, has set new standards in the practice of law and furthered the plaintiffs' cause nationwide. His intelligent and committed approach to the law has earned him national recognition and respect among his fellow lawyers. Greg has successfully handled a wide variety of cases, ranging from simple auto, motorcycle and premise liability cases to complex cases such as international air disasters and defective pharmaceutical multi-district litigation. In 2000, he discovered the deceptive practices of Merck & Co. regarding its arthritis drug, Vioxx. Owen, Patterson & Owen filed the first Vioxx complaint in the nation on July 23, 2001. In 2008, the MDL litigation resulted in a $4.85 billion settlement. He represents plaintiffs in such areas as product liability, personal injury and wrongful death. His achievements include a recent, record setting $35 million pretrial settlement on behalf of a 12-year-old brain damaged Palmdale girl. He recently represented hundreds of plaintiffs who were injured by a widely used drug. The nationwide litigation settled for $68 million. Baptism by fire is perhaps the best way to describe his on the job training as a trial lawyer. In 1982, a few weeks after passing the California Bar examination, his boss, mentor and renowned trial lawyer Richard Voorhies handed him his first case. Varella v. Vons was set for trial in the Los Angeles Superior Court the following week. The pretrial offer was $5,000. After 7 days of trial, the jury awarded $798,000. His second trial took place one year later. Haims v. AMF was a two month product liability trial, which resulted in a $14.5 million jury verdict. Since then, Greg has successfully litigated thousands of cases, allowing innocent victims of accident or injury to move forward in their lives. In 2005, Law and Politics first published Super Lawyers, which lists the top 5 percent of lawyers as nominated by their peers. Greg was named to the list of Super Lawyers in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008. Valley Magazine honored Greg in 2008 as one of the top 25 lawyers in "the valley," which includes Santa Clarita, Lancaster, Palmdale and the San Fernando Valley from North Hollywood to Calabasas. He was the only personal injury lawyer included on the list. He was also named by Law Dragon as one of the 3000 leading lawyers in America. Martindale Hubbell has awarded Greg its AV rating, which is reserved for only those lawyers who have demonstrated to their peers exceptionally high ethical standards and legal abilities. Martindale Hubbell has also listed Greg in its prestigious publication "Preeminent Lawyers in America." He has been a life member in the Million Dollar Advocates Forum for more than 24 years. The knowledge Greg gains in each unique case is very fulfilling. These cases have included police brutality, security guard negligence, defective tires (tread separation), defective sporting goods (including trampolines, gymnastic mats, bicycles, off-road and street motorcycles, bicycle, motorcycle and equestrian helmets, free-standing basketball hoops), swimming pools, Jacuzzi drains, defective automobiles, home wall heaters, in-wall murphy beds, children's toys, and propane tank explosions, to mention a few. In a departure from the norm, Greg represented best selling author Martin Burke who wrote the number one selling book, "Laughing War." After writing a screenplay based on his book, he entered into a movie contract with Disney. After telling Burke that it was too soon to make a Vietnam movie, Disney went on to make the movie, "Good Morning Vietnam." Burke claimed Disney's script was his with only minor changes. After extensive discovery, a significant pre-trial settlement was reached. Greg has been a member and ardent supporter of Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC) for the past 27 years. He has been on several PAAC committees, been appointed to the Board of Governors by the president and lectured at its annual conventions. Greg is also an active member of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA), an organization dedicated to maintaining high standards and practices in the field of trial work. It is at the American Association for Justice (AAJ) conventions that Greg gets to visit with the many lawyers he works with throughout the country. This national association of trial lawyers tackles those issues which are of great importance to clients nationwide and the lawyers who represent them. Greg has lectured at various AAJ conventions, with his most recent lecture being on the subject of pharmaceutical litigation. Greg is an active member of his community. He has served on the Board of Directors and acted as Pro Bono legal counsel to The Williams S. Hart Boy and Girls Pony League for the last 20 years. More than 2,500 families participate annually in the largest little league in the nation. A firm believer in the value of education, Greg helped establish the Franklin Scholarship Foundation, which has enabled many deserving East Los Angeles students to earn college degrees. He has coached numerous softball, baseball and soccer teams over the last 20 years. This wonderful cycle continues as he is now coaching his 6-year-old daughter, Juliette's, softball team. While he is not a criminal law attorney, he has provided pro bono legal assistance to many teenagers in his community who have taken a wrong turn in their lives. Greg is a native of California. He was born and raised in East Los Angeles, where many of the city's ethnic gangs originated and thrived. At age 11, he was shot in the arm in a drive-by shooting. It was his interaction with the district attorney prosecuting the perpetrators of this crime against him that piqued his interest in law. In 1970, along with a small group of Franklin High School students and a biology teacher who was attending law school at night, Greg initiated a program called "Court Watchers." Volunteers sat in Los Angeles court rooms and charted the court room "activities" of Judges who the media had accused of bias. The data compiled over a two-year period ultimately proved very little. Greg was pleased to find how little bias the study revealed. Greg attended Southwestern Law School, and he is very proud of his daughter, Gerry, graduated from his legal "alma mater." He is married to Susy, who is also his law partner. The primary goal of many lawyers is making money. The only wealth that matters in this world lives in Greg and Susy's home. They are Gerry (30), Erika (27), Greg (24), Beau (20), Blaire (18) and Juliette Grace (9). Member; Phi Delta Phi, Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.