Paul A.
Rigali

Described by clients as “pragmatic,” “courtroom-savvy,” and someone “you will be glad you hired for your most difficult cases,” Paul Rigali is an experienced litigator who has tried cases in state and federal courts, the Delaware Court of Chancery, and private arbitration.

Paul’s successful advocacy for his clients in commercial and white collar defense cases has earned him recognition as one of the foremost trial lawyers in the country. He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America©, and Benchmark Litigation counts him among the best litigators on the West Coast.

Paul tackles the toughest problems for clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to high-net-worth individuals in complex contract cases; class actions; and partnership, corporate governance, and fiduciary duty disputes. His experience litigating high-stakes matters spans an array of industries, including real estate, software, sports and entertainment, healthcare, mining, and precious metals, and financial services. Paul’s diverse practice benefits from his knack for developing creative and aggressive case strategies that consistently yield victories.

Notable Experience and Results

Paul is a sought after litigator for matters involving state and federal governments.  He regularly represents clients in civil litigation and investigations involving the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, the California Attorney General’s Office, the California State Auditor, and district attorneys’ offices.

Much of Paul’s commercial litigation practice involves complex real estate, environmental, and water rights disputes. He successfully represented a developer defrauded in a financing hoax; a prominent shopping center in eminent domain disputes; and landowners in title, zoning, and boundary disputes. Paul also effectively litigated a municipal water agency’s claims that a private water company illegally pumped more than $100 million of groundwater from an adjudicated basin. In another matter, he obtained summary judgment for a private water company accused by landowners of illegally diverting water.

Paul’s white collar defense experience includes representing clients in trials and investigations involving procurement fraud, the False Claims Act, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, wire fraud, and money laundering. In a complete vindication for a health clinic’s billing and record-keeping practices, he obtained summary judgment for the clinic, defeating False Claims Act allegations seeking more than $50 million. Paul was also one of the Larson partners who defended the former USC water polo coach, Jovan Vavic, against fraud charges in the highly publicized “Varsity Blues” case.

A skilled appellate advocate, Paul has also been involved in more than a dozen appeals throughout his career, including prevailing arguments before the California Court of Appeal.

An original member of Larson upon its formation in 2016, Paul serves as the firm’s managing partner. He forged his legal career at Am Law 200 firms, Venable LLP and Arent Fox LLP, and externed with the Honorable Stephen Reinhardt of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit during law school. Paul’s pro bono efforts include having represented the Special Olympics World Games Organizing Committee in support of the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles. Outside of managing the firm, Paul enjoys an active home life with his wife and their four young kids.