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CaseyGerry Francavilla Blatt LLP

110 Laurel Street

San Diego, CA, 92101-1486

619-238-1811

www.CaseyGerry.com

For Robert Francavilla, the values that shape his home life are the same ones that win cases.

Family has played, and continues to play, a significant role in shaping one of Southern California’s most successful personal injury attorneys. He credits much of his success to the values instilled by his parents, including a strong work ethic, an unwavering commitment to honesty, a deep love and dedication to his family, and treating everyone he encounters with dignity and respect.

“Above all, my mom and dad taught me compassion and to follow the adage of treating other people as I want them to treat me. I live my life trying to make a little part of this world better by helping others, many of them facing the toughest challenges of their lives,” says Robert Francavilla, Partner in CaseyGerry Francavilla Blatt LLP.

“I have an older brother and a younger brother, and as the middle child, I was often the one who had to mediate disputes. I learned how to bring people together, find common ground, and work through disagreements. Looking back, being the one in the middle was great preparation for a career in the law,” he says.

The skills he developed early in life have become hallmarks of his legal career. Known for his tenacity and unwavering commitment to his clients, Francavilla has represented individuals in some of the nation’s most notable cases, including one with Olympic proportions.

A Fight Beyond The Mat

Richard Perry, a young wrestler seeking a position on the U.S. Olympic team, attended a national wrestling camp at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in 2020. During the camp, USA Wrestling conducted simulated combat exercises to fulfill contractual obligations related to training and promotional videos.

That training involved participating in drills modeled after exercises used to prepare Marines for life-and-death combat situations. While Marines typically spend years training before participating in these exercises, the wrestlers were expected to perform them without receiving any prior instruction in this type of simulated combat. Instead, participants faced one another wearing cage-style helmets with narrow openings, similar to those worn in hockey, and carrying padded batons resembling boat paddles. They were instructed to attack one another and score a “kill shot” to the head, a decision that would have devastating consequences.

Because of his size, Perry was given a traditional football helmet, which had wider openings than the cage-style helmets worn by the other participants. During one of the exercises, his opponent was using a worn-out baton. As he attempted a “kill shot,” the baton’s protective cover tore away, allowing it to pass through the opening in Perry’s face mask. The exposed baton struck Perry’s right eye socket, penetrated his brain, and caused catastrophic injuries. The trauma was so severe that, while Perry was in surgery, his wife was told to prepare for the worst. The Olympic dream he had spent years pursuing was over.

Perry and the legal team focused on demonstrating that, although he had reached the highest levels of competitive wrestling, he was never trained to participate in military combat exercises. Their case emphasized that excelling in one sport did not prepare an athlete for dangerous combat drills that require years of specialized training, especially when worn-out equipment is involved.

Although the activity was presented as cross-training, the United States and USA Wrestling vigorously defended the case, contesting nearly every issue. “I don’t get intimidated by the lawyers, firms, or entities I go up against, regardless of their reputation, size, or resources. I look at every case as a challenge. I do whatever it takes to achieve the best possible outcome for the people I represent, and that’s exactly what we did,” Francavilla says.



Working alongside his law partner, Adam B. Levine, Francavilla secured a $12 million recovery for Perry and his family from the United States of America. 

Leaving No Stone Unturned

CaseyGerry Francavilla Blatt primarily handles catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death cases, often representing clients against powerful corporations and large insurance companies with extensive legal and financial resources. Francavilla thrives on taking on organizations that believe they are already on the winning side of a case.

“I try to understand what my clients go through every day. They wake up in pain, and they go to bed with that same pain every night. I strive to help a jury understand not only the extent of my clients’ pain and the profound impact it has had on their lives, but also the responsibility of the organizations whose actions or inactions caused that pain, grief, harm, and loss,” he says.

Whether he is in the courtroom or at the negotiating table, Francavilla is committed to outworking the defense and doing everything possible to achieve the best outcome for his clients. His approach is to know every detail of a case by mastering the law, uncovering critical evidence, and understanding exactly what his clients have endured. He then presents that story in a way that helps judges and juries understand both the full extent of a client’s suffering and the responsibility of those who caused it. “I dig deep to find out what every moment of every day is like for my client in order to make a positive change in the quality and enjoyment of their lives and get them the justice that they truly deserve. I always fight with real passion and true belief in my client,” he says.

That philosophy was put into practice in a case involving a woman injured while exiting a rideshare vehicle. The driver stopped at a red light rather than pulling over to a safe location, leaving her no choice but to exit while the rideshare vehicle remained in traffic. As she stepped out, another vehicle pulled away from a parallel parking space beside the rideshare vehicle, crushing her leg between the two vehicles and causing a serious fracture.

Francavilla secured a several-million-dollar recovery on her behalf. While he was pleased with the outcome for his client, he also believed the case had the potential to influence rideshare industry safety policies and practices. “She was one of the sweetest, kindest people I’ve ever represented, and she deserved full compensation,” he says.

Another case that Robert tried with his partner Gayle Blatt involved an incident in a gym in which the at-fault defendant offered minor compensation for a major injury. Their client had regularly played basketball at the gym in question for years. Overnight when cleaning the basketball court, the gym’s maintenance company had mistakenly put stainless steel polish on the floor instead of the type of wood polish required for basketball courts. Francavilla’s client slipped, fell and suffered a major injury to his ankle.

The gym did not take the incident seriously, claiming that players slipped on basketball courts all the time and it was just “one of those things that happen”. The defendants also argued that the plaintiff suffered, “only a sprained ankle.” Francavilla demonstrated that the maintenance company negligently applied the wrong product to the court and that the gym failed to properly inspect and oversee the work. Moreover, he proved the injury caused a substantial change in his client’s quality and enjoyment of life.

The defendants initially offered pennies on the dollar to resolve the case. Francavilla and Blatt refused to settle, took the case to trial, and a jury awarded their client nearly $2 million.

Turning Doubt Into Determination

Looking at Robert Francavilla’s career today, it’s hard to imagine that one of his greatest sources of motivation came from one of the biggest setbacks of his academic career. During his first semester of law school, he earned the lowest grade in his contracts class. Determined to improve, he met with his professor to understand where he had gone wrong. The professor told Francavilla that he had completely missed the mark. His advice was to head to the admissions office, request a tuition refund, and pursue another career because he simply did not have what it takes to become a lawyer.



Unwilling to let someone else define his future, Francavilla accepted the professor’s remarks as a challenge. He persevered through law school, and even though he graduated just above 50 percent of his class, he was determined to prove that one grade would not define the rest of his career and that he could become a great trial lawyer.

The lesson he took from that experience led to a lifelong commitment to mentoring law students and young attorneys. “I went into that meeting with the professor operating out of fear, but he did me a real favor because I came out of there resolved to do everything possible to become a great trial lawyer. Today, I tell new lawyers to always believe in themselves and to never let anybody tell them that they can’t do something. And never, ever think about the money. Think about the good we are trying to accomplish for the people we represent,” Francavilla says. 

Paying It Forward

The law student once encouraged to seek a tuition refund is now a partner at one of California’s premier personal injury firms, where he works alongside ten attorneys and a dedicated support staff committed to serving individuals and families during some of the most challenging times of their lives. Today, he leads by example both in the courtroom and through mentorship. 

Francavilla believes the best way to motivate others is by leading through example. Despite practicing law for several decades, he continues to be one of the hardest-working attorneys at the firm, approaching each day with the same dedication to his clients and their cases as he did on his first day on the job. His door is always open, and he is known for providing guidance, advice, and mentorship to fellow attorneys and staff alike. “Our people make the biggest difference in our success. Without them, I would never have accomplished what I have. I am grateful for the success I have had as a lawyer, but I also recognize and appreciate just how important my amazing team is to the results we achieve for the deserving people we represent.”



Francavilla leads Team RJF, a group of outstanding legal minds. He directly oversees associate attorneys Samantha Kaplan and Kelly Wacker, along with talented paralegal Andrea Melgoza. Supporting the team are investigator Paul Francavilla, Robert’s brother, and Steve Leonard, whom Managing Partner David S. Casey Jr. has nicknamed the firm’s “air traffic controller.”

A Family Affair

One of Francavilla’s most memorable case strategies came from an unexpected source: his family. In a case involving a client who was struck by an intoxicated driver after crossing against a red light, the legal challenges were significant. While discussing the case at home, his 20-year-old son, Zach, asked a simple question: “Dad, when I’m leaving the house, what are you most likely to tell me about safety? Don’t jaywalk or don’t drink and drive?” The question reshaped the way Francavilla viewed the case. It became the central theme, and his client ultimately prevailed.

Francavilla and his wife, Carla, have been married for 25 years and have two sons, Zach, 20, and Dominic, 16. “I was worried about the outcome of an important case some time ago, and Carla gave me some great advice that all attorneys should follow. She told me to focus on the process, and the outcome would take care of itself. As usual, my wife was right again.”

That same sense of family extends into Francavilla’s professional life. His brother, Paul Francavilla, has served as one of the firm’s private investigators for more than 20 years, further emphasizing the family values that have guided both Robert’s life and career.

Outside the courtroom, Francavilla and his wife Carla, enjoy attending their sons’ various sporting events, and as self-proclaimed sports fanatics, the entire family loves watching games and playing basketball together. Zach was a Varsity basketball player at Cathedral Catholic and is now head basketball coach for Cathedral’s freshman team. He also studies finance at Cal State San Marcos. Dominic is now a Varsity basketball player and great student at Cathedral. Much of their travel revolves around their sons’ high school and AAU basketball competitions, but they also enjoy taking family vacations to Hawaii.

“If I have to work until midnight just so I can attend one of their games, that’s what I do. My family injects me with the fuel I need to keep going. I love them dearly. My family is everything to me, and that’s the same type of passion and care that I put into my clients’ cases and my law practice,” he says.

Francavilla believes that being an effective advocate requires continual learning, both inside and outside the courtroom. He stays physically and mentally sharp by working out at the gym four times a week, studying accomplished trial lawyers, and trying cases whenever he has the opportunity. He unwinds with action movies, comedies, and television series.

One of the things Francavilla enjoys most about practicing law is the opportunity to learn something new every day. This ensures the law remains exciting and invigorating. It is a mindset he encourages in the young attorneys he mentors, believing that a commitment to continual learning helps them grow not only as lawyers, but as people.

“Think about what we do. Every day we help right a wrong or prevent an injustice that otherwise would occur if we didn’t step in and do something. I like working hard because I think that’s one thing we can do in this world to show ourselves and others that we can truly make a difference. The harder you work at something, the more likely you are to succeed. And my family and clients are more than worth the effort.”

» Education

• J.D., University of San Diego
• B.B.A., University of San Diego

» Honors & Awards

• Top Plaintiff Lawyers 2025, Daily Journal
• Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers (2019–2025)
• The Best Lawyers in America (2008–2026)
• Top 50: San Diego Super Lawyers (2008–2010, 2018, 2024–2026)
• San Diego Super Lawyers (2007–2026)
• Trial Lawyer of the Year, Consumer Attorneys of San Diego (2016)
• Outstanding Trial Lawyers Award, Consumer Attorneys of San Diego (Seven-Time Recipient)
• Best Attorneys, SD Metro Magazine (2017)
• Top 25 Plaintiff Lawyers, Daily Journal (2015)
• Lawyer of the Year, Products Liability Litigation—Plaintiffs, Best Lawyers (2014)
• 50 People to Watch, San Diego Magazine (2012)
• Top Attorneys, San Diego Daily Transcript (2012–2013)
• Top 50 San Diego Super Lawyers (2010)

» Awards

• State Bar of California
• American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)
• International Academy of Trial Lawyers (IATL)
• American Association for Justice (AAJ)
• Consumer Attorneys of California, Board of Governors (1998)
• Consumer Attorneys of San Diego Board of Directors (1995–1999)