What Engstrom Lipscomb & Lack does

Engstrom, Lipscomb & Lack (ELL Law) is a plaintiff-side personal injury and complex civil litigation firm founded in 1974 and headquartered in West Los Angeles. The firm is organized around a portfolio of approximately 17 practice areas spanning personal injury and wrongful death, product liability, wildfire and fire litigation, insurance bad faith, toxic torts and groundwater contamination, class actions, pharmaceutical litigation, construction defects and accidents, motor vehicle accidents, complex business litigation, catastrophic injuries, aviation litigation, and utility-caused fire claims against PG&E, Southern California Edison, and LADWP.

ELL serves individual plaintiffs, families, homeowner associations, businesses, and public entities, with a stated focus on disaster-impacted communities and insurance-policyholder disputes. Core operations are litigation-driven: the firm deploys approximately 20 attorneys devoted to complex civil litigation, supported by a retained network of fire investigators, restoration specialists, contractors, arborists, public insurance adjusters, and drone pilots. Representative matters include a $700 million Hinkley/Kettleman groundwater recovery (Erin Brockovich case), co-lead counsel role in the $4.85 billion Vioxx settlement against Merck in 2011, the $1.16 billion Thomas Fire settlement with Southern California Edison, the $522 million Camp Fire settlement, and more than $2 billion in cumulative recoveries from utilities responsible for fire losses.

The business model is contingency fee representation with no upfront fees; the firm advances all litigation costs and is paid only on recovery, supplemented by free initial consultations. Go-to-market combines direct client intake (phone lines, website), attorney referral programs, and content marketing around wildfire, insurance, and premises liability topics. The firm operates from a single office in Los Angeles and serves clients across California, with practice-area coverage extending into Northern California, Sacramento, San Diego, and the North Bay.

Name

Engstrom Lipscomb & Lack

Legal name

Engstrom, Lipscomb & Lack

Website

https://elllaw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Engstrom, Lipscomb & Lack is a Los Angeles-based plaintiff-side personal injury and complex civil litigation firm founded in 1974, serving individuals, families, and communities affected by wildfires, insurance misconduct, toxic exposure, and catastrophic injury across California on a contingency fee basis.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Plaintiff Personal Injury Law

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Legal Services (5411), Other Legal Services (54119)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Personal Injury & Insurance Defense (BPAHAAAM)

Keywords

• Plaintiff personal injury
• Wildfire litigation
• Mass tort litigation
• Insurance bad faith
• Product liability law

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Contingency Fee Litigation: Law firm handles personal injury, wrongful death, wildfire, and insurance bad faith cases on a contingency fee basis. No fees upfront; firm advances all costs necessary to prosecute cases. If no recovery, clients owe nothing for time, fees, or costs advanced.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Engstrom, Lipscomb & Lack is a plaintiff personal injury and complex civil litigation law firm founded in 1974, representing individuals, families, businesses, and governments on a contingency fee basis. Core offerings span roughly 17 practice areas including Personal Injury & Wrongful Death, Product Liability, Fire/Wildfire Litigation, Bad Faith Insurance Practices, Toxic Torts, Class Action Litigation, Pharmaceutical Litigation, Groundwater Contamination, Construction Defects, Construction Accidents, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Complex Business Litigation, and Catastrophic Injuries & Death. The firm advances all litigation costs, charges no upfront fees, and earns fees only on recovery.

Product overview

Engstrom, Lipscomb & Lack is a plaintiff personal injury and complex litigation law firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of legal services organized as distinct practice areas. The firm operates as a single unified legal practice rather than a platform with separate modules. Core service offerings include Personal Injury & Wrongful Death, Product Liability, Fire/Wildfire Litigation, Bad Faith Insurance Practices, Toxic Torts, Class Action Litigation, Pharmaceutical Litigation, Groundwater Contamination, Construction Defects, Construction Accidents, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Complex Business Litigation, Catastrophic Injuries & Death, and utility-related fire lawsuits. The firm serves clients throughout California and beyond, handling cases on a contingency fee basis with approximately 20 attorneys devoted to complex civil litigation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Personal Injury & Wrongful Death Legal representation for individuals and families harmed by negligence, unsafe products, and corporate misconduct, including catastrophic injuries, wrongful death, product liability, premises liability, and transportation-related injuries.
• Product Liability Legal representation for victims of dangerous or defective products including pharmaceuticals, automotive vehicles, aircraft components, medical devices, and consumer goods causing injury or wrongful death.
• Fire Litigation Wildfire victim representation for property loss, smoke damage, and related losses, including cases against utilities and insurance companies; firm has helped recover over $2 billion from utilities responsible for fire losses.
• Bad Faith Insurance Practices Legal representation for policyholders whose insurance claims have been denied, delayed, or underpaid in bad faith, holding insurers accountable for unfair claims practices.
• Toxic Torts Legal representation in toxic tort and environmental pollution cases involving groundwater, air, and soil contamination, representing individuals, businesses, and public entities against major polluters.
• Class Action Litigation Mass tort and class action litigation on behalf of victims of negligence, including toxic torts, environmental contamination, product liability, and bad faith claims.
• Pharmaceutical Litigation Legal representation for individuals harmed by dangerous drugs and defective medical devices, including mass tort cases against major drug manufacturers.
• Groundwater Contamination Legal representation in groundwater contamination cases, recognized as a national leader in toxic tort cases including the landmark Aguayo v. PG&E litigation (Erin Brockovich case).
• Construction Defects Legal representation for property owners in complex construction defect cases, including faulty materials, design and build process issues, and land subsidence matters.
• Construction Accidents Legal representation for construction accident victims pursuing third-party liability beyond workers' compensation, working with accident reconstruction specialists.
• Motor Vehicle Accidents Legal representation for victims of motor vehicle accidents caused by driver negligence, including car, truck, motorcycle, and pedestrian cases.
• Complex Business Litigation Experienced representation in complex business litigation and breach of contract disputes for clients across diverse industries including high technology, entertainment, environmental, manufacturing, and insurance.
• Catastrophic Injuries & Death Legal representation for victims and families affected by catastrophic injuries including traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, paralysis, loss of limb, sight, burns, and disfigurement.
• Sacramento Wildfire Legal representation for Sacramento area residents affected by wildfires, pursuing compensation for injuries, property loss, and insurance disputes.
• California PG&E Fire Lawsuit Legal representation for wildfire victims harmed by PG&E's negligence, pursuing claims for injuries, property loss, and wrongful death beyond insurance settlements.
• California Edison Fire Lawsuit Legal representation for wildfire victims harmed by Southern California Edison's negligence through class actions or individual lawsuits.
• Utility Accident Legal representation for victims of utility accidents including LADWP and power line failures, pursuing claims for serious injuries and property damage.

Quantifiable outcome

• $10 Billion+ in personal injury and wrongful death recoveries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pauley & Cuevas: Plaintiff mass tort firm active in Camp Fire and California wildfire litigation. Directly comparable in PG&E-driven wildfire cases and class action wildfire representation.
• Weitz & Luxenberg: New York-based plaintiff mass tort firm with strong pharmaceutical, environmental, and consumer class action practice. Directly comparable in contingency-fee aggregation model and case profile (Vioxx, opioids, toxic torts).
• Robins Kaplan: National complex litigation firm with strong mass tort, class action, and insurance practice areas. Comparable in complex civil litigation with contingency fee arrangements on large-scale matters.
• Baron & Budd: Texas-based plaintiff environmental and mass tort firm with deep water contamination and toxic tort practice. Comparable in Hinkley-style groundwater contamination and environmental mass tort work.
• Panish Shea & Boyle: Los Angeles-based plaintiff personal injury and wrongful death firm with comparable trial reputation and catastrophic injury practice. Overlaps with ELL on aviation, product liability, and high-profile PI cases in California.
• Simmons Hanly Conroy: Illinois-based plaintiff mass tort firm specializing in pharmaceutical, environmental, and consumer litigation. Directly comparable in contingency-fee class action aggregation and national law firm-style operations.
• Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein: San Francisco-based plaintiff mass tort and class action firm with a similar playbook of large-scale, contingency-fee litigation against utilities, insurers, and manufacturers. Directly comparable in practice areas (pharmaceutical, environmental, consumer) and modal case size.

Broad incumbents

• Morgan & Morgan: Largest plaintiff personal injury firm in the U.S. with national footprint. Comparable in contingency-fee PI mass tort model, but vastly larger scale and broader geographic reach — a competitive threat in California wildfire and bad faith work.

Emerging players

• Napoli Shkolnik: Plaintiff mass tort and environmental litigation firm with growing California presence. Comparable in pharmaceutical, environmental, and wildfire-style mass tort practice, though smaller scale than ELL.
• Singleton Schreiber: California-based plaintiff firm founded by wildfire litigation veterans. Directly comparable in California wildfire, utility liability, and property damage practice areas; emerging as a focused competitor in ELL's core wildfire and PG&E/Edison cases.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Engstrom Lipscomb & Lack