Athea Trial Lawyers continues to strengthen their reputation as one of the leading civil litigation firms in the U.S.
The firm was formed only three years ago by six trailblazing lawyers from across the country—Charla Aldous, Randi McGinn, Bibi Fell, Lisa Blue, Zoe Littlepage and Deborah Chang. Headquartered in Southern California, the partners concurrently lead their own firms and also unite to operate Athea Trial Lawyers. Together, their ability to resolve complex, high-value cases again secured their Tier 1 ranking for Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs in 2024 in Los Angeles by Best Law Firms®.
“We formed the firm during one of the most challenging times during the pandemic and to inspire women trial lawyers to take on important cases and trials,” said Chang, who was named the 2022 “Lawyer of the Year” for Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs in Los Angeles by The Best Lawyers in America®. “By collaborating and joining our resources and creativity, we can learn from each other and accomplish so much together.”
The firm started 2023 with a very important favorable verdict on behalf of the family and husband of a globally renowned activist. Esther Nakajjigo, Uganda’s Ambassador for Women and Girls, was killed while exiting Arches National Park in Utah in June 2020. Justice was finally achieved in January 2023, following a five-day trial in December of 2022 in the District of Utah where McGinn, Chang and Littlepage secured a $10.5 million verdict that will be allocated to Nakajjigo’s husband and family in Uganda.
“Esther’s life and contributions to society are an inspiration for all of us,” McGinn says of the verdict, which is the largest wrongful death verdict issued by a federal court judge in Utah history.
“Taking on a government agency is incredibly challenging, and proving damages for someone so young who lived most of her life in Uganda was even tougher,” Littlepage added.” It was extremely vindicating for our clients— and our firm—when the U.S. government admitted fault and apologized for Esther’s death.
The entire world, including Uganda, was watching this trial and especially Judge Bruce Jenkins’ decision."
New Legal Challenges in 2024
The need for strong advocacy will continue into 2024, as Athea Trial Lawyers has several cases pending in the areas of wrongful death and sexual abuse.
“People from all walks of life have been harmed due to the negligence and recklessness of others,” says Aldous. “Many of the injustices our clients have suffered were largely, if not entirely, preventable.”
“Though many of our cases are vastly different, they are all reflective of behavioral patterns and systemic problems in our society that are harming and killing people,” says Blue. “Our mission is to correct these issues and put a stop to them and prevent future harm to others.”
With each resolution, the firm seeks to help deserving clients and to make the world a better and safer place.
“Our firm is creative and effective in and out of the courtroom, and we are proud of our proven ability to connect with juries that clearly resonate,” Fell says. “We are proud to be known as an alliance of formidable trial lawyers who can achieve so much together while cultivating the next generation of women leaders.
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