MLG Attorneys at Law

What MLG Attorneys at Law does

MLG Attorneys at Law is a California-based plaintiff-side law firm organized as a professional law corporation (MLG Attorneys at Law, APLC), operating under the trade name "The Defect Attorney." Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Costa Mesa, the firm maintains six offices across California (Costa Mesa, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento, San Bernardino) and extends its reach nationally through pro hac vice affiliations with local law firms. Approximately 90% of its practice is dedicated to automotive defect litigation, representing individual injury victims and class action plaintiffs against nearly every major automaker — including GM, Honda, Toyota, Tesla, BMW, Kia/Hyundai, Chrysler, Audi, Rivian, and others. The firm has secured substantial verdicts and settlements, most notably a $49.9 million trial verdict, additional multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements, and a lead role in a $200 million 2024 Kia/Hyundai class action settlement.

The firm operates on a contingency fee basis for personal injury and product liability matters and offers free initial case evaluations as its primary intake mechanism. Its technology stack centers on the DefectAttorney.com website platform, which hosts a VIN Recall Lookup Tool integrated with NHTSA recall data, free case evaluation intake forms, and a content marketing engine. Supporting tools include a high-tech mock courtroom with audiovisual and video recording capabilities for internal trial training, and consumer advocacy programs such as the "Steer Clear of Danger" initiative (launched November 2023) focused on vehicle recall awareness. Founding principal Jonathan A. Michaels is the firm's primary brand asset, recognized in Best Lawyers in America 2024 and 2026 for Mass Tort/Class Actions and a 2015 Pulitzer Prize nominee for reporting on the GM ignition switch recall; he has authored the book "Automotive 101: The Car Industry Exposed" and 100+ articles in the Los Angeles Daily Journal.

The go-to-market motion is sales-led and direct-to-consumer: multi-channel plaintiff acquisition through the website, 24/7 phone hotline (844-333-3287), six physical offices, an active social media presence, and sustained earned media coverage across major national outlets. Revenue mechanics are contingency-driven — the firm is compensated as a percentage of recovery only when cases are won or settled — meaning revenue is lumpy and tied to case outcomes rather than recurring fees. Customer segments consist primarily of individual consumers injured by automotive defects and class action plaintiff pools; there are no enterprise/B2B customers and the firm does not bill manufacturers.

Name

MLG Attorneys at Law

Legal name

MLG Attorneys at Law, APLC

Website

https://defectattorney.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Costa Mesa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Contingency Fee: MLG operates on a contingency fee basis for personal injury cases, meaning they only receive payment if they win the case or secure a settlement. The firm has secured substantial verdicts and settlements including $49,900,000 trial verdict, $13,300,000, $12,900,000, and $10,000,000 settlements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MLG Attorneys at Law is a plaintiff-side law firm that represents individuals injured by defective vehicles against major auto manufacturers on a contingency fee basis. Approximately 90% of the firm's practice is dedicated to automotive defect litigation, including airbag failures, seatbelt malfunctions, ignition switch defects, and fire-related claims, with additional work in mass tort and class action lawsuits against automakers such as GM, Toyota, Honda, BMW, Kia/Hyundai, and Tesla. The firm supports its practice with a proprietary VIN recall lookup tool integrated with NHTSA data and operates six California offices with a pro hac vice network for nationwide representation.

Product overview

MLG Attorneys at Law is a specialized plaintiff-side law firm focused primarily on automotive defect litigation and mass tort/class action cases. The firm's core offering is its legal services for victims of defective vehicles, with approximately 90% of its practice dedicated to this area. The firm operates primarily through its DefectAttorney.com website platform which provides client intake services via free case evaluation forms and a VIN recall check tool. Supporting its legal practice, MLG maintains a high-tech mock courtroom for legal training and has launched consumer advocacy initiatives like 'Steer Clear of Danger.' The firm's attorneys, particularly Jonathan A. Michaels, are recognized thought leaders in the automotive legal sector, with publications including the book 'Automotive 101: The Car Industry Exposed.'

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Auto Defect Legal Services
• Mass Tort and Class Action Litigation

Quantifiable outcome

• Secured $49.9 million trial verdict
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Local Law Firms (Pro Hac Vice Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMLG represents clients in various states beyond California through affiliations with local law firms. Through these relationships, MLG gains admission to practice law pro hac vice in jurisdictions where they do not have direct licensure. This network enables nationwide representation of automotive defect victims.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Morgan & Morgan: Largest plaintiff personal injury firm in the US with broad mass tort practice including automotive defect cases. Overlaps with MLG on consumer-side auto defect litigation but operates across many practice areas nationally.
• Susman Godfrey L.L.P. Top-tier litigation boutique that has served as lead counsel in major product liability and class action trials. Comparable to MLG in pursuing high-stakes verdicts against well-resourced corporate defendants.

Direct peers

• Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein: Nationally recognized plaintiff-side mass tort and class action firm with significant automotive and product liability work. Comparable to MLG in pursuing large-scale automotive defect matters and serving as lead or co-lead counsel in nationwide class actions.
• Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, LLP: California-based plaintiff firm with substantial class action and product liability practice, including auto defect work. Direct overlap with MLG on plaintiff automotive and consumer class actions in California.
• Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd: Leading securities and consumer class action firm with substantial automotive and product liability class action practice. Comparable to MLG in serving as lead counsel in large consumer class actions against manufacturers.
• Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro: Plaintiff class action firm known for automotive defect cases (e.g., Takata airbags, Hyundai/Kia MPG). Direct overlap with MLG's plaintiff automotive class action practice and contingency fee model.
• Kiesel Law LLP: Plaintiff firm with deep specialization in automotive defect litigation, including Takata airbag and GM ignition switch matters. Closely comparable to MLG's niche focus on vehicle defect cases against major OEMs.
• Beasley Allen Law Firm: Large plaintiff mass tort firm with active automotive defect and product liability practice. Comparable to MLG in contingency-fee representation of consumers against major manufacturers and in pursuing mass tort and class action recoveries.
• Berger Montague PC: Complex litigation and class action firm with strong consumer protection and mass tort practice. Comparable to MLG in handling class actions against large manufacturers on behalf of consumer plaintiffs.

Emerging players

• Wagoner Aerospace & IP Group / Testa Injury Law: Smaller plaintiff firms that selectively pursue automotive defect and product liability cases, often serving as local counsel for mass torts. Comparable to MLG in plaintiff-side auto defect focus, though typically working alongside larger lead counsel firms.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/defectattorney
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@defectattorney
• Facebookfacebook.com/defectattorney
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/defectattorney
• Instagraminstagram.com/defectattorney

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 MLG Attorneys at Law