BEST LAWYERS®
“Lawyer of the Year”
Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Plaintiffs
Oakland · 2021
An individual honor for this specialty, metropolitan area, and edition.
Andy’s 2021 Best Lawyers honor ↗ANDY GILLIN / CALIFORNIA PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY
Experience that
stands beside you.
When a serious injury changes everything, experience matters. Andy Gillin has spent more than five decades helping injured Californians find a way forward.
Founding & Managing Partner · GJEL Accident Attorneys
California Bar #45226 · Admitted January 15, 1970
CALIFORNIA ROOTS. LASTING COMMITMENT.
Andrew R. “Andy” GillinADVOCATE. AUTHOR. FOUNDING PARTNER.
1970CALIFORNIA
BAR ADMISSION
BAR ADMISSION
A CAREER RECOGNIZED
BY THE PROFESSIONBest LawyersRECOGNIZED SINCE 2007Super LawyersSELECTED 2006–2026AV PreeminentMARTINDALE-HUBBELLCalifornia State BarACTIVE · #45226 ↗
BY THE PROFESSIONBest LawyersRECOGNIZED SINCE 2007Super LawyersSELECTED 2006–2026AV PreeminentMARTINDALE-HUBBELLCalifornia State BarACTIVE · #45226 ↗
01 / THE ATTORNEY
A career built on
showing up for people.
Before founding GJEL, Andy worked at the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County. That public-service beginning shaped a career representing people facing life-changing injuries.
A California native and UC Berkeley graduate, Andy earned his law degree at the University of Chicago Law School. He and Ralph Jacobson founded the firm in 1972.
Today, as GJEL’s founding and managing partner, he consults with fellow partners on case strategy. His work brings decades of perspective to California personal injury and wrongful death representation. Explore his peer recognition and legal awards and documented case results.
Read his full GJEL biography ↗UNDERGRADUATEUniversity of California, Berkeley
Bachelor of Arts
LAW SCHOOLUniversity of Chicago
Juris Doctor
02 / PEER RECOGNITION
Respected by peers.
Focused on people.
Longstanding recognition from established legal directories, with the exact distinctions and dates behind each credential.
SINCE 2007
The Best Lawyers
in America®
Recognized in the 2027 edition for Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs and Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Plaintiffs.
Andy’s Best Lawyers profile ↗2006–2026
Super Lawyers
21 consecutive annual selections. Personal Injury – General: Plaintiff.
Super Lawyers selections, 2006–2026 ↗MARTINDALE-HUBBELL
AV Preeminent
An individual peer-review rating. His profile displays a 5.0 peer-review score.
Andy Gillin’s bar record and ratings ↓03 / PERSONAL INJURY ADVOCACY
Serious cases.
Personal stakes.
GJEL represents injured people and families throughout California. Andy consults on the cases accepted by the firm.
04 / SIGNIFICANT REPRESENTATION
The work behind
the reputation.
Complex matters require investigation, resources, and a clear strategy. These documented matters offer a window into Andy’s career.
TENET / REDDING MEDICAL CENTER · 2004
$395million
A settlement fund for patients.
Andy’s firm represented patients in the $395 million Tenet/Redding Medical Center settlement concerning allegations of unnecessary cardiac procedures.
Total settlement fund for more than 750 plaintiffs represented by multiple firms; not an individual recovery by Andy Gillin.
Read the SEC-filed announcement ↗AL BIGHAM · REPORTED IN PLAINTIFF, 2010
$2.55million
Advocacy after a devastating injury.
A 2010 Plaintiff profile reports that Andy represented Al Bigham, who was paralyzed in a tractor accident, and obtained a $2.55 million award after three years of litigation.
Read Plaintiff’s Andrew Gillin profile ↗Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case depends on its own facts and circumstances. Matters may involve multiple attorneys and firms.
A PERSPECTIVE FROM ACROSS THE TABLE
“He’s about absolute honesty,
and he’s a man of his word.”
DAVID SAMUELSON DEFENSE ATTORNEY
Quoted in Plaintiff, April 2010 ↗05 / WRITING & PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION
Experience shared.
Knowledge put to work.
Andy’s career extends beyond individual cases to published legal writing and education for other attorneys. His background in plaintiff advocacy informs that work.
The First 100 Days
An article about the early work that shapes a catastrophic personal injury case: investigation, identifying defendants, venue, and settlement timing.
Read The First 100 Days ↗Writing that reaches
the legal profession.
His article “The Largest Class Action Lawsuits & Settlements” has been cited in the American University Law Review and Alberta Law Review.
Citations document use of his writing as a source, rather than authorship in or endorsement by either journal.
Law-review citation details ↓Helping lawyers handle
the major case.
His professional biographies document teaching on civil litigation, settlement strategy, catastrophic injury, and wrongful death for CEB and California bar and trial-lawyer organizations.
Explore teaching history ↗Selected bibliography & media coverage +
Publications
- The First 100 Days, California Lawyer, June 2010. Publisher-hosted article credits Andy in its body; the online header carries a conflicting name.
- California Government Tort Liability Practice, CEB, 1992: historical co-author credit listed in professional biographies. Exact contribution and original contributor page have not been independently confirmed.
- Handling the Major Case: The First 100 Days, California Trial Lawyers Syllabus, 1993: listed in his professional publication history.
- Avvo legal guides include California personal injury limitations, practical case strategy, and settlement disclosure issues (2011–2012).
Profiles & public service
Substantive career profiles include “Mr. Gillin Goes to Orinda” (Super Lawyers, 2007) and “Profile: Andrew Gillin” (Plaintiff, 2010). A 2010 Super Lawyers profile explores his lifelong interest in music. A 2016 Berkeley Law IRAP trip report acknowledges charitable support from Andy, Luke Ellis, and GJEL.
Current GJEL author page ↗06 / THE PROFESSIONAL RECORD
Credentials you
can look into.
Transparency is part of trust. Explore the underlying profiles and keep individual honors distinct from firm-wide results.
Official California Bar record ↗California admissionJanuary 15, 1970 · #45226
License statusActive at research date
Avvo10.0 rating
Avvo Client’s Choice2012 & 2013
Lead Counsel VerifiedPersonal Injury · since 2016
Martindale-HubbellSilver Client Champion
Sources & recognition notes +
Primary profiles
Law-review citation details
American University Law Review, Felicia D. Sych (2023), vol. 73, p. 293; citation at footnote 284, p. 338.
Alberta Law Review, Lucas Clover Alcolea (2023), vol. 60:3, p. 755; citation at footnote 133, p. 771.
Additional recognition
NADC lists him as a member under its “Nation’s Top One Percent” branding; this is the organization’s designation. Lawyers of Distinction lists him in Personal Injury Law, and NAPIA identifies him as a Charter Member. Those listings do not specify selection years; membership programs may charge fees.
Research date: October 26, 2026. Ratings and license status can change. Historical publication credits are identified as biographical where original contributor records have not been located.
QUESTIONS ABOUT ANDY & GJEL
Know who stands
beside you.
What kind of lawyer is Andy Gillin? +
Andy Gillin is a California personal injury attorney and the founding and managing partner of GJEL Accident Attorneys. His work focuses on representing injured people, and he consults with the firm’s partners on accepted cases. Explore California personal injury practice areas.
How long has Andy Gillin been licensed in California? +
Andrew Ronald Gillin was admitted to the California Bar on January 15, 1970. His bar number is 45226. His public State Bar record is the source for current license information. Check Andy Gillin’s official California Bar record.
What was Andy Gillin’s 2021 Lawyer of the Year award? +
Best Lawyers named Andy Gillin its 2021 Lawyer of the Year for Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Plaintiffs in Oakland. The distinction applies to that specialty, metropolitan area, and year. See the exact award and issuer profile.
How do I request a consultation with GJEL? +
Request a free, no-obligation case review through GJEL Accident Attorneys or call (415) 986-4777. Andy consults on accepted cases; contacting the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship. Request a free GJEL case review.
YOUR NEXT CHAPTER STARTS WITH A CONVERSATION
Tell us what happened.
Let’s find a way forward.
Connect with GJEL Accident Attorneys for a free, no-obligation case review. Andy consults with the firm’s partners on accepted cases.
Consultations and representation are handled through GJEL Accident Attorneys. See questions about working with Andy and GJEL.