Brenda Kocaj comes to Easton & Easton with a lifelong passion for serving the underrepresented of our community after a recent stent representing defendants in high-stakes medical malpractice matters. Having used that time to learn the strategies employed to protect defendants in high value personal injury cases, Brenda is excited to now return to her roots and use her knowledge of defense tactics to better represent the victims of negligence and wrongdoing with the other talented litigators at Easton & Easton.
Brenda received her B.A. from the University of California, Irvine, in 2010, where she majored in Political Science. She went on to attend Whittier Law School, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude and obtained her Juris Doctor in 2013. In December 2013, Brenda was admitted to the California Bar. During law school, Brenda earned a CALI award in legal writing (an award for the top grade in the class) among other honors.
After her first year in law school, she completed a judicial externship at Lamoreaux Justice Center with the Honorable Maria Hernandez, where she assisted the judge in her dependency court rulings. Brenda went on to complete two additional externships with County Counsel, at both the trial and appellate level, where she advocated for the best interests of the minors. Brenda also took part in Street Law, Inc., a program designed to teach at-risk youth about the law, where she volunteered her time at an Orange County continuation school. In her last year of law school, Brenda completed an externship with Whittier Law School’s Child Advocacy Clinic, a pro bono clinic helping families seeking guardianship and conservatorship.
Following law school, Brenda completed two years of broad personal injury plaintiff work, both at the pre-litigation and litigation levels, including significant experience in drafting complaints, conducting depositions, engaging in law and motion, as well as research and settlement negotiations. She then spent an additional two years working in a more specialized area of personal injury – medical malpractice- on the defense side, learning the tactics and stratagems that high-stakes defense litigators use to devalue Plaintiff’s cases. Specifically, Brenda handled cases involving birth injuries, elder abuse, and dental malpractice. Through this experience, not only has Brenda’s knowledge of the law and litigation strategy advanced, but so has her commitment to justice and advocacy for the victims of negligence.
When not at work, Brenda enjoys being a puppy mother of two, reading, hiking, watching sports, traveling (particularly to Mexico City), and salsa dancing. Brenda speaks Spanish fluently and returns to Mexico City each year to visit family who still live there.
Brenda is admitted to practice in all California state courts, the United States District Court for the Eastern District, and the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
Areas of Practice
- General Personal Injury
- Auto, Motorcycle, Pedestrian, and Bicycle Accidents
- Medical Malpractice
- Premises Liability (Slip, Trip & Fall)
- Wrongful Death
Litigation Percentage
- 100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
Bar Admissions
- California, 2013
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of California, 2015
- U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit
Education
- Whittier Law School, Orange County, CaliforniaJ.D. magna cum laudeHonors: Certificate in Children’s Rights
- University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CaliforniaB.A. – 2010Major: Political Science
Honors and Awards
- National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40, 2019 – Present
- CALI award Legal Writing
- CALI award Spanish for Lawyers
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, Member, 2018 – Present
Languages
- English
- Spanish
Fraternities/Sororities
- Phi Rho Sigma
Easton & Easton has been recognized by TopVerdict.com Top 10 Motor Vehicle Accident Settlement in Los Angeles for 2025, for the case Bicyclist v. Inattentive Driver — the fifth time the firm has appeared on a TopVerdict list across nine years, and a recognition that arrives in the firm’s 35th anniversary year.
Easton & Easton holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau — the highest rating available. Trust is earned. We've earned it.
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.
Easton & Easton was voted #1 in 2025 (People's Choice Award). This recognition means the most to us — because it comes from the community we serve.
Doug, Brian, and Matt Easton were selected to the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 — an invitation-only organization recognizing the nation's premier trial attorneys. Selection is based on case results, leadership, and reputation. When you need attorneys who are ready for the courtroom, you want a team that's already proven they belong there.
All five partners of Easton & Easton — Doug, Brian, Matt, Travis, and Gabe — were selected to Best Lawyers in America® 2025. This is the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession. Selection is based entirely on peer review, representing the consensus opinion among leading lawyers in the community. When other attorneys are asked who they trust, they name us.
Our $4.5M settlement in Dump Truck Operator v. Equipment Rental Co. has been recognized as #1 in California for 2025 in two categories: • #1 Paraplegia Settlement in California — 2025 • #1 Rollover Accident Settlement in California — 2025
Our $4.5M settlement in Dump Truck Operator v. Equipment Rental Co. has been recognized as #1 in California for 2025 in two categories: • #1 Paraplegia Settlement in California — 2025 • #1 Rollover Accident Settlement in California — 2025
We were recently honored for our efforts in securing a $32,000,000 settlement for our client, which was selected as the #1 Bicycle Accident Settlement in California in 2024 by TopVerdict.com.
Easton & Easton was named a Tier 1 firm in Southern California by U.S. News & World Report — the highest ranking a law firm can achieve. Selection is based on client feedback, peer reputation, and professional excellence. When independent evaluators rank the best, we're at the top.
Gabe Mendoza, Alexandro Garza, John Oney, Billy Seidlitz, and Aaron Sinfield were selected to Super Lawyers Rising Stars — honoring the top 2.5% of attorneys 40 or younger in California. Three attorneys — John, Billy, and Aaron — were selected for the first time in 2027. The next generation of Easton & Easton is already among the best in the state.
Easton & Easton was voted "Best Personal Injury Law Firm in Orange County" by readers of the Los Angeles Times in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Three years in a row — chosen by the people we serve
Doug, Brian, Matt, Travis, and Saul were selected to Super Lawyers — a distinction earned by only 5% of California attorneys. Selection is based on peer nominations, independent research, and professional achievement. Doug Easton has been selected for 19 consecutive years. Matt Easton was also named to the Top 50 Orange County Super Lawyers for 2027. When you hire Easton & Easton, you're hiring attorneys in the top 5%.
Easton & Easton was recently honored for securing a $26,000,000 settlement for our client, which was selected as a Top 10 Personal Injury Settlement in California in 2023 by TopVerdict.com.
Easton & Easton received the "People Love Us On Yelp" award in 2016 due to exceptional client satisfaction reviews.Our clients don't just hire us — they recommend us.
Easton & Easton was recently honored for securing a $32,000,000 settlement for our client, which was selected as one of the Top 20 Personal Injury Settlements in the entire United States in 2024 by TopVerdict.com.
Brian, Matt, and Travis Easton are lifetime members of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum — a distinction held by less than 1% of U.S. attorneys. Membership requires securing a verdict or settlement of $2 million or more. When you hire Easton & Easton, you're hiring proven results - because Results Matter.
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, based on the legal profession's oldest peer review rating system — dating back to 1887. When your peers have trusted your ability and integrity for over three decades, that says everything.
We were recently honored for securing a $26,000,000 settlement for our client, which was selected as a the #1 Personal Injury Settlement in Los Angeles County in 2023 by TopVerdict.com.
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 proven track record of jury trials as lead counsel and approval by a majority vote of the ABOTA board. Membership isn't given — it's earned in the courtroom.
Travis Easton, Gabe Mendoza, and Brenda Kocaj were selected to the National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 — an invitation-only honor recognizing the nation's top young trial attorneys. At Easton & Easton, experience and ambition work side by side.
Easton & Easton was honored for securing a $20,000,000 settlement for our client, which was selected as one of the Top 10 Personal Injury Settlements in the entire United States in 2019 by TopVerdict.com.
Both Doug and Matt Easton have been selected as Top Personal Injury Attorneys by Avvo with scores of 10 out of 10 — based on skill, experience, results, peer evaluations, and client reviews. A perfect score. No room for higher.
Easton & Easton was honored to have been chosen by the LA Times Reader's Choice Poll as "The Best Personal Injury Law Firm in Orange County" for 2018-2020 (each year the voting took place).
We were recently honored for our efforts in securing a $1,850,000 verdict for a client, which was selected as one of the Top 50 Personal Injury Verdicts in California in 2016 by TopVerdict.com.
20+ prestigious awards and recognitions. Exposed to the harshest scrutiny. Earning the highest honors. Recognized by every major legal organization — year after year.
Awards/recognitions noted are from organizations recognized within the legal profession as bona fide.
No purchase was required for selection. Selection methodologies available upon request.
*Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
What Our Clients Say
“Client testimonials reflect individual experiences; results vary. No guarantee of outcome.”
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