Practice areas: Personal Injury, Civil Litigation, Employment Litigation; view more
Licensed in California since: 1992
Education: Loyola Law School Los Angeles
Languages spoken: English, Spanish
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2004 - 2026 Call today:
855-975-1925
Free Consultation The Cifarelli Law Firm
7700 Irvine Center DriveSuite 150
Irvine, CA 92618 Visit website
A seasoned attorney with over three decades of experience in the field of legal advocacy, Thomas Cifarelli serves the people of Irvine, California, with fervor and zeal. The owner of The Cifarelli Law Firm, he is committed to getting his clients the justice they deserve in matters concerning personal injuries such as:
- Sexual abuse and molestation
- School negligence
- Privacy rights
- Police and Public Entity Liability for Catastrophic Injury
- Pharmacy errors
- Employment discrimination
- Defective products
- Premises liability
- Wrongful death
- Child neglect
- Medical Malpractice
- Trucking accidents
Mr. Cifarelli is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history. Later, he earned his Juris Doctor from the Loyola Law School, Los Angeles. Over the last thirty years he has devoted his career to representing individuals seriously injured by the negligence of companies, organizations and institutions, collecting record-setting verdicts and settlements. In the past five years alone, he has won over $100 million on behalf of his injured clients. He is especially proficient in handling issues related to privacy rights, pharmacy mistakes and child sexual abuse litigations. Of his many high-profile cases, he was able to get $660 million as a settlement for a landmark case pertaining to clergy sexual abuse.
An active member of the legal community, Mr. Cifarelli serves as a member of the Plaintiffs’ Steering and Discovery Committees in the Baycol Litigation and on the Sulzer Hip Implant Litigation. He was also selected as a member of the board of governors for the Consumer Attorneys of California and the Education, Membership and Fundraising Committees. He is also named a life member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
Mr. Cifarelli’s exemplary legal acumen has earned him several accolades, including selection to The American Association for Justice’s Top 100 Trial Lawyers in California and the Top 500 Plaintiff Attorneys in America list by Lawdragon magazine. He has been peer-review rated AV Preeminent* through Martindale-Hubbell and has a perfect “10.0” rating on Avvo.
*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 Ratings™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.
Practice areas
Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff, Civil Litigation: Plaintiff, Employment Litigation: Plaintiff, Personal Injury - Medical Malpractice: PlaintiffFocus areas
Animal Bites, Assault, Birth Injury, Brain Injury, Delayed or Incorrect Diagnosis, Dental Malpractice, Employment Discrimination, Employment Law - Employer, Informed Consent, Medical Malpractice, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Premises Liability - Plaintiff, Retaliation, Sexual Abuse - Plaintiff, Slip and Fall, Trucking Accidents, Wrongful Death, Wrongful Termination
- 60% Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff
- 20% Civil Litigation: Plaintiff
- 10% Employment Litigation: Plaintiff
- 10% Personal Injury - Medical Malpractice: Plaintiff
First Admitted: 1992, California
Professional Webpage: https://www.cifarelliinjurylaw.com/attorneys/thomas-a-cifare...
Bar / Professional Activity
- Member, Los Angeles County Bar Association
- Consumer Attorneys of California, Membership, Fundraising Committees
- U.S. Supreme Court, 2001
- Lifetime Sustaining Member, Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles
- California, 1992
- Member, Past Board of Governors, Consumer Attorneys Association of California, 2000
- Member, American Association for Justice
- U.S. District Court Central District of California, 1994
Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results)
- $9.5 million. Child sexual abuse-- Won $9,500,000.00 cash settlement 2 weeks before trial for a single plaintiff sexually abused by her elementary school teacher in Los Angeles County. This is believed to be the largest single plaintiff pre-trial settlement of its kind in California history. , 2025
- Won $1.5 million award for 18 year old special needs student fondled on a school bus by another special needs student, 2023
- $7.1 million. Won $7.1 million for woman unnecessarily subjected to surgery that resulted in long term impairments. , 2024
- $16 million settlement. Child sexual abuse case on behalf of 4 students sexually molested by their afterschool daycare provider. John Does (1-4) v. Los Angeles Unified School District. , 2025
- $3 million. Case won for minor female victim of child sexual abuse by teacher. Adult male teacher kissed the ten year old plaintiff on the cheek and lips in class. Plaintiff alleged that the school district knew that the teacher was unfit to teach and required close supervision. Prior parental complaint about the teacher kissing another student was ignored. Case settled on the first day of trial following mandatory settlement conference. Doe v. School District. , 2022
- $1 million. Won a $1 million award for a 17 year old male student who was sexually groomed by his 30 year old female teacher who ultimately performed sexual acts on the teenage student off campus, both in her car and at an overnight festival they attended together out of town. Defendant claimed it was not responsible for off campus, after school incidents. Doe (G.L.) v. LAUSD. , 2023
- $1.5 million. Won $1.5 million for a 30 year old adult male who, as a 7 year old boy attending summer camp, was subjected to inappropriate touching including toe kissing, by a camp counselor. The defense argued they had no notice of the perpetrator's unfitness. Defense also questioned damages, arguing that 6 prior victims who sued years earlier represented by different counsel but claiming the same liability and similar damages settled their cases collectively for $479,000, with individual settlements ranging from $10,000 to $150,000. , 2025
- $3.4 million arbitration award. Adult sexual abuse-- Won a $3.4 million arbitration case for an adult homosexual male who, while a guest in a drug and alcohol treatment program in Southern California, was sexually assaulted by another guest in the same facility. The defense claimed the incident was consensual. , 2023
- $3.250 million. Wrongful death case--Won $3.250 million for the adoptive parents of a severely emotionally disturbed teenager who, while enrolled at a residential school for impaired and emotionally disturbed children, was left unsupervised, escaped the school and was hit by a drunk driver as he attempted to cross a neighboring highway. , 2022
- $5.1 million. Child sexual abuse-- Won a $5.1 million recovery for an adult woman who was molested years earlier as a middle school student sexually assaulted by her 8th grade teacher in Orange County, California. , 2021
Representative Clients
- M.G. et al vs. Time Warner, Inc. et al, 89 Cal. App. 4th 623, 2001
- V.C. vs. Los Angeles Unified School District, Cal. App. 4th, No. B184022 (California Court of Appeal 2006), 2006
Honors
- Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America, Selected, Best Lawyers in America, 2024
- Top rated by AVVO legal directory for delivering exceptional legal services to clients, AVVO 10.0 Rating, AVVO, 2021
- Top rated by AVVO legal directory for delivering exceptional legal services for clients, AVVO 10.0 Rating, AVVO, 2024
- Top rated by AVVO legal directory for delivering exceptional legal services for clients, AVVO 10.0 Rating, AVVO, 2025
- Top rated by AVVO legal directory for delivering exceptional legal services over many years., AVVO 10.0 Rating, AVVO, 2023
- Top rated by AVVO legal directory for delivering exceptional service to clients consistently over many years. , AVVO 10.0 Rating, AVVO, 2022
- Selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America, Selected, Best Lawyers in America, 2025
- Selected Lawyer of the Year--2023 by Best Lawyers in America, published in US News, Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers in America/ US News, 2023
- Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers in America, 2017
- Selected to Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Lawyers in America, 2007
- Who's Who in America Law, 2002 - 2008
- Selected Top 100 Trial Lawyers in California by The American Association for Justice
- Named to the Lawdragon 500 New Stars, New Worlds as one of the Top 500 cutting Edge Lawyers in America, 2006
- Ten Up and Comers by LA Daily Journal
- AV-Preeminent Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, The highest attorney rating possible in the Martindale.com legal directory (rated 5.0 out of 5.0)
- Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers in America, 2015
- Life Member, Million Dollar Advocates Forum
Educational Background
- University of California, Los Angeles, B.A., Magna Cum Laude, 1989
Scholarly Lectures / Writings
- “Representing the Child Victimized by Sexual Abuse”, CAOC Forum Magazine, 2000
- Wrote the chapter entitled "Child Sex Abuse Cases-- Settlement and Trial" (chapter 18) for the book Running with the Bulls, written by Nick Rowley and Courtney Rowley, published in 2018 for Trial Guides legal publishing company. The chapter outlines how the attorney might investigate potential cases of child sexual abuse for potential litigation, drafting legal complaints, conducting discovery, preparing for trial, using focus groups, and ultimately trial and settlement. , Author for chapter in Book entitled Running with the Bulls, by Nick Rowley, (2018), Chapter Author -- Child Sex Abuse Cases - Settlement and Trial, Trial Guides, Legal-- Trial Practice Nationwide, 2018
- Speaker and Moderator, “Bullying and Social Aggression in California”, Lorman Education Services, February 17, 2006
- Speaker and Moderator, 2005 “Risk Management and Finance Summit-Negligent Supervision Suits”, September 27, 2005
- Speaker and Moderator, “The Civil Jury System – Protecting Individual Rights”, American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), February 17, 2001
- Speaker and Moderator, “The Civil Justice System”, California Retired Teachers Association, 2000
- Speaker and Moderator, Children and the Law, “Helping the Helpless: Representing a Child Victimized by Sexual Abuse”, CAOC Annual Monterey Convention, 2000
- Lecturer, “Trying the Civil Case”, NBI, 2003
- Lecturer, “Litigating Employment Cases”, Consumer Attorneys of California, 2002 Annual Seminar, 2002
- Lecturer, Civil Discovery, “Protecting the Child Plaintiff in Discovery”, Consumer Attorneys of California Annual Tahoe Convention, 2000
- “Ten up and Coming Litigators in California”, Los Angeles Daily Journal, 2001
- “Foster Home Negligent Supervision Causes of Action”, Thomson West Legal Publishing, 2007
- Editorial Board and Chapter Contributor, Proving Mental & Emotional Injuries, James Publishing, Winter, 2005
- “Damages in the Child Sexual Abuse Case”, CAALA Advocate Magazine, 2003
- “Shielding Minors”, Los Angeles Daily Journal, 2001
- “Pharmacy Malpractice: A Prescription for the Problem”, CAOC Forum Magazine, 2000
Office location for Thomas Cifarelli
7700 Irvine Center Drive
Suite 150
Irvine, CA 92618
Phone: 855-975-1925
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2004 - 2026
