William M. Berman

Firm Partner

Attorney William M. BermanBorn: Los Angeles, California, 1970

College: Arizona State University, B.S. in Justice Studies, 1993

Law School: California Western School of Law, J.D., 1997, cum laude

Professional Memberships:  San Diego County Bar Association; Consumer Attorneys of San Diego; Consumer Attorneys of California; American Trial Lawyers Association

Admissions:  California State Bar, 1997; U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, 1998; U.S. Supreme Court, 2003

Biography: Attorney William M. Berman is the founding and managing partner of Berman & Riedel, LLP, a civil litigation firm that focuses it’s practice in the areas of catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death and elder abuse and neglect. Strictly a plaintiffs’ devoted firm, Mr. Berman dedicates his practice exclusively to helping victims who have suffered injuries due to the negligent acts of others and/or business entities. Berman & Riedel, LLP handles cases involving serious personal injury, traumatic brain injury, broken bones, back and neck injuries, limb loss, permanent paralysis, burn injuries, vision loss/impairment, vehicle accidents, and elder abuse & neglect. 

Proven by the numerous awards he has received, Mr. Berman is a knowledgeable and reputable civil litigation attorney with tremendous experience in handling a wide variety of matters.  A few years into practice, Mr. Berman was awarded by the San Diego County Bar Association as a Lawyer to Watch in 2000 and an Outstanding Advocate from the Consumer Attorneys in San Diego. Since 2009 to the present, Mr. Berman has been recognized as a Top Lawyer in California and a San Diego Super Lawyer. In 2012 and 2014, Mr. Berman was awarded the San Diego Trial Lawyer Award, honoring attorneys who have exceptional verdict results which are recognized by their peers. As of October 2015, Mr. Berman has been selected for the Best Attorneys of America award which is presented to only 100 attorneys in each State.

William M. Berman was featured in a cover story for San Diego Attorney Journal
William M. Berman was featured in a cover story for San Diego Attorney Journal

Never representing insurance companies in the defense of claims, Mr. Berman’s firm remains staunchly committed to helping those who have suffered serious injury or loss due the negligence, intentional misconduct or wrongful acts of others. The firm’s commitment to working to obtain the maximum possible recovery available under California law for their clients can be seen through the consistent landmark results obtained by the firm. Recently acquiring a settlement of $8.0 million for a victim of a traumatic brain injury, Mr. Berman’s firm has been nominated for the prestigious 2015 Litigator Awards, an award honoring the top 1% of attorneys in the Nation. This esteemed award is presented to approximately 12 firms per state and stands to recognize the elite of the profession.

As a testament to his accomplishments in the area of elder abuse & neglect, Mr. Berman was responsible for obtaining one of the largest settlements ever reported against a residential care facility for the elderly in the State of California, a $2.2 million result, in just his second year of practice as an attorney.  Since then, Mr. Berman has grown his firm to become what is now considered to be one of the largest and most successful elder abuse/neglect practices within the State of California.  Through his continued successes in handling numerous claims involving nursing home and elder abuse and neglect, Mr. Berman remains a prominent figure in advocating on behalf of this vulnerable class of citizens, bringing the cause of elder abuse and neglect to the forefront of the media and state legislature attention.

Areas of Practice/Focus:

  • Nursing Home and Elderly Care Facility Litigation
  • Elder Abuse and Neglect Litigation
  • Serious Personal Injury Litigation
  • Wrongful Death Litigation

Legal Experience:

  • Berman & Riedel, LLP, Founding and Managing Partner, 2005 – present
  • Berman & Walton, LLP, Founding and Managing Partner, 2000 – 2005
  • Law Offices of William M. Berman, Sole Practitioner, 1997 – 1999

Honors and Awards:

  • Martindale-Hubbell, AV Rated (Highest rating available)
  • AVVO Rated 10.0 (Highest rating available)
  • Best Attorneys of America Award – 2015
  • Litigator Award for Top 1% of Attorneys – 2015
  • San Diego Trial Lawyer Award (Consumer Attorneys of San Diego) – 2012, 2014
  • San Diego Super Lawyers Award – 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
  • Top Lawyers in California Award – 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
  • Outstanding Advocate Award – Consumer Attorneys of San Diego, 2000
  • Lawyers to Watch in 2000 – San Diego County Bar Association, 2000

Featured Articles/Stories:

  • Feature on Elder Abuse, San Diego NBC-Channel 10, December 2008
  • Nursing Home Neglect Results in Brain InjurySan Diego Union Tribune, November 2008
  • Epidemic on Nursing Home Abuse, NBC Channel 4 Riverside, June 2006
  • Profile on Nursing Home Abuse, NBC Channel 4 Los Angeles, February 2003
  • Facility Settles Neglect Lawsuit; Doctors Found Ants in 92-Year-Old’s Face, San Diego Union Tribune, December 28, 2002
  • Stifling Senior Abuse, San Diego Jewish Journal October, 2002
  • Lawyers to Watch in 2000, San Diego Lawyer Magazine, published by the San Diego County Bar Association, Jan/Feb 2000
  • Los Angeles Daily Journal, Senior Assistance, October 22, 1999
  • Los Angeles Daily Journal, Old is New, October 22, 1999
  • Thousand Oaks Star, Family Gets $2 Million in Elder Abuse Case, September, 1999
  • Los Angeles Times, Ventura County Edition, Elder Care Home Suit Settled for $2.2 Million, September 23, 1999
  • San Diego Attorney Journal, Attorney of the Month Article, On the Top of His Game, 2011 Edition

Pro-Bono Legal Related Activities:

  • Trial Lawyers Care, Inc. (September 11 Fund Pro Bono Program), 2002 – 2004