Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
Gary M. Paul
Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2018 Awarded Practice Areas
Biography
Gary M. Paul is a veteran trial lawyer and partner in the Los Angeles office of Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel, where he focuses on complex civil litigation. With more than four decades of experience as a trial lawyer, Gary is widely respected for his advocacy on behalf of individuals injured by exposure to asbestos, herbicides and pesticides, and other dangerous chemicals, as well as defective products and negligent corporate practices. He has authored numerous articles for legal journals and co-authored publications such as the "California Tort Practice Guide."
Gary is committed to promoting the legal profession’s highest standards and actively seeks leadership roles such as serving as a diplomat with the American Board of Trial Advocates. Other leadership roles have included serving as president of the American Association for Justice and the Consumer Attorneys of California. He has earned some of the legal industry’s highest honors, including the Leonard Ring Champion of Justice Award and CAALA’s Trial Lawyer of the Year. Gary was also selected by peers for the The Best Lawyers In America© and has also appeared on the Thomson Reuters Southern California Super Lawyers® list for more than 15 consecutive years, based on his work in personal injury litigation.
Overview
- Loyola Marymount University, J.D., graduated 1974
- Loyola Marymount University, J.D., graduated 1974
Client Testimonials
Awards & Focus
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2026 for work in:
- Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
Awards:
Harry M. Philo Award from the American Association for Justice (AAJ)
Leonard Ring Champion of Justice Award by the American Association for Justice (AAJ)
Distinguished Service Award, American Association for Justice, 2006, 2010, 2017
News & Media
Case History
Cases
- Top 100 Verdict
A $16.9 million verdict on behalf of a former U.S. Navy sailor who was exposed to cancer-causing asbestos was recognized among the top verdicts of 2009 by the National Law Journal.
- Forty-Year-Old English Professor Receives $27.5 Million Asbestos Award
Young English professor and local rock musician was exposed to asbestos dust while washing father’s work clothes as a kid.
On Wednesday this past week, a Cuyahoga County jury awarded mesothelioma sufferer John Panza, Jr. and his spouse Jane Panza$27.5 million in a take-home asbestos exposure lawsuitagainst Kelsey-Hayes Company, successor to National Friction Products Corp.
Mr. Panza was exposed to asbestos dust that his father, John Panza, Sr., brought home on his clothing from his work at a brake producing company, Eaton Airflex. Mr. Panza’s father worked at Eaton from 1963 to 1993 in receiving and shipping department and because he was required to deliver materials all over the plant was a frequent bystander to other employees who drilled and abraded National Friction products, which released asbestos.
On Wednesday this past week, a Cuyahoga County jury awarded mesothelioma sufferer John Panza, Jr. and his spouse Jane Panza$27.5 million in a take-home asbestos exposure lawsuitagainst Kelsey-Hayes Company, successor to National Friction Products Corp.
Mr. Panza was exposed to asbestos dust that his father, John Panza, Sr., brought home on his clothing from his work at a brake producing company, Eaton Airflex. Mr. Panza’s father worked at Eaton from 1963 to 1993 in receiving and shipping department and because he was required to deliver materials all over the plant was a frequent bystander to other employees who drilled and abraded National Friction products, which released asbestos.
- Mesothelioma Victim Receives $7.55M Verdict
A Power Plant worker and his wife are awarded a multimillion-dollar verdict in a Massachusetts asbestos trial.
BOSTON – A Boston jury handed down a $7.55 million verdict of $7.55 million to a power plant worker and his wife against New England Insulation (NEI), which sold, distributed, ripped out, and installed asbestos insulation material until the early 1970s. Gerald Sylvestre, who was a former worker who oversaw equipment for a New Hampshire power plant, was exposed to asbestos by NEI workers performing asbestos insulation work at the power plant. As a result, Mr. Sylvestre was diagnosed with mesothelioma, an asbestos-related cancer, in 2015. He is currently undergoing treatment. The case is Civil Action No. 15-7031; Gerald and Marjorie Sylvestre v. New England Insulation Company; Middlesex County Superior Court, Common Wealth of Massachusetts.
BOSTON – A Boston jury handed down a $7.55 million verdict of $7.55 million to a power plant worker and his wife against New England Insulation (NEI), which sold, distributed, ripped out, and installed asbestos insulation material until the early 1970s. Gerald Sylvestre, who was a former worker who oversaw equipment for a New Hampshire power plant, was exposed to asbestos by NEI workers performing asbestos insulation work at the power plant. As a result, Mr. Sylvestre was diagnosed with mesothelioma, an asbestos-related cancer, in 2015. He is currently undergoing treatment. The case is Civil Action No. 15-7031; Gerald and Marjorie Sylvestre v. New England Insulation Company; Middlesex County Superior Court, Common Wealth of Massachusetts.
- $8.45M Mesothelioma Verdict for Career Pipefitter in California
AUGUST 30, 2018This award is believed to be the largest asbestos verdict against boiler manufacturer Weil-McLain. CALIFORNIA –– A Los Angeles County jury has awarded $8.45 million to the son of a pipefitter, finding that asbestos insulation distributed by Weil-McLain and used on its boilers contributed to Robert “Bob” Swanson’s mesothelioma and subsequent death. This is believed to be the largest asbestos verdict against Weil-McLain to date. “It was most satisfying to receive justice for Robert Swanson, who never got to see his day in court,” said Gary M. Paul, lead trial attorney and partner at Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel in Los Angeles. “But the effort carried on by his only surviving heir, his son Shawn, allowed the jury to see the righteousness of his cause. I believe Robert must be smiling.”
- $7.68M Hip Implant Verdict Against Zimmer, Inc.
AUGUST 2, 2019Plaintiff prevails over hip implant maker in this damages-only retrial of a defective medical device. LOS ANGELES — A Los Angeles jury has awarded $7.68 million to a former California resident injured by a defective metal-on-metal hip implantmanufactured by Zimmer, Inc. This was a retrial in which the jury was asked to rule on damages only. Zimmer’s Durom Cup forced Plaintiff Gary Kline to undergo two grueling hip replacement surgeries within 15 months, leaving him with scar tissue, nerve damage, stiffness, and chronic pain.
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