Founding Partner
Wylie Aitken is a nationally recognized trial lawyer and founding partner of Aitken*Aitken*Cohn in Santa Ana, California. He was the youngest president in the history of the State Trial Bar and is continually recognized by publications such as the Los Angeles Daily Journal and the Orange County Business Journal as one of the top lawyers in California.
free consultationHe’s a recent inductee in the LawDragon 500’s “Hall of Fame,” is repeatedly designated a “Southern California Super Lawyer,” and has been featured in the Best Lawyers in America and The Preeminent Lawyers of America for over 20 years.
Mr. Aitken has been trial counsel in numerous significant tort cases involving bad faith insurance practices, aviation, automobiles, product liability, business tort litigation, and actions involving wrongful death and major personal injuries. As appellate counsel, he has been involved in landmark insurance decisions such as: Boicourt v Amex Assurance Company, 78 Cal. App. 4th 1390 (2000); Neal v. Farmers Insurance Exchange, 21 Cal.3d 910, 148 Cal.Rptr. 389 (1978) and Gourley v. State Farm, 217 Cal.App.3d 111 (1990). As an active participant on the Amicus Curiae Committee of the Consumer Attorneys of California Trial Lawyers Association, he has argued numerous major tort actions to the Supreme Court of California.
As a consumer advocate, Dr. Aitken developed bilingual consumer protection brochures and pamphlets on lawyer selection. He has also served on college and charitable foundation boards, as well as select commissions involving justice issues, such as court congestion and justice facilities.
As an author, his articles have appeared in numerous law reviews and legal publications, and he serves on the Jefferson’s California Evidence Benchbook Editorial Board. He has also been a frequent guest on radio and television programs such as Larry King Live, Inside Edition, Michael Jackson Show, Inside OC with Rick Reiff, KABC Ronn Owens, OCN Prime Time, and KOCE Real Orange, among others.
Mr. Aitken is a graduate of Marquette University Law School (1965) where he was a St. Thomas More scholar and Associate Editor of the Marquette Law Review, and sits on the Marquette Law School Advisory Board. His undergraduate work was in the “OC” at Santa Ana College and Cal State Fullerton.
As a passionate philanthropist and lifelong champion of the arts, Wylie made history last year as the first trial lawyer elected to the prestigious Board of Trustees of the American Film Institute (AFI), joining industry luminaries such as Steven Spielberg. He also serves on the AFI Conservatory committee, working closely with the nation’s top-ranked film school. His selection reflects not only his deep commitment to the arts but also his celebrated reputation as a master storyteller, rooted in both his Irish heritage and distinguished career as a trial lawyer.
His community involvement is extensive including Segerstrom Center for the Arts Trustee; South Coast Repertory, Past-President; Chapman University Trustee (Chair); Chair of Board of Advisors Chapman University Fowler School of Law; Mission San Juan Capistrano Preservation Foundation, Board Member; Cal State University Fullerton Philanthropic Foundation Board of Governors; Cal State University Fullerton President’s Circle; Marquette University Law School’s President’s Council, and Advisory Board; and, CSUF Special Games–Kathleen Faley Memorial, Chair; Susan G. Komen Pink Tie Board Member; and, United Way Tocqueville Society Board Member. He presently co-chairs the advisory committee for the Chapman University Performing Arts Center.
Wylie received the highest honors from each of the academic institutions he attended, including an Honorary Doctorate from Chapman University, its most prestigious recognition.
Contact Wylie @ wylie@aitkenlaw.com
Cases
$54,000,000 verdict awarded to 9-year-old girl (recognized as the highest individual injury award as against the Federal Government) following a trial against the U.S. government as a result of an auto collision that occurred when a federal employee ran a red light and broadsided the car in which she was riding.
The resolution of a record breaking (award estimated by the LA Times in the sum of $25 Million) wrongful death action for a 34-year old man and the severe disfigurement of his wife due to the dislodgment of a metal cleat on Disney’s Sailing Ship Columbia at the Disneyland theme park. This high-profile matter sparked a national debate and implemented changes in California law to ensure the safety of theme parks (and was followed by a wrongful death action brought by the family of a 21-year-old son who was killed on the Big Thunder Mountain ride).
$23,500,000 verdict which was awarded to an “exceptional” 13-year-old boy by an Orange County, California jury, for significant brain injuries as a result of an automobile collision. The trial of this matter involved complex and groundbreaking legal theories regarding the accountability of an employer for actions of its employee (during the course and scope of employment).
$17,000,000 verdict- fire insurance bad faith case including $15,000,000 in punitive damages awarded to protect insurance consumers in the future (which involved principles outlined in Neal vs. Farmers, infra, a California Supreme Court case holding which affirmed a punitive damage award on behalf of an auto consumer).
$5,000,000 verdict: Medical malpractice awarded to a young man who sustained a hypoxic brain injury during ankle surgery, which resulted in permanent blindness and brain damage, and established methods of payment to protect health care victims.
$2,500,000 verdict against the County of Orange arising from a Mountain lion attack on a 5-year-old girl permanently damaged by a mauling, which sparked a national debate regarding the safety of parks and triggered the implementation of safety measures at county and state parks.
$1,300,000 settlement dangerous condition of public property
Testimonials
Areas of Practice
Professional Associations & Memberships
Awards
Speaking Engagements
Conference Name: Palm Springs Virtual Seminar
Title: Taking Risks: Why “Every Wrong Deserves a Remedy” Matters! (Masters Roundtable: Top Tips from the Legends)
Year: 2021
Conference Name: CAOC Annual Convention – 2020
Title: What the CAOC Means to Me: Tales from the “President’s Club”
Year: 2020
Conference Name: HBA Costa Rica
Title: Techniques to Help You Be an Academy Award Nominee for Best Trial Presentation
Year: 2019
Conference Name: CAOC/COIE Palm Springs Seminar
Title: Techniques to Help You Be an Academy Award Nominee for Best Trial Presentation
Year: 2019
Seminar Name: The Civil Trial Advocacy Series: Closing Arguments
Organization: Orange County Bar Association
Title: Techniques and Inspiration for Closing Argument
Year: 2016
Conference Name: CAOC/COIE Palm Springs Seminar
Title: The 5 Things You Need to Know About Presenting Damages: It’s the Amount that Counts! (Setting Aside the “Reptile Mind”)
Year: 2016
Conference Name: CAOC/COIE Palm Springs Seminar
Title: Developing Challenges In Tort Law Practice In the 21st Century
Year: 2015
Articles
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