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Thorsnes Bartolotta McGuire LLP

2550 Fifth Avenue, 11^th Floor

San Diego, CA 92103

619-236-9363

www.tbmlawyers.com

"This month is the 7-year anniversary of TBM’s lawsuit win for our son against Caltrans. Every year on the anniversary, we send a big “THANK YOU” to the TBM team to thank them for all the work that they did during that hard fought battle to ensure our son’s future health and well-being.

“TBM was an amazing team to have on our side. We felt secure in the knowledge that we had expert legal care and that they provided exceptional health professionals to help our son in his recovery. What we didn’t expect was the incredible, heartfelt care and concern for our family’s well-being. I can’t imagine going through what we went through without the support we had from TBM. We were always aware that our family mattered. That we were more than just clients. We were and continue to be a part of the TBM family. We are forever grateful.” —Joyce Buxbaum

Joyce Buxbaum’s testimonial fairly represents the feelings of families, individual persons, and organizations who have been served by the attorneys and staff of Thorsnes Bartolotta McGuire, LLP. The firm has progressed and made significant changes since first appearing in these pages, but their commitment to getting the best results for their clients while providing legitimate care and support has remained a constant. 

For example, the firm earned a landmark victory in successfully settling a case against a corrupt hospital system and an orthopedic surgeon who were committing blatant acts of malpractice. The hospital and the surgeon were accused of putting profit before patient welfare and neglecting their professional duties, which resulted in severe injury and life-threatening conditions for more than 65 patients and their family members. Thorsnes Bartolotta McGuire, known for its expertise in medical malpractice cases, took on the challenge and fought tooth and nail to ensure that the victims of this injustice received the compensation they deserved. The legal team meticulously gathered evidence, interviewed witnesses, and presented a strong case in court, which eventually led to a favorable settlement for the plaintiffs. The settlement serves as a warning to all healthcare institutions and medical professionals that they will be held accountable for their actions and must always prioritize the welfare of their patients. The victory was not only for the plaintiffs but also for the entire healthcare community, as it upholds the ethical standards and values of the medical profession. 



“This case highlights the crucial role that law firms play in protecting patients’ rights and ensuring that medical professionals are held accountable for their actions. The settlement sends a clear message that patients have the right to receive quality care and treatment,” Founding Partner Vincent J. Bartolotta says.

Founded on October 1, 1978, the firm has earned more than $2 billion in verdicts and settlements for their clients and has paid more than $3 million in referral fees in the last ten years. Practice areas include personal injury, business litigation, class action lawsuits, condemnation law and eminent domain, sex abuse litigation, medical malpractice, product liability, and wildfire and floods. The firm has seven attorneys (four partners and three associates) and an administrative staff of paralegals, law clerks, secretaries, accounting, receptionist, trial presentation specialists, and an HR/Administrator. 

“Our mission statement is and always has been ‘Making Lives Better.’ To do that you have to genuinely care for the people you represent—and we do. It is not lip service or a motto. We treat every client as if we were working for a family member. Our attitude is not limited to our clients, but also to each other. We treat each other with the same dignity and respect we would want for ourselves. This applies to our witnesses, experts, service providers and all who deal with us. This life is short. We work to make it the best it can be for everyone involved in our legal universe. We are a smaller firm, lean and mean, and have the ability to provide individualized care to our clients without the administrative issues that come with being a large litigation firm,” Bartolotta says.

Amazing Results from Amazing Talent

Victory in the courtroom or across the negotiating table requires teamwork, and the team at Thorsnes Bartolotta and McGuire is recognized for their knowledge, experience and dedication. 

Vincent J. Bartolotta, Jr. specializes in plaintiff’s litigation with an emphasis in business disputes, condemnation and major injury cases. He is recognized annually by Woodward/White as one of the Best Lawyers in America—a recognition he’s received every year for the past 30 years.

John O’Brien was recently honored with an Outstanding Trial Lawyer Award for success in a three- month trial on behalf of several young women who were exploited by the producers of Girls Do Porn. The prime defendant was listed on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted List and was recently arrested in Europe. His case highlights the firm’s commitment to serve the most vulnerable, even where others might pull back because of taboo or discomfort. O’Brien specializes in personal injury, complex business disputes, and sex trafficking litigation. A lawyer with 14 years of experience, he focuses his practice on helping individuals and business owners recover from harm caused by others.

Kevin Quinn represents 15 victims of a reckless surgeon who was operating deep inside people’s brains, though the man is not a neurosurgeon. He was also doing procedures neurosurgeons declined because of the undue risk. The case is against hospitals that developed lucrative profit centers around this dangerous surgeon. One recently settled for many millions, the other is preparing for trial in Los Angeles. Quinn practices in a wide range of areas including products liability, medical malpractice and personal injury. 

After leaving to form his own firm, Christian Hulburt recently returned to the firm where he first started. He returned to become a mediator and fundraiser for the National Conflict Resolution Center as it developed with the DA’s office the nation’s most comprehensive juvenile justice reform. He is an ordained minister in the Catholic Church and a celebrated trial lawyer, bringing a passion to care for the injured and vulnerable while advocating for justice. He came out of retirement at the invitation of Bartolotta. He was recognized by his peers as Trial Lawyer of the Year, Consumer Advocate of the Year and three times chosen for the Outstanding Trial Lawyer Award by the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego

Noelle Webster, one of the firm’s youngest associates, recently settled a case for a daily ocean swimmer who was knocked over by a construction fence at La Jolla Cove and suffered a broken back. The mediator remarked, and went out of his way to write, that Webster’s presentation at mediation—created by the firm’s in-house graphics illustrators—was the most thorough and impressive he had ever seen in his long career. She focuses her attention on medical malpractice, personal injury, and complex business litigation.

Thorsnes Bartolotta McGuire has three ABOTA members (Vincent J. Bartolotta, Jr., Kevin Quinn, R. Christian Hulburt). The firm has been recognized as a Best Lawyer Best Law Firm by US News & World Report, received the prestigious Tier One ranking for San Diego in the areas of Commercial Litigation; Construction litigation, Real estate; Mass Torts Litigation; construction; Class Actions; Personal Injury; Product Liability Litigation. The partners are conferred with regularity as Outstanding Trial Lawyers, Trial Lawyer of the year and Best Lawyers in America. The managing partner, Bartolotta, has been recognized by Cal—ABOTA as Trial Lawyer of the Year for the State of California.

Leading from the Leading Edge

Thorsnes Bartolotta McGuire has been and continues to be a leader in the legal community and in the community at large. 

For example, they were the first firm in the city to use a trial presentation software that placed a bar code on evidence for ease in the Courtroom; their demand packages are unique in that they are outside the box.

In one case they represented a musician who got severely injured in a multiple vehicle accident who became a paraplegic. The firm’s demand package was a mockup of Rolling Stone Magazine. They have led in creating video demand packages that resulted in settlements in the millions of dollars that led to a story shown on 20/20.

Recognizing a responsibility to the community, Thorsnes Bartolotta McGuire is a leader in its commitment to diversity and inclusion. The firm has built a staff that represents a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives. It provides a diverse range of practice areas to better serve all its clients. The firm recognizes the importance of having a diverse workforce, not only to better reflect the communities they serve but also to bring new ideas and approaches to the table. Their actions have resulted in a more dynamic and creative work environment, where employees feel valued and supported. 

The firm’s commitment to diversity is also reflected in its hiring practices, which prioritize equal opportunity for all candidates. The firm’s diverse range of practice areas allows it to provide comprehensive legal services to its clients of all backgrounds, cultures and languages. From medical malpractice, wrongful death and personal injury, construction law and intellectual property, sex trafficking and sexual abuse, the firm has built a reputation for excellence in all areas. Their attorneys have a deep understanding of the legal landscape and use their expertise to deliver results for their clients. 

The firm is proud of its inclusive culture and its ability to bring together a diverse group of individuals to form a cohesive and effective team. They believe that this diversity is what sets them apart and has been a major factor in their success. They are committed to continuing to build an inclusive workplace and expanding their practice areas to better serve their clients. In a world where diversity and inclusion are becoming increasingly important, this law firm serves as an example of how a commitment to these values can lead to success.

“We have clients to this day, whom we represented 10-15-20 years ago who stay in touch. We still get tamales at Christmas. We get cookies. We get letters from them wishing individual members of our team a happy birthday. We must be doing something right that these people all these years are still sending us cards or thank yous or cookies or fruit baskets. We have changed with the times, but our commitment to helping people in real need has remained rock solid. That will never change,” Bartolotta says.