Paul A.
Rigali
Partner
"I believe that trial advocacy is the highest form of the art of persuasion. Our commitment to using trial advocacy to help clients solve their toughest problems sets Larson apart from other litigation firms."
Paul's
Practice Areas
- Appellate Litigation
- Complex Civil Litigation
- Antitrust and Competition Litigation
- Class Action
- Commercial Litigation
- Environmental, Natural Resource, and Basic Materials Litigation
- Intellectual Property and Patent Litigation
- International Arbitration
- Labor and Employment Litigation
- Media and Entertainment Litigation
- Partnership Disputes and Securities Litigation
- Real Estate Litigation
- Trusts, Probate, and Estate Litigation
- Internal Investigations and Compliance
- White Collar Defense and Government Investigations
Education
- University of Southern California Gould School of Law, J.D.
- University of Southern California, B.A., cum laude
Admissions
- California
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- U.S. Court of Federal Claims
- U.S. Court of International Trade
- U.S.D.C. Central District of California
- U.S.D.C. Eastern District of California
- U.S.D.C. Northern District of California
- U.S.D.C. Southern District of California
Described by clients as courtroom-savvy, pragmatic, and an attorney “you’ll be glad you hired for your most difficult cases,” Paul Rigali is an accomplished trial lawyer and the managing partner of Larson.
His diverse commercial litigation and white-collar criminal practice benefits from his instinct for developing forceful and creative case strategies that deliver victories. He has tried and won cases in federal and state courts across the country and in private arbitration. Paul represents clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to high-net worth individuals, resolving complex disputes to achieve each client’s unique objectives and spanning a variety of industries including financial services, healthcare, real estate, sports and entertainment, mining, and energy.
Paul is a sought-after litigator for civil and criminal matters involving state and federal government agencies. He has successfully ushered clients through investigations conducted by 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 State Auditor, and state attorneys general offices and district attorneys’ offices in many states.
Paul’s successful advocacy for clients in commercial and white collar defense cases has earned him recognition as one of the top trial lawyers in the country. He is listed in Best Lawyers, and Benchmark Litigation consistently counts him among the best litigators on the West Coast. His experience includes representing clients in trials and investigations involving the False Claims Act, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, healthcare fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. Paul was one of the Larson partners who defended a former USC water polo coach against fraud charges in the highly-publicized “Varsity Blues” case. He has also represented clients in cross-border investigations in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland.
A skilled appellate advocate, Paul has been involved in scores of appeals throughout his career, including prevailing arguments before the United States Courts of Appeal and the California Court of Appeal.
An original member of Larson upon its formation in 2016, Paul has helped lead the firm’s growth from 10 lawyers to more than 50 litigators in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and London. He forged his legal career at two Am Law 100 firms 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 representing the Special Olympics World Games Organizing Committee in support of the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles. His community involvement includes serving on the board of the GRAMMY Award-winning Los Angeles Children’s Chorus.
Education
- University of Southern California Gould School of Law, J.D.
- University of Southern California, B.A., cum laude
Admissions
- California
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- U.S. Court of Federal Claims
- U.S. Court of International Trade
- U.S.D.C. Central District of California
- U.S.D.C. Eastern District of California
- U.S.D.C. Northern District of California
- U.S.D.C. Southern District of California
Notable Recent Matters
- Obtained $250 million settlement for a certified class of investors in federal securities litigation related to the adequacy of disclosures made in advance of the initial public offering of Rivian Automotive, Inc.
- Represented one of the nation’s largest publicly operated health plans during years-long False Claims Act investigation by the Department of Justice, securing a decision by the government to decline to intervene in two qui tam lawsuits.
Complex Civil Litigation
- Obtained $154 million settlement for a certified class of investors in federal securities litigation arising from the initial public offering of Snap, Inc.
- Tried and won arbitration on behalf of a national financial services company, involving trade secret violations, misappropriation of confidential information, and breaches of contract by former employees who departed to work for one of the world’s largest private wealth managers.
- Obtained non-suit at trial, resulting in complete trial victory for defendants alleged to have mismanaged business entities.
- Won summary judgment in favor of a private water company and its officers, defeating allegations that defendants misappropriated water rights and breached fiduciary duties, and successfully defended the judgment on appeal.
- Represented a municipal water district in connection with its remediation and cost recovery efforts related to two plumes of volatile organic compounds in two groundwater basins, securing decision by the U.S. EPA to add one site to the National Priorities List (NPL) to secure funds and cleanup oversight.
- Tried and won multi-week trial, obtaining a complete defense verdict for national automotive group facing allegations of fraud, breach of contract, and unfair competition in connection with sale of automotive dealership.
- Represented business owner in fraud and breach of fiduciary duty lawsuit against former business partners, securing a pretrial settlement of $6.5 million.
- Won an order denying plaintiff’s motion for class certification of a Fair Debt Collections Practices Act lawsuit in federal court while representing a national mortgage servicer.
- Obtained favorable settlement for plaintiffs before the ruling was issued after a Section 225 trial in the Delaware Court of Chancery, fully resolving issues of corporate control in favor of the company’s founders.
- Successfully defended a software company and its founders against claims alleging copyright violations, misappropriation of trade secrets, civil RICO violations, and breached employment agreements.
- Won summary judgment in favor of a nonprofit foundation accused of aiding and abetting fraud of its board members.
- Won arbitration for professional sports franchise in a two-week arbitration hearing between the franchise and its sponsor.
White Collar Defense, Government Investigations, and Related Litigation
- Won summary judgment for a Federally Qualified Health Center, in federal qui tam litigation brought by a former employee and doctor.
- Represented national retail company during investigation into fraudulent, misleading, deceptive, and illegal trade practices by the Office of the New York Attorney General, resulting in no action taken.
- Represented executive of leading textile manufacturer and wholesaler during federal fraud investigation, resulting in no action taken.
- Represents a leading hospital network in federal qui tam lawsuit alleging violations of the Federal False Claims Act and Anti-Kickback Statute and Stark Laws.
- Represented a corporate officer and construction company in a three-week federal criminal trial, alleging procurement fraud and wire fraud claims in federal court.
- Defended former University of Southern California water polo coach against fraud charges in the highly publicized Varsity Blues college admissions case.
- Represented a Southern California municipality during the California State Auditor’s investigation and resulting public records act issues and litigation between the city’s accounting firm and engineering firm.
Internal Investigations
- Conducted internal investigation of fraud and embezzlement by a non-profit corporation’s investment advisor and treasurer.
- Conducted internal investigations for a trade organization, related to employee allegations of workplace harassment and discrimination claims.
- Co-Author, “Expanding Use of False Claims Act in International Arena,” Daily Journal (April 2013)
- Co-Author, “FCA And ITAR – A Lethal Combination,” Law360 (February 14, 2011)
Benchmark Litigation Recognizes Larson Attorneys in 2026 Guide
NBC News: CA homeowners allege insurance companies colluded to deny coverage
Informational Webinar: Navigating LA Fire Insurance Issues
Larson Releases its 2023 Year in Review
Benchmark Litigation Recognizes Eight Partners
Paul's
Awards
Criminal Defense: White-Collar
The Best Lawyers in America®
2021-2026
The Best Lawyers in America®
2021-2026
Paul's
Associations
- Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Member
- Litigation Counsel of America, Fellow
- Federal Bar Association, Los Angeles Chapter, Member
- Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, Board Member
