J. Patrick Jacobs

Special Counsel

• jpjacobs@steptoe.com
• vCard
• Century City Office

J. Patrick Jacobs is special counsel in the Century City office of Steptoe & Johnson LLP, where he is a member of the Litigation Department. Focusing on civil litigation, Mr. Jacobs has extensive experience in litigating cases involving complex business disputes, professional liability, product liability, insurance agents and brokers’ liability, premises liability, construction defects, personal injury, insurance bad faith, insurance coverage, and employment law.

Mr. Jacobs has obtained successful verdicts and awards in multiple jury trials and binding arbitration proceedings. He has successfully prosecuted declaratory relief actions on insurance coverage questions in which potential exposure to the carrier was in the millions, and obtained a sizeable verdict against one of the nation's largest commercial banking institutions in a breach of contract matter. He has also handled a variety of insurance coverage matters, as well as extensive appellate work. Recently, Mr. Jacobs achieved a defense award in an admitted liability matter in which damages and coverage were in the amount of $5 million, but medical causation was a contested issue. In 2008, Mr. Jacobs obtained a judgment against a commercial real estate broker, including punitive damages, in excess of $10,000,000.00. He co-tried two plaintiff cases in the last eight years in which jury verdicts of $6,650,000 and $5,664,000 were rendered. 

Mr. Jacobs recently tried a civil case in which his client had previously pleaded no contest to a crime in criminal court arising out of the same incident which gave rise to the civil litigation. The civil damage potential was in the mid to high seven figure range with punitive damage exposure. He was successful in convincing a jury that the investigating law enforcement officials had fabricated key evidence, that forensic evidence supported his client’s position and that his client was not liable for the incident and the damages resulting from same.

Mr. Jacobs successfully tried a seven figure exposure case against a nationally renowned plaintiff firm, achieving a defense verdict. His client was the target defendant in that case.

Mr. Jacobs recently arbitrated a brain damage case in an underinsured motorist matter with significant exposure over the policy limits. He achieved a defense award, proving through his investigative efforts that the insured claimant and his treating physician were not credible.

Included among Mr. Jacobs’ other recent binding arbitration victories were a low dollar award involving a 22 year old claimant with organic brain damage and cognitive impairment, a fractured skull and a fractured cervical spine with surgical fusion and fixation. Mr. Jacobs was successful in proving that if the claimant had been wearing a seat belt he would not have been injured.

The most recent significant arbitration award achieved by Mr. Jacobs involved a claim of permanent injury from a failed cervical fusion and an earning loss/injury to earning capacity claim in excess of the million dollar policy limits. Again, the claimant’s credibility was proven to be suspect, and a low dollar award was rendered. Mr. Jacobs continues to successfully handle lawsuits which involve complex medical issues, wrongful death and catastrophic injuries, including quadriplegia.

In 2006, Mr. Jacobs served as lead counsel in a high stakes case brought by a plaintiff who was rendered a quadraplegic. After winning summary judgment at the trial court level, the Court of Appeal affirmed the summary judgment in an opinion in March 2006.  The case presented an issue of first impression of whether the Privette Doctrine applies where the injured plaintiff is not an employee, but an independent contractor. 

Mr. Jacobs has acted as a judge pro tem for the Los Angeles Municipal Court and has served as a court-appointed arbitrator in multiple judicial arbitration proceedings.

Noteworthy

• Southern California Super Lawyers, Civil Litigation Defense, 2007-2011

Select News & Events

• Southern California Super Lawyers Honors Steptoe Attorneys
• Southern California Super Lawyers Honors 14 Steptoe Attorneys
• Prominent Litigators Join Steptoe's Century City Office

Professional Affiliations

• Association of Business Trial Lawyers (ABTL)
• American Bar Association, Litigation Section