Tharpe & Howell, LLP

What Tharpe & Howell, LLP does

Tharpe & Howell, LLP is a California-based full-service litigation defense and business consultation law firm founded in 1977 and headquartered in Sherman Oaks. The firm operates as a limited liability partnership with 60-65+ attorneys across five California offices (Sherman Oaks/Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Diego, and Orange County, with Santa Barbara also referenced) and is certified as a Women's Business Enterprise through the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). Its practice spans 14 areas, with insurance defense, bad faith and coverage, employment and labor law, transportation law, products liability, hospitality law, and civil litigation as the core revenue drivers, serving enterprise clients such as GEICO, MetLife, Truck Insurance Exchange, Farmers Group, Honeywell, ADP, and Heartland Express.

The firm generates revenue primarily through professional services: hourly billing for litigation and transactional matters, multi-year engagements, and capped-fee programs for coverage analysis. It supplements client engagement with a certified continuing-education program for insurance professionals across California, Texas, Illinois, and Florida, and publishes periodic newsletters and partner-led industry presentations that function as a referral channel into insurance carrier panels. Its technology footprint is limited to standard legal tools for case management, discovery, and litigation; the firm's competitive position is built on AV-rated trial talent, 40+ years of operating history, and long-tenured carrier and corporate mandates rather than proprietary technology.

Ownership is held by partner-level attorneys under a traditional partnership model with no external venture, private-equity, or strategic investor capital. Marketing and business development are executed through a content/website presence, email newsletters, CE training, industry events (PIHRA, Commerce Industrial Council HR Forums), and LinkedIn, targeting insurance carriers, corporate counsel, and industry associations. Recent operational signals — including lateral partner hiring in labor and employment and continued multi-office California coverage — point to measured bench-deepening rather than transformational expansion.

Name

Tharpe & Howell, LLP

Legal name

Tharpe & Howell, LLP

Website

https://tharpe-howell.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Tharpe & Howell, LLP is a Sherman Oaks-based, full-service California law firm with 60+ attorneys delivering litigation defense, insurance defense, employment, transportation, and coverage counsel to enterprise insurance carriers and corporates across five California offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Personal Injury & Insurance Defense (BPAHAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Litigation & Dispute Resolution (BPAHAAAB), Claims Advocacy & Loss Recovery Services (FSAEADAH)

Keywords

• Civil litigation defense
• Insurance defense law
• Employment law services
• Products liability defense
• Transportation law

Headquarters

HQ city

Sherman Oaks

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Civil Litigation: Fee-for-service legal representation including litigation, trials, appeals, and transactional matters. Billed through hourly rates, capped fee programs for coverage analysis, and flat fees for specific services.
2. Continuing Education Services: Certified provider of continuing education for businesses and insurance professionals through California, Texas, Illinois, and Florida Departments of Insurance, plus California State Bar accredited CLE for attorneys.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Tharpe & Howell, LLP is a California-based full-service law firm providing litigation defense and business consultation legal services. The firm delivers civil litigation and transactional solutions across 14 practice areas including insurance defense, employment and labor law, transportation law, hospitality law, products liability, real estate and construction law, and class action defense. With over 60 attorneys across multiple California offices, the firm handles matters from claim inception through trial and appeal for insurance carriers, corporations, public entities, and individuals.

Product overview

Tharpe & Howell, LLP is a full-service law firm (not a technology company) that provides litigation defense and business consultation legal services across California. The firm operates as a single integrated legal practice rather than a platform with modular products. Its services are organized into distinct practice areas that clients access collectively: Civil Litigation, Insurance Defense, Bad Faith and Coverage, Employment and Labor Law, Class Action and PAGA Defense, Transportation Law, Real Estate and Construction Law, Products Liability, Hospitality Law, Regulatory and Administrative Law, Risk Transfer, Contract Review and Disputes, Appeals and Writs, and Toxic Tort and Environmental Litigation. The firm has over 60 attorneys across California offices and is certified as a Women-Owned Business Enterprise.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Appeals and Writs Appellate legal services including preparing and arguing pre- and post-trial motions, writing appellate briefs, and presenting oral arguments before state and federal courts.
• Bad Faith and Coverage Insurance coverage opinions, insurance litigation, and defense of bad faith cases with expertise in Directors & Officers Insurance coverage.
• Civil Litigation Broad litigation services covering commercial and residential premises liability, personal injury, wrongful eviction, mold allegations, labor and employment law, intentional torts, business litigation, and product liability claims.
• Class Action and PAGA Defense Defense against employment and commercial class action lawsuits, including PAGA claims involving wage and hour violations, meal and rest breaks, and unfair competition.
• Contract Review and Contract Disputes Drafting, negotiating, and modifying contracts, plus representation in contract disputes and litigation.
• Employment and Labor Law Defense of employers in wage and hour class actions, PAGA claims, discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, and compliance with ADA, OSHA, and other employment regulations.
• Hospitality Law Legal representation for hotel groups, resorts, restaurants, nightclubs, water parks, golf courses, food and beverage manufacturers, and retail shopping centers.
• Insurance Defense Defense of insurance companies and their insureds including tort litigation, first and third party claims, bad faith litigation, declaratory relief, coverage opinions, subrogation, and appellate litigation.
• Products Liability Defense of design defect, manufacturing defect, breach of warranty, and failure to warn claims for product manufacturers.
• Real Estate and Construction Law Transactional and litigation services for construction defects, delays, site injuries, earth-movement claims, structural failures, water intrusion, contract disputes, and environmental claims.
• Regulatory and Administrative Law Compliance with Proposition 65, pricing violations, CARB and AQMD compliance, Department of Pesticide Regulations, point of sale requirements, and weights & measures regulations.
• Risk Transfer Assessment of exposure and evaluation of risk transfer options including additional insured endorsements, indemnity and hold-harmless clauses in commercial contracts.
• Toxic Tort and Environmental Litigation Defense in toxic tort and environmental litigation matters including mold and asbestos claims.
• Transportation Law Legal representation for transportation carriers including 24/7 immediate/catastrophic loss response, accident reconstruction, and regulatory compliance.
• Continuing Education Training for Insurance Professionals Certified continuing education programs for insurance professionals through California, Texas, Illinois, and Florida Departments of Insurance, plus California State Bar accredited CLE for attorneys.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully handled thousands of litigated and non-litigated claims for clients
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith: National insurance defense and litigation firm with substantial California presence, competing for the same carrier panel work and offering overlapping practice areas including transportation, hospitality, and products liability.
• Clyde & Co: Global insurance and commercial law firm with significant California operations, competing for the same insurance defense, transportation, and coverage work from major carriers.
• Hinshaw & Culbertson: National law firm with established California offices providing insurance defense, employment, and commercial litigation services to comparable carrier and corporate clients.

Direct peers

• Tyson & Mendes: California-based insurance defense and civil litigation firm with a similar practice mix including premises liability, transportation, products liability, and bad faith coverage defense, serving many of the same insurance carrier clients.
• La Follette, Johnston, DeFrees & Patt: California-based insurance defense and litigation firm serving similar carrier clients with overlapping practice areas in transportation, hospitality, products liability, and coverage.
• Haight Brown & Bonesteel: California-based insurance defense and litigation firm with comparable practice areas, serving similar insurance carrier and corporate clients in transportation, employment, and coverage matters.
• Selman Breitman: California-based insurance defense and litigation firm with multiple offices statewide, overlapping closely with Tharpe & Howell on insurance defense, transportation, hospitality, and coverage matters.
• Manning & Kass Ellrod Ramirez Trester: California-based full-service law firm with comparable practice areas in insurance defense, employment law, transportation, and civil litigation, serving similar carrier and corporate clients.
• Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman: California-based full-service litigation firm with strong insurance defense, employment, and transportation practices, directly comparable in size, geography, and target client base.
• Barger & Wolen: California-based insurance coverage and bad faith litigation boutique, directly comparable to Tharpe & Howell's coverage practice serving major insurance carriers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/tharpehowell

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tharpe & Howell, LLP