One year after the Eaton and Palisades fires, some Southern California homeowners say their toughest fight has come not from the flames—but from their insurance companies. Kabateck LLP managing partner Shant Karnikian spoke to the Daily Journal about how insurers have generally paid total-loss claims more readily than claims involving
Kabateck LLP founding partner Brian Kabateck and managing partner Shant Karnikian have contributed analyses to the Daily Journal’s 2026 New California Laws Supplement, which provides an overview of legislation enacted by the California Legislature in 2025. Brian Kabateck examines AB 931, California’s first comprehensive regulatory framework for consumer legal funding.
In this episode of Civil Action, hosts Brian Kabateck and Shant Karnikian examine how the courts have repeatedly blocked President Trump’s immigration overreach throughout 2025—and what it means for communities across the country. The discussion centers on the Supreme Court’s recent 6-2-1 decision denying a stay for Trump’s deployment of
A protest banner calling for California Attorney General Rob Bonta to investigate the Eaton Fire was displayed—and quickly removed—during Thursday’s Rose Parade, drawing national attention to survivors’ ongoing demand for accountability. The banner appeared on the “Rising Together” float, which featured a phoenix rising from the ashes and was designed
California State Senator Tom Umberg joins Brian Kabateck and Shant Karnikian on the latest episode of Civil Action to discuss his San Francisco Chronicle op-ed declaring Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “the most dangerous threat to our national security.” Senator Umberg, a retired Army colonel who served as Deputy Director of
Partner Anastasia Mazzella and Senior Associate Matt Sahak have published an article in Advocate, the magazine of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, examining the strategic considerations of Multidistrict Litigation versus individual cases in product liability practice. With approximately 197,000 cases currently pending in MDL dockets—nearly 95% involving product liability
By Shant Karnikian When the Palisades and Altadena fires ravaged Los Angeles last January, the news was flooded with heartbreaking stories of families who lost everything. But there were also moving, inspiring stories of bravery and heroism – firefighters who helped residents make harrowing last-second escapes from their homes then
Kabateck LLP partner Anastasia Mazzella was quoted in a Los Angeles Times story, “This disabled mom survived the Eaton fire. Now, the recovery is killing her,” highlighting the ongoing struggles faced by fire survivors nearly a year after the disaster. Nearly a year after the Eaton fire devastated parts of
Kabateck LLP has filed a lawsuit against the City of Santa Monica and Los Angeles County on behalf of Dr. Brandon Ishaque, a radiologist who sustained devastating injuries after being struck by a vehicle in a marked crosswalk. The collision occurred on November 8, 2024, at the intersection of Wilshire
The firm is pleased to announce that founding partner Brian Kabateck and managing partner Shant Karnikian have been named to the Daily Journal‘s Top Plaintiff Lawyers list for 2025. Brian has been leading plaintiff-side litigation since founding Kabateck LLP in 2002, focusing on class actions, mass torts, and disaster cases.