Yukevich | Cavanagh is pleased to announce that the firm has been recognized by the Los Angeles Business Journal as one of the “Fastest-Growing Law Firms” in the region. The publication notes that local, mid-sized firms like Yukevich | Cavanagh continue to strengthen their position in the highly dynamic Los Angeles market and have impressively grown over the last four years.

The firm is thrilled to announce that James Yukevich and Todd Cavanaugh have been selected for inclusion in the 2027 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Best Lawyers is one of the oldest and most respected guides to the legal industry.

The firm is pleased to congratulate Vivian Powers on being named to the Los Angeles Business Journal’s first-ever “Indispensables” list, a new editorial spin-off of the LA500, recognizing trusted advisors, team builders, innovators, and problem-solvers whose leadership helps move their companies forward every day.

The firm is pleased to congratulate founding partner James (Jim) Yukevich on being named to the Los Angeles Business Journal’s 2026 “Leaders of Influence: Litigators & Trial Attorneys” list. In this annual and prestigious issue, the Business Journal honors the most outstanding litigators and trial attorneys in the Los Angeles region.

Yukevich | Cavanaugh is pleased to announce that the firm has been recognized by the Los Angeles Business Journal on its “Law Firms List” for 2026. This list is one of the publication’s most anticipated lists of the year, as it honors the top law firms in the Los Angeles area.

Yukevich | Cavanaugh is delighted to announce that the firm has been recognized in two categories in Chambers USA’s 2026 Guide for its exceptional work in handling complex product liability cases. Chambers USA is widely regarded as one of the most respected legal directories, with rankings based on extensive research and in-depth interviews with clients and peers. Earning the highest ranking in Product Liability: Automobile (Band 1), the firm was recognized by Chambers for “its trial experience, reputation and relationships among the plaintiff and defense Bar.”

Yukevich | Cavanaugh has been recognized on LA Times Studios’ 2026 list of the “Top 125 Largest Law Firms in LA County,” which showcases the top 125 largest law firms in Los Angeles in various industries, including product liability and construction. Founded in 1995, Yukevich | Cavanaugh prides itself on having a continued impact in the Los Angeles region and boasting a stellar work culture that has allowed the firm to grow.

Yukevich | Cavanaugh is proud to announce that Founding Partner, James (Jim) Yukevich, has been honored on the Los Angeles Business Journal’s annual “LA500” list for his third year in a row. This prestigious list commemorates the 500 most impactful leaders and executives in Los Angeles.

James Yukevich, Founding Partner of Yukevich | Cavanaugh, has continued to tirelessly drive efforts to support the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.

Founding Partner James (Jim) Yukevich was recently honored on the Los Angeles Business Journal’s “Top 100 Lawyers” list. This highly competitive list recognizes the most impactful attorneys whose work is actively shaping the city of Los Angeles.

California “Super Lawyers” Yukevich | Cavanaugh is proud to announce that eight of our attorneys have been named to the 2026 Southern California edition of “Super Lawyers.”

The firm is pleased to announce that Delmar Thomas has been named to the Los Angeles Business Journal’s coveted “Leaders of Influence: Minority Attorneys” list for 2026.

The firm is pleased to congratulate Hassan Elrakabawy and Eric Sowatsky on their selection to the Los Angeles Business Journal’s 2025 “Leaders of Influence: Thriving in Their 40s.”

Yukevich | Cavanaugh is honored to be listed on Los Angeles Business Journal’s prestigious list of the “Most Admired Law Firms to Work For” for the sixth consecutive year in a row. This list highlights the best law firms working toward diverse, positive, and supportive work environments to foster attorney success.

The firm is pleased to announce that it has been named by Best Lawyers® to its regional Tier 1 and Tier 3 “Best Law Firms” lists for the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

The firm is pleased to announce that Yukevich | Cavanaugh has been recognized by LA Times Studios on its 2025 “Top 125 Largest Law Firms in LA County” list. This list highlights the largest firms located in Los Angeles County that practice transactional and litigation work across an array of industries.

Yukevich | Cavanaugh is proud to announce that Founding Partner James (Jim) Yukevich has been honored on Lawdragon’s 2026 “500 Leading Litigators in America” list. Jim’s 30 years of legal experience and impressive win rate of over 90% has earned him a spot on this coveted and highly competitive list.

Yukevich | Cavanaugh is pleased to announce that James Yukevich, Todd Cavanaugh, Thomas Borncamp, Cristina Ciminelli, and Charles Osthimer III have been selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America, one of the oldest and most respected guides to the legal industry.

Yukevich | Cavanaugh is pleased to announce that Founding Partner James (Jim) Yukevich has been named to the Los Angeles Business Journal’s 2025 “Leaders of Influence: Litigators & Trial Attorneys” list.

Yukevich | Cavanaugh is pleased to announce that Founding Partner, James (Jim) Yukevich, has recently been recognized on the Los Angeles Business Journal’s 2025 “LA500: Most Influential People in LA” list. This prestigious list celebrates the most influential leaders and impactful executives in Los Angeles.

Eric M. Sowatsky to Partner Yukevich | Cavanaugh is proud to announce that, effective immediately, Eric M. Sowatsky has become a Partner of the firm. Since joining Yukevich | Cavanaugh in 2021, Eric has become a trusted litigation attorney, representing major corporations, public agencies, and utilities across California. He handles complex tort and contract disputes from intake through trial, including high-stakes wrongful death, personal injury, product liability, and premises liability matters. Known for his strategic approach and steady courtroom presence, Eric consistently drives strong outcomes for his clients.

James Irey to Counsel Yukevich | Cavanaugh is pleased to share that James Irey has been promoted to Counsel. James brings more than 30 years of experience to his civil litigation practice, earning a strong reputation for effective advocacy. He represents clients in a wide range of matters involving complex legal issues, including contractual disputes, business torts, negligence, mass torts, Proposition 65, wrongful death, and personal injury. He has been part of litigation teams that have won defense verdicts at trial and on dispositive motions, and has obtained favorable decisions on appeal. His significant experience in the day-to-day litigation management has helped him achieve optimal results for his clients, making him an invaluable member of the Yukevich | Cavanaugh team.

Yukevich | Cavanaugh is pleased to announce that Founding Partner James (Jim) Yukevich has recently been recognized on the Los Angeles Business Journal’s 2025 “Top 100 Lawyers” list.

Yukevich | Cavanaugh is pleased to announce that the firm’s achievements in the cases of Gardner v. American Honda Motor Co. Inc. and Solis v. Brake Parts were selected as “Top Verdicts of 2024” by the Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journal. Partners James J. Yukevich, Cristina M. Ciminelli, Steven D. Smelser, and James J. Ostertag were honored by name in the issue for their outstanding work on these cases.

Yukevich | Cavanaugh is pleased to announce that James Yukevich, Todd Cavanaugh, Thomas Borncamp, Cristina Ciminelli, Raymond Hua, Jacquelyn Sugapong, and Delmar Thomas have been selected by their peers for inclusion in Thomson Reuters’ 2025 Southern California editions of “Super Lawyers.” Eric Sowatsky has also been recognized for “Rising Stars.”

In a new video from the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, CEO Michael Flood celebrates Founding Partner James (Jim) Yukevich for playing a key role in helping the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank raise over $850,000 in the past 12 months. Jim, a long-time advocate and supporter of Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, mobilized his family, friends, and colleagues to support the non-profit with its mission of eradicating hunger in Los Angeles.

The firm is pleased to announce that partners Raymond Hua and David Moore have been selected for inclusion in the Los Angeles Business Journal’s 2024 “Leaders of Influence: Thriving in Their 40s” issue.

Leading Los Angeles law firm Yukevich | Cavanaugh is proud to announce that, effective immediately, Jacquelyn J. Sugapong has become a Partner of the firm.

The firm is pleased to announce that it has been named by Best Lawyers® to its regional “Best Law Firms” list for the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

The firm is pleased to announce that it has been selected for inclusion in the Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journal’s highly competitive “Top Boutiques in California” 2024 issue, which celebrates the best “small but mighty specialized firms” in California. One of only 20 law firms named to the list, Yukevich | Cavanaugh was selected based on its uncompromising reputation as an aggressive, trial-ready firm representing corporations and individuals targeted in civil litigation.

James Ostertag and Steve Smelser successfully defended Brake Parts Inc. LLC in the case of Solis v. Brake Parts Inc. LLC, $65 million lawsuit that multiple other defendants settled.

The firm is pleased to announce that Justin M. Marvisi has been recognized as one of the Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journal’s “40 Under 40” for 2024.

Yukevich | Cavanaugh is pleased to announce that its founding partner, James (Jim) Yukevich, has been recognized by the Los Angeles Business Journal in its annual “Leaders of Influence: Nonprofit & Philanthropy” special issue, which honors superb nonprofit leaders and supporters doing incredibly important work for essential causes in Los Angeles County.

The firm is pleased to announce that it has been recognized for the 5th consecutive year as one of the Los Angeles Business Journal’s “Most Admired Law Firms to Work For.” Each year, the special issue lists an assortment of outstanding firms in the L.A. region that are consciously working towards creating diverse, positive, and supportive environments to help drive the success of their attorneys.

Yukevich | Cavanaugh is pleased to announce that Founding Partner James (Jim) Yukevich has been selected for inclusion in Lawdragon’s 2025 list of the “500 Leading Litigators in America.”

The firm is pleased to announce that James (Jim) Yukevich has been selected for inclusion in the Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journal’s “Top 100 Lawyers” list for 2024, which honors the top-performing attorneys in California.

Yukevich | Cavanaugh is pleased to announce that James Yukevich, Todd Cavanaugh, Thomas Borncamp, Cristina Ciminelli, and Charles Osthimer III have been selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America, one of the oldest and most respected guides to the legal industry.

Yukevich | Cavanaugh is pleased to announce that its founding partner, James (Jim) Yukevich, has been recognized by the Los Angeles Business Journal in its annual “Leaders of Influence: Litigators & Trial Attorneys” special issue.

Yukevich | Cavanaugh is pleased to announce that its founding partner, James (Jim) Yukevich, has been named in the Los Angeles Business Journal’s 2024 “LA500: Most Influential People in LA” list.

Yukevich | Cavanaugh is pleased to announce that its founding partner, James (Jim) Yukevich, has been honored by the Los Angeles Business Journal as its 2024 “Philanthropist of the Year.” Jim’s generosity over the years and dedication to supporting the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank was lauded at the LABJ’s 2024 “Nonprofit and Corporate Citizenship Awards,” where publisher Josh Schimmels gave Mr. Yukevich the award.

The piece details the firm’s genesis and measured growth.

James Yukevich and Cristina Ciminelli co-authored a featured article in The Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journal titled “Is it time to re-think the consumer expectations test in liability defect cases?”

In a notable legal victory for vehicle manufacturers, an Orange County jury dismissed personal injury claims worth $32.5 million against American Honda Motor Co. Inc., challenging the consumer expectations test’s boundaries as defined by a 2014 appellate ruling.

James J. Yukevich and Cristina M. Ciminelli successfully defended American Honda Motor Corporation Inc. inGardner v. Honda Motor Co., a precedent-setting $32.5M personal injury case.

James J. Yukevich, Thomas Borncamp, and Justin Marvisi successfully represented Michelin North America Inc. in a $99.7M product liability case.

Yukevich | Cavanaugh, driven by James Yukevich, has been a key supporter of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank for over twenty years. In the last two years alone, Mr. Yukevich has helped raise over $600,000 for the Food Bank, providing over 2.4 million meals across Los Angeles.

Led by Thomas Borncamp, the firm successfully defended trucking company Estenson Logistics in a $48M case.

James Yukevich, founder and partner of Yukevich | Cavanaugh, was recently quoted in a CNBC article, “Uber, Lyft and the Gig Economy Think They’ve Found a Way to Win the National Labor War” to shed insight on California’s Proposition 22.

Steve Smelser, Jacquelyn Sugapong, and Hassan Elrakabawy won summary judgment for Yukevich | Cavanaugh clients: Nobu Hospitality, Evolution Music, and Music Getaways in a premises liability case.

Attorneys from the firm Yukevich | Cavanaugh successfully defended DVapps, AB (aka Dennis Vukanovic), against Ambitious Productions, Inc. on its claims involving the “Granny” video games created by Mr. Vukanovic as part of his successful franchise.

Yukevich | Cavanaugh is pleased to announce the establishment of its Rapid Response Team.

Jim Yukevich, his law firm, Yukevich Cavanaugh, members of the LA legal community, and other people in his circle have again demonstrated their incredible generosity with a financial contribution large enough to create the equivalent of 1.1 million meals.

Yukevich | Cavanaugh is proud to congratulate our Partner Delmar S. Thomas, for being named by the Los Angeles Business Journal to the Minority Leaders of Influence: Attorneys list.

Yukevich | Cavanaugh is pleased to announce that Partner, Cristina Ciminelli, has been elected to the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)

Yukevich | Cavanaugh is proud to announce that we have again been chosen by the Los Angeles Business Journal as one of the “Most Admired Law Firms to Work For” in 2022.

Yukevich | Cavanaugh is pleased to announce the opening of an Orange County office. With the opening of this office, the firm continues to expand its services for clients on the West Coast, and across the United States. For your Orange County case needs please contact James Yukevich via email at jyukevich@yukelaw.com or (213) 362-7777.

Yukevich | Cavanaugh is proud to announce that Partners James J. Yukevich & Todd A. Cavanaugh have been featured in an article entitled “Keeping the Balance” by the The Los Angeles Daily Journal.

Yukevich | Cavanaugh is proud to announce that David V. Moore has been promoted to Partner.

Yukevich | Cavanaugh has been ranked in the 2022 U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” list as Los Angeles Tier 1 in Product Liability Litigation – Defendants.

We’re proud to announce our second year as “LA’s Top Firms to Work For”!

James J. Yukevich spoke at the DRI Strictly Automotive conference in Washington D.C. on Friday, September 10, 2021.

Yukevich | Cavanaugh is proud to announce that James J. Yukevich and Catherine L. Carlisle have both been recognized by Best Lawyers. Again!

James Yukevich again recognized by Who’s Who Legal, Products Liability Defense

James J. Yukevich has once again been honored as 2021 Leaders of Influence: Litigators & Trial Lawyers by the Los Angeles Business Journal

Yukevich | Cavanaugh is proud to announce that Justin M. Marvisi has been promoted to Partner.

Partner Delmar S. Thomas named 2021 Minority Leaders of Influence: Attorneys list by Los Angeles Business Journal

The (not so) long arm of the law: Personal jurisdiction can be a powerful tool against forum shopping by the filing plaintiff. It is imperative to spot the issue early in the litigation to avoid potential waiver.

Yukevich | Cavanaugh has been ranked in the 2021 U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” list as Los Angeles Tier 1 in Product Liability Litigation – Defendants.

Yukevich | Cavanaugh is proud to announce that James J. Yukevich and Catherine L. Carlisle have both been recognized by Best Lawyers.

Yukevich | Cavanaugh is proud to congratulate Managing Partner James J. Yukevich on his selection by the Los Angeles Business Journal to the 2020 Leaders of Influence: Litigators & Trial Lawyers.

Matthew Wagner brings networking skills aplenty and more than two decades of litigation and IP experience to PDC Brands.

As our clients and business partners, we wish to assure you that Yukevich | Cavanaugh is actively taking steps to continue to provide the high level of client service that you’ve come to expect from us.

The case had all the ingredients for a scene in a James Bond film: a Ferrari 360 Spider, a firey crash and a missing knife.

Yukevich | Cavanaugh has found exceptional client benefit by investing in cutting-edge legal resources. We enhance our productivity by employing innovative legal technology solutions. Artificial intelligence technology augments our creative litigation strategy.

“No one in our country should go hungry and I am proud to have helped provide nearly two million meals to those in need in our community.” -James Yukevich

Two Yukevich | Cavanaugh Partners have been selected by the Los Angeles Business Journal as Top Litigators & Trial Lawyers in Los Angeles for 2019.

Linares v. Crown Equipment and Capps v. Safariland have been selected by Daily Journal as Top Defense Verdicts of 2018

Nov 20, 2018 – U.S. News

November 8, 2018

Corporate Counsel have ranked Yukevich | Cavanaugh an Honor Roll firm for Product Liability litigation in the new BTI Litigation Outlook 2019: Changes, Trends and Opportunities for Law Firms.

Yukevich | Cavanaugh is pleased to announce that five partners have been named to the 2019 Southern California Super Lawyers list.

April 11, 2018

Every year, Daily Journal releases a special supplemental Top Verdicts issue, which highlights the best trial outcomes from the previous year. The 2018 issue again names a Yukevich | Cavanaugh case as one of the top results for defense firms in 2017. This is the eighth time that the firm has made the cut in the last nine years.

Law360, Los Angeles (May 2, 2016, 8:53 PM ET) — A California appeals court on Monday said a trial judge properly dismissed a personal injury suit brought by a stable worker against hale bay suppliers over injuries sustained in a fall, saying the woman’s attorney “repeatedly disregarded” the court’s orders and warranted the sanction.

Be wary of expert disclosure deadlines

Celebrating Our 20th Anniversary!

Law360, New York (February 03, 2014, 7:45 PM ET) — Corporate in-house counsel have picked 23 product liability attorneys who they say stand out for their exceptional client services, be it through developing partnerships and a shared sense of purpose or inventing new ways to handle the ever-changing legal landscape.

Yukevich | Cavanaugh partner Steven D. Smelser recently gave a presentation at the American Conference Institute’s 16th National Advanced Forum on Asbestos. The Conference was held on January 30-31, 2014 at the Hilton San Francisco Financial District in San Francisco, California.

“It is uncharted waters,” said James Yukevich, a Los Angeles attorney who defends the auto industry from product liability lawsuits.

Corporate Counsel Rank Yukevich | Cavanaugh Part of the Fearsome Foursome Honor Roll

James Yukevich will present a seminar discussing closing arguments in toxic tort and auto products cases at the American Bar Association's premiere national CLE held in Phoenix.

The Los Angeles County Superior Court is implementing significant changes and restructuring of all court operations. To read details of the Los Angeles Superior Court changes, click here.

James Yukevich and Delmar Thomas recently gave presentations at the Annual Conference of the International Product Safety & Liability Prevention Association ("IPSLPA"). The Conference was held on March 20-21, 2013 at the Los Angeles Marriott (LAX). Each year, the IPSLPA holds a conference where select speakers give lectures and seminars discussing key aspects of product safety and product management. This year, the Conference was attended by engineers, managers, executives and attorneys representing leading product manufacturers across the country.

A Defense Win in the Long-Running War Against Asbestos.

Effective Negotiations through Structured Settlements

Daily Journal Names Yukevich | Cavanaugh Win as a Top Defense Verdict for 2015

Daily Journal Selects Yukevich | Cavanaugh as One of California’s Top 25 Boutique Law Firms

Daily Journal Names Yukevich | Cavanaugh Win as a Top Defense Verdict for 2014

James Yukevich and Todd Cavanaugh Selected as 2014 Top Rated Lawyers