Santa Ana, CA

Matthew S. McNicholas

As California’s most accomplished and fierce advocate for first responders, Partner Matthew McNicholas has built his reputation on one purpose: protecting those who protect us. With more than $150 million in high-impact verdicts and settlements for first responders, Matt has become the go-to attorney for law enforcement officers and firefighters facing discrimination, harassment and retaliation at their agencies. His work extends far beyond the courtroom, driving institutional reform at some of California's most powerful public agencies, including the Los Angeles Fire Department and Los Angeles Police Department. Matt also serves as Panel Counsel to the Los Angeles Police Protective League and the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City. He is a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and the American College of Trial Lawyers, and a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA).

William D. Shapiro

William Shapiro has handled catastrophic injury/wrongful death actions for over 4 decades obtaining numerous seven and eight-figure verdicts and settlements.

John P. McNicholas

Founding Partner John McNicholas has more than five decades of experience representing plaintiffs in the areas of catastrophic personal injury, employment law, class actions, sexual abuse and other consumer-oriented matters. He is a recognized leader with more than 176 jury verdicts and 20 reported appellate decisions in copyright infringement, breach of contract, medical malpractice, pharmaceutical and aviation cases. He has obtained millions in verdicts and settlements for clients. Among John’s many accomplishments, he has been awarded The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Trial Lawyers, Daily Journal Top 100 Most Influential Attorneys in California, Best Lawyers in America© and Benchmark Litigation California Litigation Star. He also served as Adjunct Professor of Trial Advocacy at Loyola Law School, where he received the prestigious Board of Governor’s Award for outstanding contributions to society, the practice of law and service to the school. In 2009, he received honorary membership in Loyola Law School’s chapter of the Order of the Coif, a national legal honor society. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, and a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA).

Patrick McNicholas

Patrick McNicholas has over three decades of experience as a trial lawyer, exclusively representing victims in catastrophic injury, product liability, sexual assault and other consumer-oriented matters, such as civil rights and aviation disasters. He is a true pioneer when it comes to advocating for his clients in some of the most legally challenging cases and has secured numerous multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements, including an $85 million class action settlement against Mercedes-Benz USA, a $44 million settlement for air crash victims, and a $10.8 million jury verdict awarded to a minor molested by a school teacher. He regularly appears on top industry lists and rankings such as National Law Journal Plaintiff’s Trailblazers, Best Lawyers in America© Benchmark Litigation California Litigation Stars and Southern California Super Lawyers Top 100. He was instrumental in a $4 billion resolution for over 7,000 survivors of sexual abuse in Los Angeles County juvenile detention centers and a $13.5 billion settlement for wildfire victims against PG&E. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, and a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA).

Jess J. Araujo

Jess J. Araujo is a Senior Founding Partner at DiMarco | Araujo | Montevideo, licensed in California, Texas, and Washington D.C. He served in the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War, specializing in the Vietnamese language. He earned his Juris Doctorate from Loyola University School of Law in 1976. Mr. Araujo is a nationally recognized legal scholar and expert in various legal fields, including U.S. - Mexican Relations, Latino Electoral Trends, Entertainment Law, Consumer Laws, Personal Injury, and Workers’ Compensation. He has received the "Legion de Honor de México" and the National OHTLI Award in 1996 for his work promoting the civil, social, and cultural interests of México and the Mexican Community. He is the author of "The Law And Your Legal Rights," the first bilingual (English - Spanish) book on U.S. law registered in the Library of Congress. He has held leadership roles in numerous civic and community organizations, including past president of the Orange County Bar Foundation and the Hispanic Bar Association of Orange County. He is fluent in Spanish and conversant in Vietnamese.

John A. Montevideo

John A. Montevideo is a Partner at DiMarco | Araujo | Montevideo, licensed in California and Nevada. He received his Juris Doctorate in 1978 from Western State University College of Law, after earning his Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio State University in 1973. With over 47 years of experience, Mr. Montevideo specializes in general negligence, workers’ compensation, premises liability, car accidents, products liability, and construction law. He is recognized for his dedication and has an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell. He served as President-Elect (2009-2010) and President (2010-2011) of Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC) and was inducted into Western State University, College of Law’s Hall of Fame in 2006. He is also a past President of the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association and serves on the Board of Directors for the Diversity in Law Foundation.

Jason D. Cohn

Jason D. Cohn, a founding partner at Cohn & Swartzon Injury Attorneys, has over 28 years of experience in personal injury law. He graduated from the University of Southern California (USC) and Whittier Law School cum laude. Jason is admitted to practice in all California state courts and most federal districts in California, as well as the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. He has been recognized by Super Lawyers® (2014-2025), received a Superb 10/10 AVVO Rating, and an AV® Preeminent™ Rating from Martindale-Hubbell®. He is also a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum® and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum®. Jason co-founded Cohn & Swartzon in 2008 with Saar Swartzon, continuing his commitment to client advocacy and legal excellence. He previously served as a temporary judge and an adjunct professor at Whittier Law School.