Michaels has developed a unique practice in the automotive
industry, where he has litigated cases against nearly every major automotive
manufacturer in the world. This includes cases against GM, Audi, Maserati, Mitsubishi,
FCA, Kia, Nissan, Honda, AM General, Isuzu, Toyota, Hyundai, Harley-Davidson,
Ford, Acura, Tesla, Volvo, Volkswagen, Aston Martin, Land Rover, Mercedes and
Porsche.
Michaels has all but defined the vehicle product liability
industry. He authored the best-selling book Automotive 101: The Car Industry
Exposed, and has filed some of the largest and most important automotive
class action cases in the nation. These cases have led to Congressional
hearings, Department of Justice investigations and billion-dollar settlements,
as well as the recall of millions of defective vehicles. Michaels’ work has drawn
attention from a multitude of media outlets, including appearances in The
New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, and feature stories on CBS
Evening News and ABC Evening News.
Michaels is also aptly skilled at structuring complex business
transactions. In 2013, he was
involved in taking the supercar company Saleen
Automotive public, and during his career he has structured international
distribution agreements, supply-chain agreements and automotive dealer
networks. Michaels has also been involved in structuring race teams that have
competed in some of the most heralded races, including the 24 Hours of
Le Mans and the Indianapolis 500.
Michaels’
efforts have earned him the respect of his peers. He has received the
prestigious “Super Lawyers” award every year since 2012, a distinction reserved for no more than 5
percent of the lawyers in the state. Michaels has also authored more than 100
articles for the distinguished Los Angeles Daily Journal – more than any person in the paper’s
history, dating back to 1880. In 2015, Michaels was nominated for a Pulitzer
Prize in Journalism for his work on the GM ignition
switch recall.
In addition to his professional work, Michaels maintains
close ties to the academic community. He is privileged to have been invited to
speak at numerous law schools and business schools about effective litigation
strategy, and in 2012 he was named “Attorney of the Year” by his law school
alma mater.
All of this follows a strong scholastic beginning.
Michaels graduated from the USC
Marshall School of Business in 1992, before attending Whittier
Law School where he graduated in 1995 in the top 4
percent of his class. In law school, Michaels served as the Notes and Comments
Editor of Law Review, he competed in several national Moot Court Honors Board
competitions, and he published a winning Law Review article that is permanently
housed in the U.S. Library of Congress.
Michaels is a member of the California, Colorado and
Michigan state bars, and is actively involved in the Southern California
community. He is the proud father of two sons, Jake and Dean. " />
Jonathan Michaels has been in practice since 1995, and during
that time has created an exemplary law firm. By challenging some of the largest
companies in the world, Michaels has gained national recognition as the “go to”
attorney for high stakes litigation, when everything is on the line.
Michaels has developed a unique practice in the automotive
industry, where he has litigated cases against nearly every major automotive
manufacturer in the world. This includes cases against GM, Audi, Maserati, Mitsubishi,
FCA, Kia, Nissan, Honda, AM General, Isuzu, Toyota, Hyundai, Harley-Davidson,
Ford, Acura, Tesla, Volvo, Volkswagen, Aston Martin, Land Rover, Mercedes and
Porsche.
Michaels has all but defined the vehicle product liability
industry. He authored the best-selling book Automotive 101: The Car Industry
Exposed, and has filed some of the largest and most important automotive
class action cases in the nation. These cases have led to Congressional
hearings, Department of Justice investigations and billion-dollar settlements,
as well as the recall of millions of defective vehicles. Michaels’ work has drawn
attention from a multitude of media outlets, including appearances in The
New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, and feature stories on CBS
Evening News and ABC Evening News.
Michaels is also aptly skilled at structuring complex business
transactions. In 2013, he was
involved in taking the supercar company Saleen
Automotive public, and during his career he has structured international
distribution agreements, supply-chain agreements and automotive dealer
networks. Michaels has also been involved in structuring race teams that have
competed in some of the most heralded races, including the 24 Hours of
Le Mans and the Indianapolis 500.
Michaels’
efforts have earned him the respect of his peers. He has received the
prestigious “Super Lawyers” award every year since 2012, a distinction reserved for no more than 5
percent of the lawyers in the state. Michaels has also authored more than 100
articles for the distinguished Los Angeles Daily Journal – more than any person in the paper’s
history, dating back to 1880. In 2015, Michaels was nominated for a Pulitzer
Prize in Journalism for his work on the GM ignition
switch recall.
In addition to his professional work, Michaels maintains
close ties to the academic community. He is privileged to have been invited to
speak at numerous law schools and business schools about effective litigation
strategy, and in 2012 he was named “Attorney of the Year” by his law school
alma mater.
All of this follows a strong scholastic beginning.
Michaels graduated from the USC
Marshall School of Business in 1992, before attending Whittier
Law School where he graduated in 1995 in the top 4
percent of his class. In law school, Michaels served as the Notes and Comments
Editor of Law Review, he competed in several national Moot Court Honors Board
competitions, and he published a winning Law Review article that is permanently
housed in the U.S. Library of Congress.
Michaels is a member of the California, Colorado and
Michigan state bars, and is actively involved in the Southern California
community. He is the proud father of two sons, Jake and Dean. " />