V. James DeSimone

Since establishing the law office of V. James DeSimone Law, Jim DeSimone has been an advocate for clients dealing with issues of civil and employment rights throughout the country, but particularly in the state of California. Dedicated to ethical and vigorous representation for every citizen, he is passionate about protecting those who have been injured or whose  constitutional rights have been violated.

Trial Lawyer For The People

James DeSimone Law represents clients who cannot afford a lawyer on a contingency fee basis. Some of DeSimone’s recent trial victories include:

• DeSimone represented Plaintiff Yowan Yang at trial where a jury awarded $7,393,540 in an employment retaliation case. The Defendant, a major corporation, terminated Mr. Yang because of his involvement in an incident where he was the victim of workplace violence. Plaintiff Yang proved that the assailant was acting in the course and scope of employment when he threatened and assaulted Yang resulting in a verdict under California civil rights law.
• DeSimone was the lead trial attorney in the case of Harris v. City of Los Angeles, where a Los Angeles Superior Court jury awarded his client $1,686,000.00 in compensatory and punitive damages on behalf of a disabled man who was subjected to excessive force by the LAPD.
• DeSimone was lead counsel in Nicole Birden, v. UC. Regents achieving a $1,576,000 verdict on behalf of an  African American phlebotomist, who was terminated from  UCLA Hospital in Santa Monica, after she made complaints of discrimination and harassment.
• DeSimone was lead trial counsel in the case of Xue Lu et al. v United States America, and achieved a $1,200,000 verdict on behalf of the two Plaintiffs, where an asylum officer employed by the United States, demanded sex and money in return for approving asylum applications. DeSimone’s fifteen year legal battle on behalf of the two Plaintiff’s resulted in the California Lawyer Magazine, sponsored by the State Bar of California, naming him Civil Rights Lawyer of the Year in 2014.
• DeSimone was lead trial counsel in the case of Alicia Benham v. Walgreens et al.,achieving a $2,100,000 jury verdict on behalf of a female customer of Walgreens for false arrest and civil rights violations. The $2,100,000 verdict is believed to be the largest verdict ever in a false arrest case involving one night in jail. This remarkable achievement resulted in the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles nominating DeSimone for Trial Lawyer of the Year.
• DeSimone was lead counsel in the case of Roozrokh v. Loma Linda University Medical Center, venued in San Bernardino, where the jury awarded $1,500,000 in a defamation action on behalf of a transplant surgeon who made ethical complaints against the Director of Transplant Surgery. In the ensuing investigation, defamatory statements were made against Dr. Roozrokh also resulting in a punitive damage finding against the Director of Transplant Surgery.
• In May of 2017, he was lead counsel in the case of “DG” v. City of Los Angeles and achieved a $885,000.00 judgment, with a finding that the off-duty police officer was acting under Color of Law and in the course and scope of employment when he assaulted Plaintiff while arresting him for an alleged kidnapping.
• In December of 2018, DeSimone was lead counsel in Lopez v. Wheel Group Holdings Inc. and achieved a $515,000 verdict in a wrongful termination in violation of public policy case, when a corporation fired its employee because she had Cancer.

After graduating in 1991 from Johns Hopkins University, Jim DeSimone went on to UCLA where he earned a law degree in 1985, and has been admitted to practice in California since then. He is also admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.

Jim DeSimone is a sponsor of the Venice Community Housing Corporation, an honorary board member of Los Angeles Trial Lawyers’ Charities and a member of the following organizations: the National Employment Lawyers Association, the Santa Monica Bar Association, the California Employment Lawyers Association and the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles.

A prolific writer with many honors and awards behind his name, Jim DeSimone has published legal articles for different publications, including CAALA's Advocate, CAOC's Forum Magazine, the ABA Small Practice and Solo Practitioner Journal, the AVVO website and the bulletin for the California Employment Lawyers Association. He also appears regularly on local radio shows to discuss employment law topics and is one of KNX News’ guest contributors.