ED CHAPIN

Ed Chapin is an accomplished trial lawyer. During his illustrious legal career, he has tried upwards of 100 cases in federal and state courts.

Recent noteworthy trials in which Ed was the lead counsel include the GirlsDoPorn.com civil lawsuit, where 22 female plaintiffs across the U.S. alleged the website’s owners, operators and associated businesses exploited them after answering modeling advertisements on Craigslist. Ed and his team obtained a $20 million plus award after a 99-day bench trial in California Superior Court. The Court also granted plaintiffs all rights to their videos and issued an injunction that the defendants are prohibited from distributing the likenesses, images or videos of the plaintiffs. Midway through the trial, three individuals involved in the GirlsDoPorn operation were indicted by a federal grand jury for sex trafficking and other charges.  All three individuals are in custody.  As a result of this matter, Ed’s former firm received the National Law Journal’s 2021 award for best Human Rights Firm in the United States. 

In 2018, Ed obtained a $5.4 million jury verdict and award of attorney fees for Beth Burns, the winning women’s basketball coach in San Diego State University’s history. Ed’s litigation acumen in this public jury trial that focused on SDSU’s Title IX violations highlights how even the most powerful institutions can be made to take responsibility for the damage they cause to individual’s careers and overall well-being.

Previously, Ed was lead counsel for the chemical manufacturer involved in the noteworthy toxic tort litigation featured in the Academy Award-winning movie The Erin Brockovich Story. This case involved over 4,000 plaintiffs who claimed personal injury and wrongful death attributed to exposure to toxins at three sites in southern and central California.

Ed received his J.D. from the University of Missouri School of Law and his B.S. from Southwest Missouri State University. Between undergraduate and law school, Ed served in the United States Army infantry, including a 12-month tour in Vietnam, where he was awarded three Bronze Stars and other commendations. Ed’s outstanding trial experience, coupled with his service in the U.S. military and long-standing ties to the greater San Diego community, enable him to provide exemplary counsel to clients.

Ed has received many significant professional awards, including the Daniel T. Broderick Award for “epitomizing the highest principles of civility, integrity and professionalism” presented by the San Diego Chapter of ABOTA, the Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Consumer Attorneys of San Diego, San Diego Defense Lawyers and the San Diego County Bar Association. He received the Lifetime Achievement award presented by the San Diego Defense Lawyers, and his undergraduate alma mater Missouri State University recognized him with its Outstanding Alumnus Award. Ed was named to the American Lawyer’s 2021 inaugural list of West Trailblazers and has been named one of the prestigious Best Lawyers in America every year since 1989 and earned a Super Lawyers ranking every year since 2007.  He was recognized as one of the Top 50 San Diego Super Lawyers for 2008, 2009, 2015, 2017-2018. In February 2018, Ed was recognized as the Outstanding Trial Lawyer for 2017 by the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego.

In addition to his courtroom successes, throughout his career, Ed has been involved in the leadership of professional and civic organizations at the local, state, and national levels. Ed served as president of the San Diego Chapter and the statewide California Chapters of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). He also served for over 20 years on the ABOTA National Board of Directors. He is the past president of San Diego Defense Lawyers and former Vice President of the San Diego County Bar Association and the Barrister’s Club of San Diego. Also, Ed chaired the San Diego County Bar Association and ABOTA committees that developed the principles of civility, integrity and professionalism for members of the organizations.