Simona A. Farrise Best
Top rated Personal Injury attorney in Berkeley, California
Simona Farrise Best, Esq., LL.M
Practice areas: Personal Injury, Products Liability
Licensed in California since: 1994
Education: University of California Berkeley School of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2004 - 2026 Simona Farrise Best, Esq., LL.M
2705 Webster St#5762
Berkeley, CA 94705 Phone: 800-784-1255 Email: Simona A. Farrise Best Visit website
Attorney Simona A. Farrise Best, J.D., LL.M joined the California Bar in 1994. She was Inducted into the Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame by California Lawyers Association in 2025. She was a partner at a prominent national complex toxic torts law firm for many years. In 2007, Farrise founded her own law firm, Farrise Law Firm. In 2025, she was only the 31st person inducted into the California Lawyers Association Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame. Ms. Farrise Best has prosecuted cases against the biggest corporations on behalf of injured people for 30+ years. She has prosecuted cases in private practice and as the Chief of Alameda County DA's Consumer & Environmental protection division, for persons diagnosed with asbestos-related mesothelioma, a terminal cancer, for wrongful death from harmful drugs, and many other highly complex such as cases against pharmaceutical companies for bad drugs, hospitals and doctors for medical negligence, insurance companies for unfair claims handling, employment and other discrimination cases. Farrise Best holds a J.D. as well as an advanced law degree, a Masters of Laws (LL.M) from UC Berkeley School of Law.
Attorney Farrise Best has been recognized as among the top lawyers in the country by U.S. News & World Report. She has been named a Northern California SuperLawyer for 20+ years since 2004. She has been named a Southern California SuperLawyer for a number of years as well. Farrise Best is a sought-after trial lawyer, and a national public speaker on a variety of legal topics concerning trials and jury work. Her trials have been broadcast on Courtroom View Network. She has been recognized as one of the top 50 female lawyers in California with her practice and verdicts being featured in The National Law Journal, The Daily Journal, and The Recorder. Farrise Best has received numerous prestigious awards and honors, including the leadership award from the Equal Justice Society, National Black Lawyers Top 100, Consumer Attorneys of California Street Fighter of the Year award finalist, etc. Her Law School bestowed her with the Distinguished Alumnus Award.
First Admitted: 1994, California
Professional Webpage: https://www.FarriseLawFirm.com
Bar / Professional Activity
- National Bar Association (NBA) , 1990
- Consumer Attorneys of CA, 1994
- Alameda County Bar Association (ACBA), 1994
- American Association for Justice fka American Trial Lawyers Association (ATLA) , 1994
- Black Women Lawyers of Los Angeles - BWLLA, 2008
- Black Women Lawyers of Northern California , 1994
- Langston Bar Association of Los Angeles, 2008
- Charles Houston Bar Association , 1990
- California Association of Black Lawyers (CABL), 1994
- San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association (SFTLA) , 2008
- Women Lawyers of Alameda County, 1994
- California Women Lawyers, 1994
- Alameda Contra Costa Trial Lawyers Association (ACCTLA), 1994
- Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles, 2008
- Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC) fka California Trial Lawyers Assn., 1994
- California State Bar, 1994
- California Lawyers Association, 2025
Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results)
- Gomez v. Metalclad, $6 million, 2018
- Beach v. 3M, $29 million, Los Angeles, 2025
- Franklin v. U.S. Steel, $6.5 million verdict, 2006
- Wimberley v. Yellow Taxi, $25 million, 1995
- Godber v. Mole Richardson, $1 million, 2018
- Keeney v. John Crane, Inc. – $5.55 Million, 2011
- Ms. Farrise has verdicts & settlement in excess of $100 million. Please see www.FarriseLawFirm.com for further details of trial verdicts., 2025
- Shahabi v. Fluor Corp – $14.87 Million, 2008
- Medina v. Borg Warner, $6 Million at trial, 2012
- Harrell v. Ford – $4.35 Million, 2009
- Clark v. Bakersfield Heart Hospital, $3.5 million, 2014
- Peterson v. Hill Brothers Chemical Corp – $20+ Million, 2006
- Radford v. BAE Systems – $2.17 Million, 2008
- Stewart v. Union Carbide – $9.2 Million, 2009
Videos
Transactions
- From 2023-2025 served as Head of Consumer & Environmental Protection, Alameda County District Attorney's office. Sued insurance companies including Farmers Insurance who were alleged to have undervalued amount of replacement property insurance by using computer models https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101909501/sf-chronicle-investigates-broken-home-insurance-system Also sued progressive insurance for its undervaluation of total loss auto claims. , 2023
- Principal Trial Attorney, Farrise Law Firm, 2025
- Founding Attorney, Farrise Law Firm , 2008
- Managing Partner, Kazan Law, Oakland, CA , 1999
- Trial Attorney, Kazan Law, Oakland, CA , 1994
Special Licenses / Certifications
- LL.M - Master of Laws, Univ of Calif. Berkeley, CA, 2005
- J.D Juris Docorate, 1993
Pro bono / Community Service
- Board member of A New Way of Life www.anwol.org, Golden Gate University School of Law, 2024
Educational Background
- University of California, Berkeley Law, LL.M (Social Justice), 2004-2005
- DePaul University, Chicago, IL - B.S. Business/Accounting, 1987-1990
- J.D., Golden Gate University School of Law, 1990-1993
Scholarly Lectures / Writings
- Farrise Law Firm Platinum Sponsor of California Association of Black Lawyers (CABL) Annual Conference for the 4th straight year
- The Stanford Daily – BSU, NAACP host panel on Trayvon Martin case
- Huffingtonpost: Lance Laverdure And Margaret So, Occupy Oakland Protesters article
- SFGATE: Occupy Oakland protesters hit by car sue owner
- Newsweek – "Mesothelioma changed my life" says Farrise, a people’s lawyer", https://farriselawfirm.com/media, 2011
- National Public Speaker on a variety of Legal Topics Concerning Trials, Jury Work, and other matters
Other Outstanding Achievements
- Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles - Trial Lawyer of Year Finalist - multiple times, 2014
Honors
- San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Trial Lawyer of the Year finalist, Trial Lawyer of the Year, Finalist, Www.sftla.org, 2006
- https://thenationaltriallawyers.org, National Black Lawyers - Top 100 Lawyers, National Black Lawyers, 2024
- https://calawyers.org/section/litigation/trial-lawyer-hall-of-fame/recipients, Hall of Fame inductee, California Lawyers Assn - https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIbu5u7Nofv/, 2025
- Best Lawyers in California
- Distinguished Alumnus Award of Golden Gate University School of Law., Golden Gate University. School of Law, 2007
- Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA), Trial Lawyer of the Year Finalist (multiple)
- U.S. News & World Report, Best Lawyers in U.S.
- Named one of the Top 50 Female Lawyers in California
- Consumer Attorneys of California, Streetfighter of the Year finalist
- Trial Lawyer of the Year, California Assn of Black Lawyers
- Progressive Leadership Award from the Equal Justice Society
Industry Groups
- Civil Justice
- Criminal Justice
- insurance wrongdoing
- Legal
- Non-Profit
Office location for Simona A. Farrise Best
2705 Webster St
#5762
Berkeley, CA 94705
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2004 - 2026