EDITORIAL REVIEW
Aitken cranks out the big wins, including $55M against the U.S. government
for a child injured in a collision and $23M for a brain injured
child against a red light runner’s employer.
—2008 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America
Aitken routinely racks up seven- and eight-figure verdicts culminating this year in a $55 Million Dollar award for a young girl rendered a quadriplegic.
— Lawdragon,
January 2008
Aitken obtained $14.6 million for a youngster left blind after suffering cardiac arrest during routine ankle surgery.
— Lawdragon,
February 2007
His passion for wronged consumers recently netted $23 million for a severely injured man.
— Lawdragon,
October 2006
Lawyers from both sides of the bar and political spectrum respect Wylie Aitken. A plaintiffs' lawyer with close ties to the Democratic Party, Aitken was the youngest president in the history of the California State Trial Bar and has served on the state's Judicial Advisory Committee, which recommends the appointment of federal judges. In the courtroom, Aitken has taken on insurance companies such as State Farm and Nationwide Insurance, private individuals and Disneyland. Aitken's 2005 confidential settlement in
Vuong v. Disneyland led to state regulation of theme-park ride safety for the first time. An accident aboard a theme park attraction left Aitken's two clients disfigured. In the 1980s, Aitken set precedent in
Hill v. Bear Automotive, winning a $3.4 million jury award for the wrongful death of a 22-year-old. The woman's parents won the suit, proving that they could claim damages for their daughter's death even though she was not a legal dependent and lived outside their home. Aitken's expertise covers bad-faith insurance practices at the appellate level, product liability and wrongful death, among other areas.
— Lawdragon,
October 2005
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Mr. Aitken is a nationally recognized trial lawyer and founding partner of Aitken Aitken & Cohn, in Santa Ana, California. He was the youngest president in the history of the State Trial Bar and served on the State of California Task Force on Court Facilities appointed by two California Speakers of the Assembly as well as the Federal Judicial Advisory committee member for the Central District under appointment of Senators Feinstein and Boxer which recommends the appointment of the Federal District Judges.
Mr. Aitken has been trial counsel in numerous significant tort cases involving bad faith insurance practices, aviation, automobiles, product liability, business tort litigation and actions involving wrongful death and major personal injuries. He has won numerous multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements for his clients.
As trial and appellate counsel, he has been involved in landmark insurance decisions such as Boicourt v. Amex Assurance Company, Neal v. Farmers Insurance Exchange, and Gourley v. State Farm. As an active participant on the Amicus Curiae Committee of the Trial Lawyers, he has argued numerous major tort actions to the Supreme Court.
Awards and Honors:
The Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America (2005)
The Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America (2006)
"The Top 100" – California’s Most Influential Lawyers (1998-2003)
“2004 Southern California Super Lawyer”
“OC’s Most Influential Business People” (OC Business Journal)
The Best Lawyers in America
The Pre-eminent Lawyers of America
Who’s Who in American Law
Marquette Law School “Lifetime Achievement Award” (2004)
ABOTA Trial Lawyer of the Year (1998)
OC Trial Lawyer Association “Business Trial Lawyer of the Year”
Anti-Defamation League of OC/LB “2003 Jurisprudence Award”
Mr. Aitken acts as board member or advisor to numerous professional legal organizations, including, as a major donor and member of the founding advisory board to the Chapman Law School Center for Lawyering & Advocacy Skills; ABOTA member of the National Board of Directors (1996-); and, is a Trustee of South Coast Repertory.
He is a graduate of Marquette University (1965) where he was a St. Thomas More scholar and Associate Editor of the Marquette Law Review, and he recently was appointed to the Marquette Law School Advisory Board. Before law school he attended Santa Ana College and Cal State Fullerton (then called Orange State).
As an author, his articles have appeared in Am Jur Proof of Facts, Trauma, Lawyers Guide to Medical Proof, numerous law reviews and other legal publications; and he has served on the Jefferson's California Evidence Benchbook Editorial Board. He has also been a frequent guest on radio and television programs such as the Michael Jackson Show, Inside Edition, Larry King Live, KABC Ronn Owens, OCN Prime Time and KOCE Real Orange, among others.
Recent accomplishments include a confidential settlement in a wrongful death action for a 34-year-old man and the severe disfigurement of his wife due to the dislodgment of a metal cleat on Disney’s Sailing Ship Columbia. This high-profile matter sparked a national debate and implemented changes in California law to ensure the safety of theme parks, Vuong v. Disneyland. Other victories include a $6.5 million settlement against a defendant driver of a "Bob-tail" delivery truck that collided with a vehicle driven by a 54-year-old husband and father that left him a quadriplegic, Pennington v. Garcia; a $6.8 million damage award for the plaintiff in an auto whodunit, Johanson v. Boaz; a $2.7 million settlement in a wrongful death case, Curler v. Bithell; a $3.75 million settlement involving a world-class amputee athlete who was rendered quadriplegic, MacLaren v. California Athletic Productions; a $17 million verdict in a fire insurance bad-faith case including $15 million in punitive damages, Schmid v. Federal Ins. Co. (Chubb); a $2.5 million bad-faith UIM claim, Charlesworth v. State Farm; and a $1 million bad-faith verdict, Johnson v. Nationwide Ins. Co..
Mr. Aitken also won a pioneering judgment of $5 million in the medical malpractice field, Chavez v. Altig; a $3.4 million jury award with prejudgment interest for the death of a young adult on behalf of her parents in Hill v. Bear Automotive, (the then largest verdict of its kind in the history of California); and the $2.1 million award for Laura Small against the County of Orange in a case involving a mountain lion attack and the safety of public parks that has sparked national debate. He won a $1.5 million award in Botha v. Yaman involving the wrongful death of a father and husband in a freeway auto collision.
As a consumer advocate, he has developed bilingual consumer protection brochures as well as brochures on lawyer selection, and he has served on college and charitable foundation boards and select commissions involving justice issues such as court congestion and justice facilities.
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by Wylie Aitken
