Walter M. Yoka
California
Yoka | Smith, LLP
445 South Figueroa Street
38th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90071
Tel: 213.427.2300
Email:
wyoka@yokasmith.com
Web:
www.yokasmith.com
Walter Yoka is Chairman and a Partner with Yoka | Smith, a leading California based law firm representing businesses in high-exposure lawsuits nationwide.
Walter is a nationally recognized trial attorney focused on litigating cases involving products liability, commercial disputes and class actions. In addition to having tried numerous high profile cases to verdict, Walter has also successfully argued in California’s Supreme and Appellate courts.
Among his many affiliations, Walter is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He is also a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), previously serving as the 2014 President of the Los Angeles chapter. He also serves on the Executive Board and is a past-President of CAL-ABOTA. Additionally, Walter is a member of the Product Liability Advisory Counsel, International Society of Barristers, and Association of Southern California Defense Counsel (ASCDC). Walter previously served as President of the ASCDC and was also President of the California Defense Counsel. Walter was inducted into the ASCDC Hall of Fame in 2008.
In 2003, Walter was appointed by Chief Justice Ronald George to serve on the Judicial Council Blue Ribbon Panel of Experts on the Fair and Efficient Administration of Civil Cases, and formerly served as a member of the Judicial Counsel Civil & Small Claims Committee. Chief Justice George also appointed him to serve on the Civil & Small Claims Advisory Committee on Electronic Discovery.
Walter has been recognized as a Super Lawyer every year since 2004, and selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® since 2006, and Los Angeles Times’ Southern California’s Top Rated Lawyers list. Further, Walter was recognized as Best Lawyers 2018, 2014 and 2012 Lawyer of the Year Product Liability Litigation – Defendants Los Angeles, California and was also the recipient of the prestigious Champion of Justice award from the Civil Justice Program at Loyola Law School in 2016.
More recently, he was chosen as the 2018 Southwestern Law School Alumnus of the Year. Walter continues to be active the legal community as a member of several boards, including being vice chair of Southwestern Law School’s Board of Trustees.
- American Bar Association, Member
- Defense Research Institute, Member
- American College of Trial Lawyers, Fellow
- American Board of Trial Advocates, Member, Executive Committee, National Board of Directors, Past President, Los Angeles Chapter
- CAL-ABOTA, President-elect
- Product Liability Advisory Council, Member
- International Society of Barristers, Member
- Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, Past President, Board of Directors
- California Defense Counsel, Past President
- Los Angeles County Bar Association, Past Member Judicial Appointment Committee
- Judicial Council Civil & Small Claims Committee, Past Member
The experienced Los Angeles trial attorneys of Yoka & Smith, LLP, are prepared to defend our clients against high-exposure product liability claims. From our California law office, we defend businesses nationwide. When major litigation hits, our corporate clients trust the experience and expertise, as well as the unmatched personalized service that our attorneys provide, in order to efficiently and effectively defend companies.
Our lawyers proudly count many FORTUNE 500® companies and other major corporations among the representative clients we defend against product liability claims involving:
- Tires: We defend major tire manufacturers against claims of tire failure, tread separation, blowout, faulty valve stem claims and other tire failure claims.
- Automobile parts and accessories: Our lawyers represent companies in auto product litigation involving brakes, air bags, seat belts, glass, doors, electronic stability control systems and other complex computer systems in vehicles.
- Fitness equipment and sporting goods: We defend clients against product defect claims concerning treadmills, weightlifting equipment and systems, stationary bikes, elliptical machines, aerobic machines and other fitness equipment.
- Industrial and heavy equipment: We handle litigation involving industrial equipment and heavy equipment that includes trucks, tractors, loaders, diggers, backhoes and forklifts.
- Punch press third-party litigation
- Fire and petrochemical liability, including propane and gas systems
- Chemical products
- Consumer products
- Electronic equipment
- Food and beverage
Product liability litigation can take many forms, from catastrophic personal injury claims to class actions and complex tort actions. Regardless of the complexity or exposure, Yoka & Smith, LLP, has the expertise, experience and resources to defend product liability lawsuits.
At Yoka | Smith our focus is representing businesses in high-exposure lawsuits in a variety of legal practice areas. From our offices in Los Angeles and Irvine, California, attorneys from our firm represent clients in jurisdictions across the country.
The businesses we represent trust our years of real trial experience and commitment to representing them in the most complex lawsuits, including commercial disputes, product liability, class actions and complex torts, catastrophic personal injury and environmental liability claims.
Since our law firm’s founding, our focus has always been, and continues to be, trying cases. We are experienced and focused on efficiently and effectively representing our clients in the courtroom in complex lawsuits. Our law firm has been repeatedly selected as an All Star Go-To Law Firm.
Our philosophy — our primary objective — is representing businesses in high-exposure lawsuits. We have built a solid reputation for successfully representing FORTUNE 500® companies and other major national corporations involving a range of lawsuits.