For over forty years, George E. Peterson has successfully defended individuals as well as corporate clients, both in professional negligence suits alleging medical, dental or hospital negligence, and in employment litigation representing employers against various claims of discrimination and allegations of harassment, retaliation, failure to accommodate disability, and wrongful termination. Mr. Peterson is admitted to practice in all California state courts and is licensed to appear before federal courts including those in the Central District of California and the United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. He has been a member of both the California State Bar Association and the Los Angeles County Bar Association since 1972.
Mr. Peterson has been acknowledged by both judges and peers for his professional skills in the courtroom as well as in mediation and settlement conferences. His decades-long successful track record in jury trials, with literally hundreds of complex, high-damage cases, has earned him the distinction of being one of the foremost trial attorneys in the Los Angeles area.
Mr. Peterson’s litigation experience is divided almost equally between defense of employers in employment litigation and defense of individual clinicians, hospitals/major medical centers, and other health care providers in professional negligence cases, including medical and dental malpractice. In the arena of employment litigation, he represents individuals and public entities in highly contested civil rights claims of discrimination of all kinds, as well as defending against allegations of sexual harassment, hostile work environment, failure to accommodate for employee disability, retaliation, and wrongful termination. In defense of medical or dental malpractice, Mr. Peterson’s jury trials typically involve major claims arising from brain damage or other catastrophic injury, misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis, and wrongful death. He also represents health care professionals in disciplinary proceedings before licensing boards.
Following his graduation from Loyola University of Los Angeles in 1972 (where he earned both his undergraduate and law degrees), Mr. Peterson served in the United States Marine Corps, attaining the rank of Captain. Assigned as Chief Defense Counsel with the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate (JAG), Second Marine Division, Mr. Peterson supervised the defense of over three hundred courts-martial. In 1977, he began practicing civilian law at a large firm in Los Angeles where he remained for twenty-eight years until, in 2004, he co-founded Peterson & Bradford, with attorney Thomas R. Bradford. With the addition of partner Avi A. Burkwitz in 2009, the firm is now known as Peterson · Bradford · Burkwitz.
Mr. Peterson has been selected as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and a Diplomate of the American Board of Trial Advocates, nominated by his peers in recognition for his integrity, knowledge, and skillful advocacy. His work has earned him the highest rating of AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell for professional excellence.
Mr. Peterson lectures on various legal topics including how litigants can overcome courtroom fears, how to communicate with jurors effectively, how to frame legal issues clearly and persuasively, and how to be more efficient in pre-trial preparation.
