BNSK is pleased to announce a string of 6 consecutive jury trial victories over the past year in state and federal courts across California and Arizona. These wins span a broad range of complex disputes and reflect the firm’s deep bench strength and ability to deliver at trial against well-resourced opponents. The trial victories complement other significant results the firm has recently secured through motion practice and on appeal.
1. Insurance Bad Faith | Los Angeles Superior Court | April 2025
BNSK trial counsel Ethan J. Brown and Anita P. Wu secured a jury verdict resulting in a judgment exceeding $1.5 million, plus attorneys’ fees and costs, on behalf of homeowners whose insurer wrongfully denied a valid claim arising from a residential water leak. After a four-week trial, the jury found in favor of BNSK’s clients on all claims – including breach of contract, insurance bad faith, financial elder abuse, and negligent misrepresentation – and awarded compensatory and treble damages.
2. Identity Theft Defense & Cross-Claim | Orange County Superior Court | August 2025
After a two-week trial, an Orange County jury returned a unanimous verdict in favor of BNSK’s client – a small optometry practice – on its California Identity Theft Act (“CITA”) cross-claim against a multibillion-dollar equipment finance company and rejected the finance company’s claims against the client for fraud, negligent misrepresentation, and breach of contract. The finance company alleged that the client’s owners conspired with a professional fraudster to obtain proceeds under false pretenses. BNSK partner Andrew Purdy proved the fraud was committed entirely by the fraudster through a years-long scheme to steal the principal’s personal and financial information. The client prevailed on all fronts, securing significant statutory relief under CITA and a fee award exceeding $720,000.
3. Oral Contract / Breach of Equity Promise | Los Angeles Superior Court | October 2025
BNSK managing partner Ethan J. Brown and counsel William A. Sohigian obtained a 12-0 jury verdict resulting in a judgment exceeding $1 million for a former technology company executive who had been promised two substantial tranches of equity shares in a public company. The company argued that no deal had been finalized and that corporate approvals and securities regulations barred the issuance.
4. Cryptocurrency Theft & Founders Dispute | Santa Monica Courthouse | November 2025
Following two weeks of trial at the Santa Monica Courthouse, a Los Angeles jury returned a complete plaintiff’s verdict in a complex founders dispute involving a decentralized finance (DeFi) platform. BNSK partner Ryan Abbott and Tom Rickeman obtained findings of breach of contract, conversion with punitive damages, and theft of cryptocurrency under California Penal Code section 496(c). Because the statute provides for treble damages, the total recovery on an underlying actual damages award of around $700,000 was in excess of $2 million and also included an award of attorney’s fees and costs.
5. Employment | U.S. District Court, District of Arizona | February 2026
After eight days of trial in Phoenix, Arizona, a federal jury in Maricopa County returned a verdict in favor of BNSK’s client – a former employee – for unpaid wages and intentional infliction of emotional distress, with a separate award of punitive damages. The outcome was described by seasoned observers as highly unusual in a federal venue where juries are historically unsympathetic to employee plaintiffs. BNSK partner Ryan Abbott led the trial, with Tim Lamoureux serving as a key member of the trial team. The verdict included an intentional infliction of emotional distress finding, which is exceptionally rare in employment litigation.
6. Insurance Bad Faith | Los Angeles Superior Court (Stanley Mosk) | March 2026
In the firm’s most recent verdict, BNSK partner Nathan M. Smith and William A. Sohigian obtained an 11-of-12 jury verdict for a technology company client in a bad faith insurance dispute arising from a 2020 warehouse fire that resulted in the loss of $13.4 million in inventory. The jury found a major insurer liable for breach of the insurance contract and bad faith delay in paying a covered claim with malice, fraud, or oppression, and awarded all permissible damages plus a treble punitive damages multiplier. Including additional damages assessed by the court (Brandt fees), the total judgment is expected to reach seven figures. The insurer mounted an aggressive defense, alleging the client had fabricated its inventory claim — an argument the jury rejected entirely.
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About Brown Neri Smith & Khan LLP
Brown Neri Smith & Khan LLP is a premier litigation boutique based in Los Angeles and Orange County, California. Recognized by Chambers USA for offering sophisticated solutions for complex legal work, the firm combines the experience of award-winning big-firm litigators with boutique agility to deliver exceptional results for clients. For more information, visit bnsklaw.com.