A Reputation for Results

A Reputation for Results
Robinson Calcagnie Robinson Shapiro Davis, Inc., is an established leader in product liability and catastrophic injury law
LA Times
By Ashley Cisneros
http://www.latimes.com/custompublishing/bestlawyers/la-ss-bestlawyers-rcrsd,0,6372584.story

“Mark has dedicated his career not only to product safety but to improving legal education, preserving the civil justice system, and protecting access to the courts for all.”
—Kevin Calcagnie

For more than 30 years, the trial attorneys of Robinson Calcagnie Robinson Shapiro Davis, Inc., have earned a national reputation as the law firm individuals and families turn to after suffering catastrophic personal injuries, wrongful death, or substantial economic loss and damages. These seasoned trial attorneys take on the demanding, complex cases other firms won’t and gladly hop on red-eye flights to battle insurance companies, pharmaceutical giants, and large multinational corporations.

They have achieved dozens of multimillion dollar jury verdicts, judgments, and settlements, including a $4.9 billion jury verdict against General Motors, a $128 million verdict against Ford Motor Company, a $51 million verdict against a pharmaceutical manufacturer, a $45 million settlement in a business fraud case, and a $31 million verdict in a work-related accident.

The firm’s legacy started in 1978, when senior partner Mark P. Robinson, Jr., served as co-counsel for the plaintiff in the groundbreaking Ford Pinto gas tank fire case, Grimshaw v. Ford Motor Company. “We’re passionate about helping consumers who are suffering due to negligence, malfeasance, fraud, or corporate irresponsibility,” said Robinson, Jr., who was appointed to the plaintiffs’ executive committee in the DePuy hip implant multidistrict litigation (MDL).

Robinson also serves as co-lead counsel for the plaintiffs in the wrongful death and personal injury sudden acceleration cases pending against Toyota. With the leadership of his partners, Karen Barth Menzies, Daniel S. Robinson, and Scot Wilson, the firm specializes in mass tort cases, including Zoloft, Prozac, DePuy hip implants, Fosamax femur fractures, Boniva, ACTOS bladdercancer, YAZ and Yasmin, transvaginal mesh, Accutane, and Heparin.

This year the firm welcomed a new partner, William D. Shapiro, who has worked with the firm on a number of cases throughout his 32 years of trial experience. “The firm’s recent expansion added offices in both San Bernardino and Los Angeles, giving us a larger operating base in Southern California, more resources, and an even higher profile in the legal community, all of which will benefit our clients both locally and nationall,” said Shapiro.

In addition to their success in the courtroom, the firm’s attorneys are recognized for their contributions to the legal profession. Robinson, Jr. was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the State Bar of California in 2011 and was elected as the 2012 vice president of the American Board of Trial Advocates. He will become the board’s president in 2014. He has also served as president of the Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC). Shapiro and Daniel Robinson are currently serving on CAOC’s board of governors.

Partner Allan F. Davis is a former member of the board of the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association (OCTLA), and Theodore B. Wacker is a current board member. OCTLA honored Daniel Robinson with the 2011 Young Gun Award for his work, along with Wacker’s, in securing a $14.5 million verdict for a paraplegic in the Los Angeles Superior Court.

OCTLA voted partner Jeoffrey L. Robinson (brother to Robinson, Jr.) Personal Injury Trial Lawyer of the Year in 2004. A former prosecutor, he has tried several nationally acclaimed cases, including People v. David Brown, which was profiled in a New York Times bestseller and was the subject of an NBC miniseries.

Kevin Calcagnie, who served as a CAOC board member for several years and, along with Robinson, Jr., and Barth Menzies, is a recipient of California Lawyer’s Attorney of the Year Award, says that one of the keys to the firm’s success has been the leadership of his longtime partner. “Mark has dedicated his career not only to product safety but to improving legal education, preserving the civil justice system, and protecting access to the courts for all. That same dedication carries over in pursuing justice for our clients, who are our number one priority,” Calcagnie said. Lexi W. Meyer, one of the firm’s 27 attorneys, agrees: “We are all inspired by Mark, who works tirelessly on behalf of our clients and is a brilliant and dedicated lawyer.”

Shannon Lukei, another RCRSD attorney, cites Robinson, Jr.’s winning combination of tenacity and integrity as a competitive advantage for the firm.”Not only is he seen by defense attorneys as a formidable opponent but many of them can’t help but like him, too,” she said. “All of us here strive to emulate his work ethic and good relationships within the legal community.”

John Montevideo, president of the CAOC, has known Robinson, Jr., and Calcagnie for more than 20 years. “Mark and Kevin have always dedicated themselves to a number of things, the first being their clients. They are premier lawyers with a stellar reputation. They are 10 out of 10,” Montevideo said.”They give back to the community, especially to other lawyers. They give their money for sponsorships, and they teach. Mark has always been there when it comes to educating and mentoring other attorneys.”

–Ashley Cisneros
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Ashley Cisneros is a co-founder of Chatter Buzz Media, an Orlando Internet marketing firm that helps companies and organizations engage with their target markets through inbound marketing via the Internet. Chatter Buzz Media, which won the Social Madness competition for the Orlando small business market, is a full-service digital marketing firm specializing in website design, search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing and content creation. Prior to founding Chatter Buzz, Ashley worked as a newspaper reporter, magazine editor, technical writer, marketing manager, public relations practitioner and freelance journalist. To see Ashley’s content writing, visit www.ashleycisneros.com. You can also reach Ashley on her Google profile.