ORINDA, Calif. All five partners at GJEL Accident Attorneys have been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2027 edition. Andy Gillin, Ralph Jacobson, Luke Ellis, Kristin Lucey, and Jim Larsen were each recognized, and the firm carries Best Lawyers and Best Law Firms recognition into the 2027 edition as well.

Why Best Lawyers Recognition Works Differently

Best Lawyers is the oldest peer review publication in the legal profession. Selection runs through an exhaustive confidential survey in which practicing attorneys evaluate the lawyers they litigate against and refer cases to. Lawyers cannot pay a fee to be included, and they cannot nominate themselves. What ends up on the list is built entirely on what other lawyers say about the quality of the work.

For a firm our size, having every partner recognized is unusual. It reflects a bench where the depth is genuine rather than concentrated in one or two names.

The Five Partners Recognized

Andy Gillin has been recognized by Best Lawyers since 2007 and was named Lawyer of the Year for Mass Tort Litigation and Class Actions, Plaintiffs in Oakland in 2021. He has been selected to Northern California Super Lawyers every year since 2006, and the National Association of Distinguished Counsel named him to its Nation’s Top One Percent in 2026.

Ralph Jacobson has been recognized since 2012 and has been named Lawyer of the Year twice in Oakland, for Personal Injury Litigation, Plaintiffs in 2013 and for Mass Tort Litigation and Class Actions, Plaintiffs in 2020.

Luke Ellis has been recognized since 2007 and has been named Lawyer of the Year in Oakland six times, in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, and 2024. He also holds Civil Plaintiff Top 100 selection from The National Trial Lawyers, along with Top 25 standing in the products liability and motor vehicle specialty associations and Top 10 standing in the trucking association.

Kristin Lucey has been recognized since 2016. She was part of the team behind a $13.6 million settlement that TopVerdict ranked among the Top 100 settlements in the United States for 2018.

Jim Larsen has been recognized since 2009 and has been named Lawyer of the Year in Oakland four times, in 2011, 2017, 2023, and again in 2026.

Firm Level Recognition

In the most recently published Best Law Firms rankings, GJEL holds Tier 1 standing in Oakland for both Personal Injury Litigation, Plaintiffs and Mass Tort Litigation and Class Actions, Plaintiffs. The firm also carries an AV Preeminent peer rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating the directory issues.

What Peer Recognition Actually Means for a Client

Awards do not win cases. Preparation does. What peer recognition tells you is how the lawyers on the other side of the table see us, and that matters more than most clients expect. Insurance carriers and defense firms keep track of which opponents actually try cases and which ones fold. That reputation shapes what an insurer is willing to offer long before anyone walks into a courtroom.

GJEL has recovered more than $980 million for injured people and their families, with recoveries in more than 99 percent of the cases we take. You can see the full list of the firm’s honors on our track record page.

Talk to a GJEL Attorney

If you or someone in your family was seriously injured in California, a GJEL partner will speak with you directly. Consultations are free, and we charge no fee unless we obtain a recovery for you. Call 1-855-508-9565 or request a free case review.