Hayward, CA

Jeffrey Nadrich

Jeffrey Nadrich is an experienced, nationally-recognized, well-known plaintiff’s personal injury contingency lawyer who is a relentless advocate for victims. He has been known throughout his legal career as a relentless litigator. Mr. Nadrich is a California-based lawyer with a B.A. from UC Berkeley and a law degree (J.D.) from UC Hastings College of the Law. Mr. Nadrich is the principal partner at Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers, a statewide personal injury, defective products, dangerous drugs, defective medical device and dangerous chemicals law firm. The firm handles cases throughout California and throughout the country. Mr. Nadrich is a lifetime member of both the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. The Multi Million Dollar Advocates Forum honors attorneys who have secured verdicts and/or settlements in excess of $2 million. Less than 1 percent of practicing lawyers have achieved such status. The selection process is multi-phased and includes independent research and peer evaluations. Jeffrey Nadrich is well-known throughout California and nationally for demonstrating his relentless advocacy and the highest ethical standards. He cares very much about his clients. Mr. Nadrich focuses much of his practice on the litigation of catastrophic injury, serious injury, and wrongful death cases throughout California in addition to representing victims of defective medical products and dangerous drugs (mass torts), fire victims caused by California utilities including Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric, and represents plaintiffs who have been victims of sexual abuse, carbon monoxide poisoning and paraquat exposure. Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers has recovered over $750,000,000 on behalf of thousands clients since 1990. The firm’s personal injury and mass tort areas of practice include: auto accidents, bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, dog bite injury, slip and fall, wrongful death, defective medical devices, dangerous drugs, defective products, hazardous exposure, paraquat, Camp Lejeune water contamination, and wildfire cases. Our success has allowed Nadrich Law to grow to 17 offices throughout California including offices in Los Angeles, Bakersfield, Fresno, Hayward, Merced, Modesto, Palm Desert, Quincy, Richmond, Sacramento, Salinas, San Francisco, Santa Rosa, Susanville, Tracy, Tulare, and Yreka.

Ilya D. Frangos

Ilya Frangos is a Partner and lead trial counsel, litigating cases in state and federal courts in California. He represents clients with serious injuries from negligence, professional malpractice, and employment law cases. He has successfully tried cases to verdict, obtained multi-million dollar settlements, and argued before the First District Court of Appeal. He served as President of the San Mateo County Trial Lawyers' Association (2016-2017), is a member of the At Large Board of Governors for the Consumer Attorneys of California, co-founder/Treasurer for the Veteran Lawyers of San Mateo County, and a past member of the Hellenic Law Society. He was nominated as a Northern California Super Lawyers Rising Star (2013-2019) and a Super Lawyer (2022-present). He also served as a JAG Captain in the California State Military Reserve (2010-2015). He is involved in community philanthropic endeavors and mentors high school students.

Luke Ellis is AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell. He is a past and current selection for California Super Lawyers and The Best Lawyers in America. In 2024, Luke was named Lawyer of the Year for personal injury litigation by Best Lawyers. In 2020, the National Trial Lawyers Association selected Mr. Ellis as one of California’s Top 25 Product Liability Lawyers. In 2012, the National Trial Lawyers selected him as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers. Mr. Ellis was named Lawyer of the Year for 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2023 in Personal Injury by Best Lawyers of America. In 2014, Berkeley Law (Boalt Hall), University of California, selected him as a ‘Lion of Litigation’. In 2020, Attorneys and Practice Magazine listed Mr. Ellis as one of California’s Top 10 Personal Injury Attorneys. Mr. Ellis has one of the largest personal injury jury trial verdicts on record in Alameda County. He has the largest wrongful death jury verdict in Contra Costa County history. In 2009, he had one of the top 100 verdicts in the nation, and in 2011, one of the top 15 personal injury verdicts in California. In 2013, Mr. Ellis had the most significant recovery for an individual against a bus company in California history, and the #1 motor vehicle settlement in California. He was appointed by the courts to serve as one of the lead plaintiff attorneys in the Judicial Council Coordinated Proceedings (JCCP) in all three cases, which settled for $442 million, $95 million, and $1.05 billion, respectively. He has served as Vice President of the California Trial Lawyers Association (CTLA) and Vice President of the Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC), organizations dedicated to protecting the civil justice system and the rights of injured persons and consumers. Mr. Ellis has tried numerous civil and criminal jury and court trials. He has written and lectured widely in the field of trial practice and has chaired numerous educational seminars in all fields of litigation. He was a consultant to the California Continuing Education of the Bar for California Trial Objections and is a co-author of the Government Tort Liability Practice, published by California Continuing Education of the Bar. Mr. Ellis serves regularly as a Court Settlement Commissioner by appointment of the Contra Costa and Alameda County Superior Courts. He is also the long-time coach of Miramonte High School’s championship mock trial team.

Chantel L. Fitting

Chantel Fitting has been a litigation attorney for over fifteen years with a specialty in bodily injury cases, recognized as an expert in evaluating serious medical injuries and presenting evidence to juries. She has a remarkable record of successful jury trials, recovering millions for clients. She is an active member of the Consumer Attorneys of California, serves on its Board of Directors, and was former President for the San Mateo County Trial Lawyers Association. She has been nominated as a Super Lawyer and named Top 50 Women Trial Lawyer for Northern California.

John N. Frye

John Frye has been a litigation attorney for more than 40 years and is admitted to practice in all state and federal courts in California. A significant aspect of Mr. Frye’s practice is the handling of claims against insurance companies. He has achieved the highest ranking (AV) for professional ability and ethics by Martindale Hubbell and has extensive experience as a trial attorney in state and federal courts in California, specializing in personal injury, professional liability, and insurance bad faith, with jury trial experience also including employment discrimination and real estate fraud. He is a member of the Consumer Attorneys of California.

Attorney Andy Gillin is a founding partner of GJEL Accident Attorneys. Raised in Southern California, he moved north to attend U.C. Berkeley in the late 1960s. During his time at U.C. Berkeley, Andy studied under two distinguished legal scholars, Jacobus tenBroek and Al Bendich, whom he greatly admired. After Andy received his bachelor’s degree, he decided to attend the University of Chicago, where he received his Juris Doctor. Following graduation, he returned to the Bay Area and joined the San Mateo County Legal Aid Society. Through this opportunity, he began his legal career as a public service attorney, primarily working for low-income families and individuals. A couple of years later, Andy received a call from one of his previous mentors asking whether he’d be interested in personal injury law. Over time, personal injury became a primary focus as an extension for the work Andy did for people in need, leading to the founding of GJEL in 1972. During his career, Andy has written and lectured extensively on personal injury topics-including settlement strategies and trial practice-for several organizations. This includes the California Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB) as well as other professional groups. He even wrote a guide for young attorneys for the first hundred days of a major case published in the California Trial Lawyers Syllabus. Andy also has experience practicing in both state and federal courts and is an active member of many legal organizations, such as the American Association for Justice, the State Bar of California, and the California Trial Lawyers Association. Due to his impressive track record and dedication to ethical standards, Andy holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell. He has also been included in several top listings, including Super Lawyers and the Best Lawyers in America. Since starting GJEL, Andy has helped hundreds of injured plaintiffs fight for their recovery. With several case settlements and verdicts exceeding $1,000,000, Andy understands how life-changing personal injuries can be. One of his most notable cases, a Mass Tort Litigation against Tenet Healthcare Corporation, involved patients receiving unnecessary surgeries at Redding Medical Center in 2002. The lawsuit consisted of a total of 769 claims, 183 of which were brought by GJEL. Not only did GJEL clients receive $117 million in damages, but the lawsuit caused a major overhaul of Tenet’s corporate governance. Through this litigation, Andy and the GJEL team were able to make a positive change to the operations and standards of Tenet, reducing the risk of similar injuries happening in the future. As managing partner, Andy spends his day consulting on all the different cases accepted by the firm, discussing strategies and tactics with his fellow partners. He loves being deeply involved with cases and collaborating with other attorneys at the firm. When he’s not in the office, he enjoys spending time with his friends and family and listening to classic rock music. You’ll likely find him walking around the neighborhood early in the morning listening to classics by Janis Joplin and The Youngbloods on his headphones.

Patricia A. Turnage

Patricia Turnage is a versatile and experienced attorney with over 38 years of practice in California, licensed since 1987. She is known for outstanding client service, litigation skills, and professionalism. With a background in insurance law, holding a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation, she effectively handles personal injury, landlord/tenant, and business/contract disputes. She has also served as a Judge Pro Tem for the Alameda Courts since 1998 and teaches business law at the University of Phoenix.