John J. O'Brien

A seasoned personal injury and business dispute lawyer, John O’Brien advocates for the rights of individuals and businesses suffering due to the negligent/reckless actions of others. He provides individualized and compassionate legal representation to clients in San Diego, California, from the law firm of Thorsnes Bartolotta McGuire LLP. 

Over his legal career spanning 17-plus years, Mr. O’Brien has handled a variety of lawsuits involving personal injury, commercial and business litigation, sex and human trafficking, and real estate litigation. He has secured tens of millions of dollars in favorable results on behalf of plaintiffs in cases related to personal injury, sex abuse, human trafficking, sex trafficking, fraud, unfair business practices, breach of fiduciary duty, contract disputes, infliction of emotional distress, trade secret misappropriation and more.

A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Mr. O’Brien chose to pursue a career in law after completing his Bachelor of Arts degree in economics with a minor in philosophy at Boston College in 2003. He earned his Juris Doctor in 2007 from the California Western School of Law, where he was placed on the dean’s list and a member of the Moot Court Honors Board. 

Mr. O’Brien served as a law clerk at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California. He worked as an attorney and partnered with several San Diego law firms before joining Thorsnes Bartolotta McGuire LLP. He is licensed to practice in the state courts of California (2007) and before the U.S. District Court for the Northern and Southern Districts of California.

Constantly practicing hard work, integrity and professional excellence, Mr. O’Brien has procured some record-setting verdicts and settlements in a few trailblazing cases. In the Jane Does v. GirlsDoPorn.com case alone – after a long battle involving 99 days of trial and opposing over 100 motions – he procured nearly $13 million in damages for victims along with another $8 million as attorneys’ fees. 

When not fighting hard for the rights of his clients, Mr. O’Brien focuses his efforts on serving his community. He is on the board of directors of Consumer Attorneys of San Diego, a master at the Louis M. Welsh American Inn of Court, and past president of the Irish American Bar Association of San Diego.

John is a recipient of the 2021 Outstanding Trial Lawyer Award from the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego.