CaseyGerry is proud to announce that partner David S. Casey, Jr. has been named in the 2019 edition of Top Plaintiff Lawyers, an annual supplement by the Daily Journal that honors the top 30 plaintiff lawyers in California. This recognition exemplifies David’s exceptional legal work and dedication to the highest standard of plaintiffs’ representation.
In addition to his inclusion in this year’s Top Plaintiff Lawyers and in three previous editions of the publication, David has received more than 60 professional awards in California and across the country. David was inducted into the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego’s Past Presidents Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame, and the same group named a perpetual award in his honor. In 2018, the San Diego Law Library Foundation honored him with the prestigious Witkin Award for Excellence in the Practice of Law.
“The Witkin Award is given in part for legal education and civic involvement, which for Casey likely refers to his work raising awareness about football head injuries, concussion safety and the growing controversy over brain damage in sports,” the article notes. “That issue arose while Casey represented the family of deceased San Diego NFL hero Junior Seau.” After the case was consolidated with In re: National Football League Players’ Concussion Injury Litigation, the article continues, “Seau’s heirs opted out of the proposed class action settlement, and Casey pursued their case individually. It settled in 2018 for a confidential amount.”
Also in 2018, David obtained a confidential settlement on behalf of another San Diego sports star. He represented the family of Tony Gwynn against a tobacco company after the Padres right fielder died of salivary gland cancer following a lifetime of addiction to smokeless tobacco.
This caliber of leadership in high-profile cases has peppered David’s 40+ years in practice. He was a member of the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in the class action against Chrysler over its emissions cheating scandal, a case which settled for $307 million in 2018. As Liaison Counsel he helped achieve a $390 million settlement with Wells Fargo in 2019 over insurance marketing. “Both those cases moved in under two years, and that’s pretty quick,” David told the Daily Journal.
As an active member of the legal community, David served as past president of the American Association for Justice. In that role, he upheld the organization’s mission to preserve Americans’ constitutional right to trial by jury and to ensure those who are injured have a fair chance to receive justice through the legal system.
“There are many outstanding lawyers in California,” David said. “This recognition means a great deal to me, and, more importantly, to the clients and their rights that we protect. It has been an honor of a lifetime to represent the family of Junior Seau against the NFL in the concussion cases as well as the family of Tony Gwynn against the tobacco industry. It is my hope that the courage of both families proceeding in this litigation will have a profound positive impact in both the football arena and the tobacco dip industry in the years ahead.”
