Michael J. Bidart

An exceptionally skilled professional with over 45 years of legal experience, Michael J. Bidart devotes the entirety of his practice to insurance coverage and personal injury litigation. He is the managing partner at the law firm of Shernoff Bidart Echeverria LLP in Claremont, California, and he functions as the lead of the firm’s health maintenance organization (HMO) litigation and property/casualty departments.

A graduate of the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, Mr. Bidart obtained his Bachelor of Arts in economics in 1971 followed by his Juris Doctor from the Pepperdine University Rick J. Caruso School of Law in Malibu, California, in 1974. He is licensed to practice in California (1974), the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals and the U.S. District Court for the Central, Northern, Eastern and Southern Districts of California.

For his groundbreaking work as an attorney, Mr. Bidart was honored with many awards and accolades. He was:

·       Listed among California’s 100 Most Influential Lawyers by California Lawyer magazine 

·       Selected for inclusion in the Top 25 California Plaintiff Attorneys by the Los Angeles Daily Journal

·       The recipient of the Civil Advocate Award in 2008 by the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel (ASCDC)

·       Named the MVP in insurance law by Law360

·       Awarded the highest peer rating possible of AV Preeminent* from Martindale-Hubbell

·       Designated “Lawyer of the Year” for multiple years in a row by Best Lawyers

·       Presented with the Trial Lawyer of the Year Award by the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA) and the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)

An erstwhile prosecutor, Mr. Bidart offers outstanding representation backed by a track record of success. He has prosecuted hundreds of insurance bad faith cases against HMOs and insurers, and secured some of the largest verdicts in U.S. history, including a landmark $120.5 million verdict against an HMO. A settlement of $28.2 million for a woman and a $10.48 million verdict in an insurance bad faith lawsuit are also among his long list of triumphant records.

For his cutting-edge subject knowledge, Mr. Bidart is often asked to deliver presentations and lectures. He has also written considerably for prominent publications and been featured in the media. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, the American Board of Trial Advocates, the Consumer Attorneys of California, the American Association for Justice and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers – just to name a few.

*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.