W. Douglas Easton

founding partner

Orange County, California

Practice Areas

Easton & Easton Law Firm logo

Doug Easton has practiced law since 1971. After 20 years of practicing with various large litigation firms, he founded the Law Offices of W. Douglas Easton in 1991 as a solo practitioner. In the years that followed, Doug’s sons Brian and Matt joined him in the practice and helped build the firm into a powerful force to help right the wrongs done to their clients. Much of their success over the years has stemmed from the dynamic created by the familial nature of the firm and how harmoniously they all work together, each of their individual strengths complementing and fortifying the group as a whole. Accordingly, the firm changed its name to Easton & Easton, LLP in 2014 to better reflect the true dynamic of the firm and Doug now serves as Managing Partner of Easton & Easton.

In his many years of experience, Doug has often been recognized by his colleagues and peers for his service and the skillful advocacy that he provides on behalf of his clients. Each year from 2007 through the present, Doug has been chosen anew as one of the Best Lawyers in America. The Best Lawyers in America is a preeminent referral guide for the legal profession in the United States. Best Lawyers lists attorneys who have been nominated and voted on by their peers. Lawyers cannot buy their way onto this list. They must earn a spot through exemplary legal work that attracts the notice of their colleagues. To remain on the list, they must remain at the top of their game, year after year.

In addition to Doug’s selection as a Best Lawyer in America, the firm Easton & Easton, LLP has been selected for the U.S. News “Best Law Firms in Southern California” List each year since 2014, thereby recognizing the impressive combined results of Doug and his sons, Brian and Matt.

Doug has also been featured in the Los Angeles Times Magazine from 2007 through the present as one of Southern California’s “Best Lawyers.” In 2009, Doug was proudly named as a Southern California Super Lawyer. Since then, Doug has been chosen as a Super Lawyer every year through the present. The only way a lawyer can be recognized in as a Super Lawyer is through a selection process involving a multi-step evaluation that incorporates peer recognition and professional achievement.

In 2015, Doug was selected as a Top 100 Litigation Lawyer in California by The American Society of Legal Advocates. In addition, Doug is listed in Strathmore’s Who’s Who, and in 2008 was named its “Professional of the Year” in Medical Malpractice.

For over 25 years, Doug has had an “AV” rating from Martindale-Hubbell®, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious peer rating service. These ratings are the result of confidential questionnaires sent to other practicing attorneys and members of the judiciary. The “A” rating is “the highest legal ability rating,” while the “V” signifies “very high adherence to professional standards of conduct, ethics, reliability, and diligence.” Only about 5% of the attorneys in America have an “AV” rating.

Doug and the firm are also proudly listed in the Martindale-Hubbell Bar Registry of Preeminent Lawyers, a listing of the legal community’s most highly regarded professionals.

Over his career, Doug has represented thousands of people in personal injury claims who have sustained all manner of injuries in all types of accidents through the negligence or wrongdoing by other individuals, businesses, or governmental entities. During that time, Doug has obtained vast experience, wisdom, and judgment in settling and trying personal injury matters. Doug particularly enjoys handling and trying medical malpractice cases due to the increased difficulty and challenges these cases present.

Doug spent the first 6 years of his practice as an attorney working for insurance companies defending negligent persons and companies and learning how insurance companies defend, diminish, and defeat valid personal injury claims. If you know their tricks, stratagems, and defenses, you can usually defeat them with proper preparation. In over 42 years of experience on both sides of the personal injury practice, Doug has learned their tricks, stratagems, and defenses. For the past 32 years Doug has battled against the insurance industry to obtain fair and adequate compensation for people who have been injured through the negligence or fault of individuals, businesses, or governmental entities.

Doug received his B.A. degree cum laude from Brigham Young University in 1967 and his law degree from the University of California at Berkeley (Boalt Hall) in 1970, which at the time was one of the top five rated law schools in the Nation. Doug has been admitted to practice law in California since January 1971.

In addition, Doug is admitted to practice before the Ninth Circuit of the United States Court of Appeals and the United States Federal District Courts for the Central, Northern, and the Southern districts of California. He has argued cases before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the California Supreme Court, and various Appellate Courts of the state of California. Doug has tried cases in Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, San Bernardino, Imperial, and Alameda counties in California. He has also represented clients in most other California counties.

Doug has served as an Orange County Superior Court Temporary Judge and as an arbitrator and settlement judge for the Orange County Superior Courts. Doug is a member of the California Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Orange County Bar Association, and the J. Ruben Clark Law Society.

Doug belongs to numerous trial advocacy organizations including the Consumer Attorneys of California, the American Association for Justice, the Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, and the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association. Doug has served as a lecturer on trial advocacy skills on several occasions for California Continuing Education of the Bar.

Doug and his wife Rae have seven children. His sons Brian and Matt are both partners in the firm, and his youngest son Travis recently joined the firm as its newest attorney in 2014. In addition, Doug’s daughters, Dee and Kristy, each currently work for the firm and his wife Rae is currently the Office Manager. This familial nature within the firm gives common purpose and success to the firm. Doug is especially proud that all five of his sons are Eagle Scouts.

Areas of Practice

  • Personal Injury Litigation
  • Auto & Motorcycle Accidents
  • Bicycle & Pedestrian Accidents
  • Premises Liability (Slip, Trip & Fall)
  • Public Entity Liability (City & State Liability)
  • Products Liability
  • Wrongful Death
  • Medical Malpractice

Litigation Percentage

  • 100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation

Bar Admissions

  • California, 1971
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit
  • U.S. District Court Central District of California
  • U.S. District Court Northern District of California
  • U.S. District Court Southern District of California

Education

  • University of California at Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law, Berkeley, California
    – J.D. – 1970
  • Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah
    – B.A. cum laude – 1967

Classes/Seminars

  • Lecturer on Trial Advocacy Skills , California Continuing Education of the Bar

Honors and Awards

  • Super Lawyers, 2009 – Present
  • The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 for California
  • “AV” rating from Martindale-Hubbell® for over 30 years
  • Southern California’s “Best Lawyers”, 2007 – Present
  • Best Lawyers in America, 2007 – Present
  • Top Five Rated, University of California at Berkeley
  • Straithmore’s Who’s Who “Professional of the Year” in Medical Malpractice

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • Orange County Bar Association, Member
  • American Bar Association, Member
  • The State Bar of California, Member
  • Orange County Superior Court, Temporary Judge
  • Orange County Superior Court, Arbitrator and Settlement Judge
  • J. Ruben Clark Law Society, Member
  • Consumer Attorneys of California, Member
  • American Association for Justice, Member
  • Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, Member
  • Orange County Trial Lawyers Association, Member
Firm Awards
Accredited Business Bbb Rating A+

The superior client service Easton & Easton provides has earned the firm an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

Best Law Firms Orange County 2020

Easton & Easton is honored to have been chosen anew each year since 2014 by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers as one of the "Best Law Firms" for the Southern California Metro Area.

Reader's Choice 2019 Best Law Firm

Easton & Easton is honored to have been chosen by the LA Times Reader's Choice Poll as "The Best Personal Injury Law Firm in Orange County" for 2018.

Top 100 Trial Lawyers

Doug and Brian Easton have been selected as Top 100 Trial Lawyers for California each year since 2014 — honors given to less than 1% of attorneys.

The Best Lawyers in America

Doug and Matt Easton have each been chosen as one of The Best Lawyers in America for Plaintiff's Personal Injury Litigation. Best Lawyers lists attorneys who have earned selection through exemplary legal work that attracts the notice of their colleagues. Lawyers cannot buy their way onto this list.

Top 50 Personal Injury Verdicts in California 2016

Brian and Matt Easton were recently honored for their efforts in securing a $1,850,000 verdict for a client in 2016, which was selected as one of the Top 50 Personal Injury Verdicts in California by TopVerdict.com.

Super Lawyers

Doug and Brian have each been selected by Super Lawyers, an honor given to less than 5% of attorneys. Matt Easton has been selected among Super Lawyers' Up-and-Coming Top 25 in Orange County and Top 100 in Southern Califonia, an honor given to less than 1% of attorneys under 40 years old.

10 Best Personal Injury Law Firms in all of Southern California

Easton & Easton is honored to have been chosen as one of the "10 Best Personal Injury Law Firms” in all of Southern California" each year Since 2015 based on client satisfaction — one of the highest honors we could ever hope to achieve.

People Love Us On Yelp

Easton & Easton received the “People Love Us On Yelp” award in 2016 due to the exceptional client satisfaction reviews given by our clients over the years.

Premier 100 Trial Attorneys for 2015

Doug and Matt Easton have each been featured as Premier 100 Trial Attorneys for California since 2015 — honors given to less than 1% of attorneys.

Multi Million Dollar Advocates Forum

Brian and Matt Easton have each earned lifetime appointment to the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum — The Top Trial Lawyers in AmericaTM through the results achieved for their clients. This is an honor given to less than 1% of attorneys in the United States.

Top Rated Lawyers AV Preeminent

Doug Easton has held the “AV Preeminent” Rating for over 30 years and Matt Easton received this prestigious distinction in 2015. The "AV Preeminent" rating is the highest possible rating for both legal ability and ethical standards, and is based on the legal profession’s oldest peer review rating system, dating back to 1887.

10 Best 2015 Client Satisfaction

Doug, Brian, and Matt Easton have all been chosen as one of the "10 Best" Personal Injury Attorneys in Southern California each year since 2015 based on client satisfaction, an honor given to less than 1% of personal injury attorneys - and Easton & Easton houses three of them.

American Board of Trial Advocate

Brian Easton was selected to the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) in 2015. ABOTA is one of the most premier associations of trial attorneys and judges, requiring a certain number of jury trials as lead counsel and approval by a majority vote of the ABOTA board.

The National Top 40 Trial Lawyers Under 40

Matt Easton has been selected each year since 2014 as one of the Top 40 Trial Lawyers Under 40 for California by The National Trial Lawyers — an honor given to less than 1% of attorneys.

Avvo Rating Top Attorney Personal Injury

Doug and Matt Easton have each been chosen as one of The Best Lawyers in America for Plaintiff's Personal Injury Litigation. Best Lawyers lists attorneys who have earned selection through exemplary legal work that attracts the notice of their colleagues. Lawyers cannot buy their way onto this list.

Nation's Premier Top Ten Attorney Personal Injury

Both Doug and Matt Easton have been selected as Top Personal Injury Attorneys by Avvo with scores of 10 out of 10 based on their skill, experience, results, peer evaluations, and client reviews.

Nation's Premier Top Ten Attorney Personal Injury

Matt Easton has been selected as one of the Top 10 Personal Injury Attorneys Under 40 in California for 2015 by the National Association of Personal Injury Attorneys — an honor given to less than 1% of personal injury attorneys under the age of 40.

Nation's Top One Percent

Doug, Brian, and Matt Easton have all been selected by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel among the Nation's Top One Percent of Attorneys each year since 2017.

What Our Clients Say

Coming out of my first auto accident as an adult, a very difficult and scary time to navigate and understand, I was so incredibly thankful to have been put in contact with Easton & Easton. I honestly was lost with how to handle paperwork, doctors, medical costs and what next steps were, and from the moment I spoke with Travis Easton and my case manager Katie, my mind was put at ease. They have made the entire process stress free for me as I recovered, and I am so grateful for them and their genuine care for my case. Communication from the start has been fantastic, especially making clear what my expectations for the entire process would look like, and I truly believe they have my best interest at heart. 100% I would recommend their firm for anyone that is needing representation! Read more…

Sara McClelland
My experience with Easton & Easton has been amazing! Gabriel Mendoza and my case manager Katie have been so helpful and taken so much stress off my plate. They’ve been super informative and honest and given me very clear expectations. They’ve taken such a terrible experience (my accident) and eased my mind about the outcome. I can’t thank them enough!! Read more…
Caila Dean

Ive used them twice and never been disappointed. Read more…

Lisa Bluemel

The Easton & Easton Law Firm is amazing! The entire team is very helpful and caring. They were always there to answer all my questions. They directed me through the entire process and stayed with me every step of the way. This team is outstanding and were wonderful to work with. Because of the tremendous effort they put on my case they were able to win my difficult personal injury case. I couldn’t have asked for a better law firm to handle my case. They are the Best! Thank you for your patience, professionalism, & guidance! I definitely recommend this firm to handle your case. They go out of their way to fight for your rights. THANK YOU… Read more…

Sofia Sanchez

I could not be more pleased with the services provided by the Law Offices of W. Douglas Easton. The senior partner Mr. Easton took the time to meet with me and my wife while I was still in the hospital, where he gave my family hope that there was light at the end of a very long, and very dark tunnel. Matt Easton then worked my case, and because of his dedication, experience and expertise I received a settlement that was larger than I EVER thought possible. It was truly astounding! Matt and the entire team at Easton & Easton looked out for me throughout my recovery, and in the end they gave me my life back. Five stars is not enough. Thanks Matt! Thanks Easton & Easton! Read more…

Dan Campbell

Brian and everyone at Easton and Easton are simply the BEST at what they do. Brian is thorough, easy to talk to, and truly cares about his clients. If you want a family of attorneys with perseverance and determination to fight for you, give Easton and Easton a call. I am glad I did. Read more…

Kyle Keith

What an amazing law firm, talk about going above and beyond to make such a painful experience go so well. I have referred a co-worker and a family member to them as well and everyone had such a great experience as I had. Read more…

Logan Ross

I can’t say enough amazing things about my experience with Travis Easton at Easton & Easton. Travis and his entire team (Katie, Amy, Dee, Michelle, & Araceli) are phenomenal. It provided me a lot of comfort to know I was being so well taken care of. I was especially impressed that every document for the case was perfectly written and specific to me. Nothing was generic, which shows the level of care and attention they put into each individual case. I had such a great experience and would highly recommend Travis Easton and his firm to anyone going through a personal injury. Travis took a bad situation and made the best of it for me. Thank you again, I’m forever grateful!!

-Allee

Ashlee A.

Retaining Easton and Easton was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made! From the initial consultation to our final meeting, they were nothing short of exceptional. I was forced to retain their services after firing my previous attorney for not handling the case properly. I dealt with Gabriel and Brian (partner) exclusively throughout the case. They did as promised and were great communicators throughout the entire process. I will recommend them to anyone I know going through a personal injury case. They were ultimately able to untangle the mess caused by my previous lawyer and get a result that I was extremely happy with. Their staff is exceptional as well and provided top notch customer service. Amera was also extremely helpful and easy to deal with as well.

Jeffrey N.

I was in a pretty bad car accident and decided to have Easton & Easton represent me, Travis Easton to be specific. Travis Easton and his paralegal made the whole process effortless. They were so understanding and helpful! The entire thing was a gigantic mess, yet Travis managed to make it run like clockwork. I would HIGHLY recommend Easton & Easton! If you are ever in need of a personal defense attorney Easton & Easton is the firm to represent you!

Mark B.

They are the best law firm in Orange County period. Choosing them to represent me was the best decision of my life.
My life changed in a matter of seconds after a catastrophic spinal cord injury that left me disabled. Brian Easton and his team worked on my case non stop for 3 years and provided me the justice I deserved. I couldn’t have been more content.
I was treated with utmost respect and I felt like I was being represented by a close family member. The responses to my questions were quick and clear. What E & E has done for me is phenomenal.
My sincere thanks to Brian, Matt, Travis, Doug, Gabriel and Amera. They are what they are because of their dedication to provide high quality and professional service to their clients.

Vamsi P.

Brian Easton and his team, Gabe Mendoza and Amera Hajali, helped me during a very difficult time in my life. I had a significant injury from a car accident, and wound up seeking out Easton & Easton when I was having difficulties getting help from my doctors. The Easton team took a lot of stress off of me while acting as my advocates to help me get the care I needed, and saw my case all the way through to a healthy settlement.

They are the BEST!

Jennifer P.

I have nothing but good things to say about Easton and Easton. Brian handled my case professionally and communicated with me effectively throughout the process. He made sure that the process was effortless and as hands free as possible. This was super important for my busy schedule. I highly recommend Easton and Easton if you are ever found in a situation that you need an attorney.

Claudia C.

I would highly recommend Easton & Easton.
I was rear ended on my home and pushed into a semi-truck. I was not sure how to go about even using an attorney.
Brian, Gab and Amera were so good about helping me thru the process and representing me.
I was able to concentrate on getting myself better knowing they had my back, taking care of the details and keeping me informed along the way

Linda M.

The best Law firm by far. I would highly recommend Easton & Easton, LLP and ask for Gabriel Mendoza and staff. He and his colleagues did and exceptional service. Thank you for everything. Job well done!

Ericka P.

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