A brief history of GJEL Accident Attorneys
GJEL Accident Attorneys have a 99% success rate, are featured in the Best Lawyers in America, have been selected as California Super Lawyers, and are AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell, but our firm comes from humble beginnings.
GJEL was founded by partners Andy Gillin and Ralph Jacobson in the 1970s. The two met in East Palo Alto working at the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County, a non-profit that provides free legal services to low-income people and their families. After becoming friends and working together for three years, they decided to form their own firm, and GJEL was born.
Andy and Ralph have always been committed to “fighting for the little guy,” and that hasn’t changed one bit over the years. The firm grew, and partners Luke Ellis, Jim Larsen, and Kristin Lucey joined the team. The cases have gotten bigger and more complex, but the firm still stands up for the rights of injured people against large insurance companies. All the attorneys are careful not to take on more cases than they can handle because building connections with clients and giving each case the full attention it deserves enables us to represent our clients in a more effective manner. Though GJEL could theoretically handle more cases, only so many cases can be handled the right way, and handling cases the right way is something we’re committed to, personally and professionally.
One of the advantages of practicing personal injury law is that it allows GJEL to take cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning we do not charge our clients until we win or settle their case. This structure is critical to the health of our legal process, because it allows individuals, no matter their income level, to take on major commercial enterprises and nation-wide insurance companies, even if they cannot afford the up-front cost of hiring a lawyer.
We’re committed to our clients and the Northern California communities in which they live and work. I encourage you to read some of the things our clients have had to say about us over the years, they offer the most insight into what it’s like working with GJEL. We hope you’ll never need an accident attorney, but we want you to know we’re here to help if you do. In the meantime, visit our blog often to find out what’s going on at GJEL and in the communities we serve. Learn more about our community involvement.
We are recognized as one of the highest-rated wrongful death lawyers in California.
