Keeping the Moral Compass Pointing North

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Keeping the Moral Compass Pointing North

Dan Baldwin • Dec 01, 2023

Contact

Rahul Ravipudi

Panish | Shea | Boyle | Ravipudi LLP

11111 Santa Monica Boulevard 7FL, Suite 700

Los Angeles, CA 90025

(310) 477-1700

www.psbr.law

"All of our cases involve tragic circumstances in which we seek monetary damages from corporations, negligent parties, and insurance companies. We represent individuals and their families in personal injury, wrongful death, and business litigation. Our clients are experiencing the worst possible times of their lives and representing them to the best of our ability requires always having your moral compass pointing north; there’s no room for ego, pride or getting your name in lights. It’s always, always about the client,” says Rahul Ravipudi, Partner in Panish | Shea | Boyle | Ravipudi LLP.

Ravipudi joined the firm 17 years ago and handles catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases involving commercial vehicles, dangerous conditions, industrial accidents, sexual assault and abuse, illegal business practices, and utilities and public entities that have endangered the safety of the public.

He is consistently ranked at the top of his profession for his work in plaintiffs’ personal injury litigation. Ravipudi is a past recipient of the Consumer Attorney Association of Los Angeles (“CAALA”) Trial Attorney of the Year award and was named the 2023 Best Lawyers® Lawyer of the Year in Mass Torts/Class Action-Plaintiffs. He recently was selected to join the exclusive Inner Circle of Advocates—a group of 100 of the top personal injury attorneys in the United States. Client comments are testimonials to the effectiveness of his moral compass approach to law.

“Ever have a wheel come off a vehicle and hit your car while traveling down the highway at 60 miles an hour? I hope not—but I did. That’s when I contacted Panish | Shea | Boyle | Ravipudi LLP. My partner and I were setting off on a weekend getaway when out of nowhere a wheel impacted the upper left side of our vehicle. We were both incapacitated. Fortunately, I regained consciousness and was able to safely drive our car to the shoulder. However, my partner was not responsive, was in respiratory failure, and was critically injured.

The team at Panish | Shea | Boyle | Ravipudi LLP led by Mr. Rahul Ravipudi, who visited my partner in hospital the day of his surgery, worked tirelessly to ensure we received remuneration for our injuries, pain and suffering, and sufficient monies to live comfortably the rest of our lives. Our lawyer, Mr. Ravipudi, is amazing! There truly are not enough positive adjectives to describe how he kept us informed, showed concern and genuine love for us and our outcome!”

Ravipudi says, “I want to have an impact for my clients, but also for our society. How do we prevent these things from happening again? What can we do to make sure others don’t have to suffer the tragic consequences suffered by our clients? Our firm’s focus on corporate reform, legislative practices, and working to ensure that corporations develop higher standards of care is one of the answers. It’s always in our mindset. I am driven to make our community a better place, not only for my own wife and kids, but for everybody.”

Practicing the Science of Law

Ravipudi’s diverse areas of practice during his career provide a significant advantage to his clients. For example, his background in science provides him with a keen understanding and an ease in grasping and learning the scientific and technical issues that often are present in his practice areas. He has successfully handled incredibly sophisticated anti-trust and complex business litigation matters, which has given him the ability to effectively communicate about those issues in court.

His interest in science and technology developed from exposure to a family deeply-rooted in the sciences. His father received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Vanderbilt; his mother received a double master’s in Environmental Engineering and Nuclear Physics from Vanderbilt; and his older brother is an interventional cardiologist. In fact, his mother provided the inspiration to enter the legal profession. In the eighties she worked for the California Energy Commission where she evaluated the regulatory compliance of big oil companies. “She would come home from work and tell me about how these army of lawyers in fancy suits would meet with her to contest her findings of violations and significant fines. She loved that they underestimated this five-foot-tall woman from the get-go. My mom would explain how she would, with preparation and her very thoughtful articulation, leave the army of lawyers speechless and without any defenses.”

Three cases in particular showcase the effectiveness of his background, skill with the law, and his moral approach to complex legal issues.

Paul Lee was a non-verbal autistic student left on a school bus in the heat by a driver at the end of his route. He died of hyperthermia. “He died of neglect. That case hit home from day one because my oldest son has learning issues, and we understand what the school system needs to do to protect our vulnerable kids. That struck a chord. The family said the loss of their son created a black hole in their hearts and that was an understatement.” Panish | Shea | Boyle | Ravipudi LLP worked with state legislators to ensure that the law was changed to require that an alarm is placed in the back of all school buses that must be manually shut off by the driver so that no one is left on a bus—a legal victory for the family and a safer environment for school kids riding the bus in California.

Alex Pierce was a 14-year-old boy attending an end-of-the-year middle school swimming pool party. When he began to drown, the student lifeguards did not immediately come to his aid, and the supervising teacher also failed to help. Alex later died from his injuries. “I was shocked—as an attorney, citizen, and especially as a parent—to learn that the schools were not required to have anyone CPR certified on campus,” Ravipudi says. He and his team settled the case, and the firm worked with local legislators to change the law to require that teachers have up-to-date CPR training and certifications. More than that, the Murrieta Valley Unified School District promised to hire a third-party to re-evaluate all their emergency systems and all training to make sure every part of that school was safe for the students. The district was also required to publicize their efforts to encourage other districts to do the same. “That’s how we go beyond just winning a case for a given client; a substantial part of our efforts is in our commitment to carry client issues into the communities we serve,” Ravipudi says.

In April 2017, Ravipudi served as lead counsel on a case in Clark County, Nevada, where a man had suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of a vicious beating by security personnel for a nightclub. The client was a business professional who’d spent several hours at a nightclub entertaining and socializing with friends. After paying his bill and preparing to leave, he was stopped by a manager and security personnel who claimed that he had not paid his bill. He was then taken to another area of the building where he was beaten and held against his will by security before being released. As a result of the attack, the client suffered a traumatic brain injury that resulted in the loss of his livelihood.

Although there were more than a dozen surveillance cameras in the area where the beating occurred, none of the recordings were saved despite numerous requests that they be preserved. Throughout the litigation, defendants disputed liability and damages, which were particularly complex. The jury deliberated for less than five hours before returning a verdict for the plaintiff on every theory of liability and also made a finding that punitive damages were warranted. Ravipudi and his trial team obtained a $160,500,000 jury verdict for their client.

That case, and other similar cases, led to an expansion of the firm.

Moving Cases

With offices in California and Nevada, Panish | Shea | Boyle | Ravipudi LLP receives approximately 95 percent of their cases as referrals from other attorneys. Californians travel to and through Nevada on business trips and as tourists. Many find themselves in need of legal counsel a considerable distance from home.

Twenty-one of the firm’s 45 attorneys are licensed in Nevada, so opening an office in that state was a natural move.

Ravipudi says, “We work as co-counsel with both Nevada and California attorneys. We are a secret-free firm and other firms quickly learn that we earn their full trust, that we’re very good at what we do, and that we’re remarkably easy to work with. Many attorneys find that working with our attorneys is a valuable educational experience that they can take back to their own firm and client base.”

Looking Ahead

As the firm expands, Ravipudi finds himself continuing to work on significant and complex cases. He has been appointed by the judiciary to serve as plaintiffs Co-Lead Counsel in the Social Media Cases litigation in LA County, which involves cases of children and young adults harmed or driven to suicide by social media algorithms. Meta (Facebook and Instagram), Snap (Snapchat), ByteDance (TikTok), Alphabet (Google and YouTube), and others are facing allegations of causing addiction and self-destructive behavior in adolescents and young adults. Allegations include exacerbating mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, body image concerns, self-harm, suicidal ideation, and eating disorders.

He is also working alongside Brian Panish and local Hawaiian counsel, representing plaintiffs who have suffered catastrophic losses as a result of the August 2023 wildfires on the Island of Maui.

The Compass Also Points Home

Ravipudi leads a life balanced by work and family. He is married to Smitha Ravipudi who he says is “the smartest and most caring person on the planet.” She is the CEO of USC Care which is Keck Medicine of USC’s network of physicians who provide outpatient services and procedures. She is also the CEO of Keck Medicine’s ambulatory care services.

He says from the day they met, they supported each other in thriving professional careers. For example, as a first- and second-year lawyer, he was a terrible writer. “Everything was in legalese, and it was hard to understand. I tried to get better but just could not seem to do it without help. Smitha would sit with me at night, and I would show her the Motion or Opposition I drafted. After reading a paragraph she didn’t understand, she would ask me what I was trying to say. When I told her, she would always say, ‘That makes sense. Just write it like you said it.’ With her help, I got better and better. That transitioned into me being gone for months in trial and my schedule being unpredictable at best. If she was not supportive and understanding of this work life, I would have never had a chance to succeed.”

They have three boys: Dhilan (18), Shail (14) and Brij (11). Ravipudi says his hobbies and interests are his boys. “Everything revolves around their lives.” They enjoy football, soccer, baseball, basketball, and track and field and we enjoy watching and participating from the sidelines and in supporting the teams.

Ravipudi says, “I love my family and I love what I do as a profession. I was blessed with the opportunity to work with the best since I was a second-year law student. I have never looked back. Helping those in need, helping those that I know I can help, having the competitive drive to want to win and getting to be my authentic self while doing it. What more can someone ask for?”

» Education

Loyola Law School, Loyola Marymount University
JD, Juris Doctor – 1999
Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics and Minor in Chemistry from the University of California, Riverside – 1996
Adjunct Professor, Loyola Law School: 2009 - Present

» Professional Associations and Memberships

Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles – Associate Editor, Advocate Publication: 2010 – Present
South Asian Bar Association of Southern California,
Public Interest Foundation Board of Directors – Treasurer: 2010 – Present
State Bar of California Member: 1999 – Present
Consumer Attorneys of California Member – Present
Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles Member – Present
National South Asian Bar Association Member – Present
American Bar Association Member - Present